An b nf<t 16, if88. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
145 
Continent. But of flowers and fruit the Saxons took no heed, if 
they cultivated some of the commer vegetables, their leaders 
thinking that any of these peaceful arts would lessen their warlike 
enthusiasm, hence they had devised a law that those who tilled 
lands should exchange them with others at the end of each year, a 
plan which was decidedly unfavourable to outlay or improvements. 
It is probable the Saxons introduced from Germany one or two 
heads of Cabbage or Kale, these vegetables being favourites with 
them. The old Saxon name for February means “ Sprout-Kale,” 
referring to the fact that about this time the sprouts formed on 
the winter, stems were fit to cut. The love of Biassicas amongst 
the Germans is still further exemplified by the circumstance that 
in Scotland, where many of them settled, the people have even to 
this day remained steadfast to vege + ables, which has given the 
country its repute of being the “ land of Kale.”—J. R. S. C. 
ANTIRRHINUMS AND PENTSTEMONS. 
The former are much later than usual, and scarcely so good a s 
during a hotter season, but the Pentstemons are very fine, both a s 
regards the spikes and the size and colour of the flowers, a showery 
summer evidently suiting them well. Both ought to be lightly 
supported by stakes, and if the old spikes are removed as soon as 
the flowers are shabby this favours a better supply of flowers from 
side shoots. The surest way of perpetuating any superior varieties 
is to propagate by cuttings, these striking readily, and may be easily 
wintered. Short flowerless shoots may be slipped off the old stems 
near the ground and at once dibbled into handlights set in a cool 
and somewhat shady position, or say at the foot of a north wall. 
They ought to be kept rather close, shaded and watered as required, 
and when rooted have the lights kept off them. If rooted early, 
or before September, the plants may be placed out and wintered in 
the open borders, or better still, in beds, but those struck much 
later ought to be treated more like 'Calceolarias, being wintered 
under glass, given plenty of air, and protected from severe frosts. 
These may be planted out early in the spring and will flower 
strongly during the summer. Many beautiful varieties of both 
Antirrhinums and Pentstemons may be obtained from a packet of 
seed of each, or seed may be saved and at once sowm in preference 
to waiting till the spring, when so many other plants require the 
room and attention. It should be sown on the surface of a pan of 
previously moistened fine sandy soil, and be lightly covered with 
more of the same. Set either in a handlight or on the ground in a 
cool position, and covered with a square of glass, the seed soon ger¬ 
minates, and when large enough to handle the seedlings ought to 
be dibbled out thinly in boxes or pans of fine light soil. They 
soon become large enough to transfer to the borders, the better 
plan, however, being to keep at least half the plants under glass, or 
where they can be lightly protected and taken care of during the 
winter.—W. I. 
THE COMMERCIAL REALISATION OF FRUIT. 
(.Continued from patje 127.') 
JAMS. 
The manufacture of jams furnishes a valuable outlet for a large 
quantity of fruits, but for the small farmer it forms the lowest remune¬ 
rative outlet for fruit. It is a system that is attaining considerable pro¬ 
portions in a few districts, but they are so few that they are as a drop in 
the ocean of our fruit supply, and the total quantity of the crops absorbed 
in this direction is remarkably small and must remain so. To make 
jams profitably requires capital and experience, both to produce the 
article and to dispose of it. To produce the goods on a large scale an 
outlay is necessary for sugar, jars, labour, cases, &c. To make a sale for 
a quantity it is necessary to educate the public with a knowledge of the 
quality and character of the particular goods, and this involves an 
immense expenditure of money, time, and labour, a matter that no 
farmer can carry through upon its legitimate basis for an ordinary crop. 
Unless a farmer is prepared to do this work and incur the incidental 
expenditure, he must be prepared to §end his goods into the ordinary 
outlets of commerce, and then they enter into competition with the so- 
called jams or fruit preserves that are made up and sold to the public 
at low prices, which the trade know, that although they bear the name 
of almost all fruits, are simply made of Apples, and very poor Apples too, 
the different flavour of the fruits being supplied by chemicals, the 
“ seasoning as does it,” very much on the principle of Sam Weller’s 
sausages. Coming into competition with that particular class of goods, 
the small farmer engaged in jam operation stands but a poor chance of 
making a profit. Should, however, a body of farmers club together to 
make jams, the very fact of their organisation would give their goods a 
standing and value in the market, although they might find that the 
same labour and expense incurred in preparing the same goods as high 
class dessert fruit and sweetmeats would result in much speedier and 
more profitable sales. Crystallised and glace fruits retail at from Is. 3d. 
to 2s. the lb. They do not absorb so much sugar as jams. Evapo¬ 
rated Apples sell wholesale at fid. per lb., equal tj 3s. fid. per bushel, 
they are retailed at lOd. per ,1b., equal to 5s. lOd. per bushel. At 
lOd. per lb. the prices range with green Apples to the consumer at ljd. 
per lb., so that it will be seen that there is an abundant margin of 
profit for those engaged in their manipulation. 
