560 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 22, 1892. 
PRODUCER AND CONSUMER. 
Corn growers have at last complained of the low price of 
Wheat to some purpose. Public attention is now fully aroused, 
not to the justice of the farmer’s plea for aid, but to the fact of 
the comparatively low price of Wheat and high price of b ead. 
The poor man’s cheap loaf proves to be a very dear one, and the 
millet s and bakers are accused of robbing the working man of this 
kingdom of 100 per cent, in the cost of his staple article of food. 
We gave prices of the 4-lb. loaf at different places in our 
last article to show how entirely fanciful they were, and that 
the price of Wheat was simply ignored by the bakers. In a 
recent discussion of this important matter in the Times, the 
question was asked why the quartern loaf costs 5|d. when 
Wheat is 27s. the quarter or 3s. 4d. the bushel; whereas, about 
1852, when Wheat was 60s. the quarter or 7s. 6d. the bushel, the 
price of the quartern loaf was 54d. 
It is shown how, in the reign of Henry III., a.d. 1267, an 
Act was passed to regulate the price of selling bread by statute, 
making the price vary according to the varying price of Wheat, 
but leaving a reasonable profit for the miller and baker. This 
Act continued in force until 1836, when the Legislature threw 
the trade in bread open to free competition. 
In 1709, during the reign of Queen Anne, the weight of the 
6d. loaf, according to the price of Wheat, was as follows:— 
Wheat at 3s. 3d. a bushel, 6d. loaf 10 Ids. 11 ozs. 2 drams. 
„ 3s. Gd. „ „ 9 lbs. 14 ozs. 4 drams. 
„ 7s. 6d. ,, „ 4 lbs. 10 ozs. 2 drams. 
In 1758, in the reign of George II., the price stood as follows:— 
W1 eat at 3s. 3d. a bushel, Gd. loaf 9 lbs. 7 ozs. 11 drams. 
„ 3s, Gd. „ „ 8 lbs. 11 ozs, 0 drams. 
,, 7s. Gd, ,, „ 4 lbs. 0 ozs. 3 drams. 
The statute also regulated the price per quartern loaf as 
follows:— 
Wheat at 3s. 3d., the quartern loaf 24d. 
„ 3s. Gd. „ 3d. 
,, 7s. Gd. „ G^d. 
Wheat is now 3s. 4d. a bushel. If the assize of bread were in 
force a 6d. loaf should weigh nearly 9 lbs., and the price of the 
quartern loaf should be about 2|d , after leaving the baker aud 
miller a sufficient profit. By the statute of 4th George IY., 
cap. 50, the baker and miller were to store between them at the 
rate of 13s. lOd. a quarter, and the selling price was to be 
calculated af rer the addition of that sum to the price of Wheat. 
The inevitable deduction from these facts is that since 1852^ 
notwithstanding the advantages of improved manufacture, and 
the enormous adulteration which freedom of trade invariably 
brings forth, the price of bread has been exorbitant and unfair. 
We earnestly commend these facts to the serious attention 
of farmers who, while crying to the Legislature for aid, allow 
salesmen, and tradesmen, butchers, millers, bakers, cattle 
dealers, and auctioneers to flourish exceedingly upon the 
enormous profits which they acquire through the producers’ 
inertness and lack of business capacity. Whose affair is it 
but the producer’s to see how his corn and cattle are disposed 
of, to mark the difference between the price he gets and that 
paid by the consumer? Unfortunately straitened means have 
deprived very many farmers of staying power. What does 
the forced sale of damp Wheat soon after harvest, of lean 
store cattle at Michaelmas, point to but dire necessity ? Money 
must be had at any cost, but the sacrifice involved in forced 
sales only staves off the inevitable, and serves to accentuate 
the keen sense of depression, which the popular idea asserts 
comes from oppression, from hard measure dealt out to the 
farmer by open markets and burdens upon land. 