WHAT TO DO TO MEND MATTERS. 
The one essential step necessary to create an improvement in tic 
present unsatisfactory condition of things is for fruit growers to combine 
in their own districts, and form a union foi the provision of a regular 
supply of fruits that may be prepared and realised under the supervision 
of themselves, and by the direct control of their own representatives and 
managers. Such organisations should take the shape of the co-operative 
societies that the working men of the country have formed in every 
direction, which have proved simple in formation and effective in work¬ 
ing. It may be safely said that the lines that the industrial classes have 
drawn for their co-operation to buy may be rendered equally available 
for the producers of the nation, who should co-operate to sell. It must 
be b >rne in mind that the co-operative stores in each district are per¬ 
fectly self-contained, conducted, and localised, so that the management 
of each society is entirely in the hands of those of the members in the 
locality. Yet each of these stores is affiliated with a central organisation 
composed of the delegates from each society, that effectively purchasea 
in bulk all the goods that the societies require in detail. To such arn 
extent have these organisations grown that they now number 1150, ami 
the aggregate purchases made by their members last year exceeded the 
enormous sum of £32,000,000. This immense concentration of buying 
power that the working classes have created for themselves is something; 
for the producers of the country to look forward to, and they should' 
make every effort to secure the share in that trade that is available in. 
their direction. Desires have been generally expressed of the necessity 
of producers and consumers getting more within touch, and middlemen, 
done away with as much as possible. The problem has been frequently 
tried, and failure has been the inevitable result. The solution of the 
problem will be found in this direction : Producers must co-operate to. 
sell, and when they have their organisation formed on the same lines as 
consumers they will be able to approach each other oftiC'ally, ascertain 
each other’s requirements, and much trade will be the result. 
To refer practically to the subject which we have met to consider, 1 
may say that the fruit farmer must largely gain by the co-operation and 
assistance of commercial experience, as from the nature of his crop 
benefits are obtained in every direction by the organisation which is the 
outcome of it. The season for each particular kind of fruit is very 
short, and markets in every direction require incessant watching to note 
the changes that take place. Fruits vary in character, quality, and 
condition greatly, and particular kinds can be best dealt with in different 
directions. Again, a sudden change of weather will in one night so. 
affect a large quantity of fruit that it must be immediately dealt with 
or its value is lost, while a few days’ bright sunny weather may quickly 
ripen a crop and bring it so forward as to render it necessary to market 
it immediately, when by glutting the market its value is materially depre¬ 
ciated. These are contingencies that it is necessary to provide against, 
and only by commercial organisation and combination can this be done 
effectively and with profit ; but no individual farmer can possibly pro¬ 
vide against these contingencies by himself, for if he provided against 
the whole he would require an enormous organisation that his own crop 
could not profitably utilise continuously, and if he secured himself 
against a nortion of the contingencies the chances are, that as the unex¬ 
pected always happens, circumstances would arise against which he was 
not prepared. Then, again, the bulk and weight of fruit is enormously 
great compared to its value, and the colt of its transport is extremely 
heavy in comparison with the amount realised. Commercial experience 
and organisation would offer facilities for beneficial arrangements being 
made for the conveyance of fruit to its destination that isolated working 
could not command, and it would also enable a simpler and more direct 
system of distribution to be carried out. It may be noted that every 
saving effected in this direction, being an addition to the profits and 
tending to the advantage of the grower, the larger the combination the 
greater are these benefits likely to be. 
(To be continued.) 
ARTIFICIAL MANURES. 
The latest remarks of Mr. Coombe on the above familiar subject 
came as an agreeable surprise to me ; the tone maintained was distin¬ 
guished by moderation and reason, the writer having evidently satisfied 
himself that a judicious combination of science, practical experience, and 
close observation must form the keystone to future horticultural successes. 
My desire for a ray of light to disperse the darkness in which I have 
for some time been groping to find out the way in which your corre¬ 
spondent would put his theories into practice, has met with a generous 
response, and not only a ray but a perfect flood of light has been given 
which is highly satisfactory in many respects. My opponent in describ¬ 
ing his mode of procedure in preparing suitable plant food shows us that 
his methods differ but little from those usually practised. Instead of 
a host of mysteriously wonderful and minutely proportioned compounds, 
we have simply placed before us the usual potting materials, such as 
loam, leaf soil, lime, sand, charcoal, and (mark theelasticterm) artificial 
manures. We are also treated to the candid admission that in com¬ 
pounding these mixtures for plant food, if the mind is well stored with 
knowledge, it matters little whether gained by scientific research or 
experience and observation. Exactly, this is the point I have been 