Where can a remedy be found for so unsatisfactory a 
state of things ? Everything points to co-operation ; even the 
recent abortive Conference points that way. We want co¬ 
operative butter and cheese factories, outside the legitimate 
milk rad us of large towns. What an immense difference 
would this make to all da ; ry farmers! Milk would become 
higher in price, simply because the present blind competition 
would cease ; the cost of carriage would be much less ; instead 
of sending milk to London from a distance of "between one and 
two hundred miles, as is now done by so many farmers, they 
would turn with their milk to their own factories. Is it not a 
significant fact that during the prevalence of an agricultural 
depression so severe and so prolonged the cows of the Irish co¬ 
operative farmers have become 30 per cent, more valuable 
simply through the establishment of dairy factories ? Let 
British farmers look to this; let ihem also take to heart the 
lessons taught by the profits of those who come between them¬ 
selves and the consumer, and see if they cannot do something 
for themselves in this direction. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Never has the value of uplands for sheep been more apparent than 
during the past week, with its tryiDg changes of weather. Floods have 
been prevalent in the valleys, and much of the land near watercourses 
has been submerged, yet we have seen sheep folded on mustard with 
much of the field under water. They should have been removed at any 
cost, rather than run the risk of foot-rot and other evils, which they 
did. On upland pasture good work is now being done with sheep folds •, 
the pasture is sound, there is no hurtful accumulation of water in the 
soil, the sheep are thriving, and the land is being steadily enriched for 
next summer. 
Much drainage of inferior pasture is now in hand ; many of the 
drains running full of water soon after they are made afford satisfactory 
proof of the necessity of this work. The draining will be followed by 
a dressing of mineral manure. Both for economy aad efficiency, it has 
become a matter for consideration whether to use basic slag, or super¬ 
phosphate with a mixture of bone flour. In ordinary soils the lattei 
mixture of phosphatic manures answers very well indeed. There are 
one or two facts which help to guide us in this matter. On soils rich in 
humus, and lacking in lime, basic slag is the most effective source of 
phosphoric acid. No plant can appropriate soluble phosphate (mono¬ 
basic) ; plants can only take up tribasic salts. In ordinary soils the 
soluble phosphate is quickly converted into very finely divided 
gelatinous tribasic phosphate by the carbonate of lime present, of 
which there will be from 20 to 40 per cent. In peaty and vegetable 
soils the carbonate of lime falls below 1 per cent.; soluble phosphate is 
not quickly precipitated, and preference is given to basic slag. With¬ 
out aiming at exact knowledge, it is well to understand guiding 
principles in manure application, both for the sake of efficiency and 
economy. No nitrate of soda will be used till growth begins, then it 
will be used freely ; and though it may be used after the other manures, 
its action is really in combination with that of the phosphates. 
Look well to all yards, see that drains are open and in full action, 
avoid deep accumulations of manure or sodden litter ; keep all sheds, 
hovels, and cow houses dry, clean, and well ventilated. Extra attention 
should also be given to the food and water of dairy cows. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY\ 
Rain. 
1892. 
December. 
Barometer 
1 at 32°, and 
| Sea Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of soil 
at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday .. 11 
29-474 
4i-8 
40-8 
S. 
37-2 
45-7 
31-2 
57-9 
27-0 
0-010 
Monday .. 12 
29-559 
42-4 
41-0 
W. 
38-1 
44-3 
40-0 
50-3 
32-8 
0-018 
Tuesday .. 13 
29-919 
35-2 
34-1 
N. 
37-9 
41-2 
31-8 
57-4 
26-4 
0-052 
Wednesday 14 
30-110 
40-2 
40-1 
S.W. 
37-2 
51-2 
29-0 
52-1 
23-1 
0-108 
Thursday.. 15 
30-053 
51-1 
50-1 
s.w. 
39-8 
545 
40-2 
6G-2 
38-6 
— 
Friday .. 1C 
30-380 
40-9 
40-9 
N. 
40-9 
50-8 
34-9 
53-3 
271 
— 
Saturday .. 17 
30-317 
48-3 
46-4 
S.W. 
41-9 
49-4 
39-9 
528 
32-1 
— 
29-973 
42-8 
41-9 
39-0 
43-2 
35-3 
55-7 
29-6 
0-188 
REMARKS. 
11th.—Overcast early; occasional sun in morning and sunny afternoon; spots of rain 
in evening. 
12th.—Dull early; rainy from 8.30 A.M. to noon ; fine afternoon, with occasional sun¬ 
shine. 
13th.—Fine and bright all day ; bright night. 
14th.—Steady flue rain from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m; gloomy morning, heavy fine rain from 
2 P.M. to about 4 P.M., damp and drizzly after. 
15th.—Dull and mild morning; bright sunshine from 1 P.M. to sunset. 
16th.—Overcast, with slight fog in morning. 
17th.—Fine, but sunless. 
Much warmer than the previous week, but not much above the average; a generally 
pleasant week.—G. J. Symons. 
