September 2 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
279 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— September 19th. 
Mar ket quiet, with little alteration. Plums lower. 
FRUIT. 
Apples, $ sieve.. 
Cherries, $ sieve 
Currants (Fed). J sieve .. 
„ (Black)! £ sieve.. 
Grapes, per lb. 
Artichokes, dozen .. .. 
Asparagus, bundle .. .. 
Beans, Kidney, per lb. .. 
Beet,Red, dozen .. .. 
Broccoli, bundle .. .. 
Brussels Sprouts, £ sieve 
Cabbage, dozen .. .. 
Capsicums, per 100 .. 
Carrots, bunch .. .. 
Cauliflowers, dozen .. 
Celery, bundle .. .. 
Ooleworts, doz. bunchca 
Cucumbers, each .. .. 
Endive, dozen. 
jjeros, bunch. 
Leeks, bunch. 
Abntilons, 12 bunches . 
Arum Lilies, 12 blooms . 
Asters, dozen bunches . 
„ French, per bunch 
Azalea, 12 sprays .. .. 
Bouvardias, bunch .. 
Calceolaria, 12 bunches.. 
Camellias, 12 blooms .. 
Carnations, 12 blooms .. 
„ 12 bunches .. 
Chrysanthemums, 12 bl... 
„ 12 bohs. 
Coroflrwer, 12 bunches.. 
Dahlias, 12 buncbe3., 
Daisies, 12 bunches 
Encharis, dozen .. 
Gardenias, 12 blooms 
Lapageria, 12 blooms 
Lavender, 12 bunches 
Lilinm longiflorum, 12 
blooms. 
Aralia Si=baldi, dozen 
Arbor vitm (golden) dozen 12 
Asters, 12 pots. 3 
Balsams, per dozen .. 2 
Begonia, various, per doz. 4 
Calceolaria, per dozen.. 4 
Chrysanthemum, doz. .. 4 
Coleus, dczen.2 
Craseuia, dozen .. .. 8 
Dracaena terminalis, doz. 30 
„ viridis, dozen.. 12 
Euonymus, in var., dozen 6 
Evergreens, invar., dozen 6 
Ferns, in variety, dozen 4 
Ficus elastica, each .. 1 
s. d. 
s. d. 
8. 
a. 
8. 
a. 
Z 0 
to; it 
Lemons, case. 
Oranges, per 100 .. .. 
to 
0 to 15 
0 
0 0 
o u 
4 
0 
9 
c 
0 0 
0 0 
Peaches, dozen. 
2 
0 
10 
0 
0 0 
0 0 
Pears, dozen. 
0 
9 
1 
8 
0 0 
0 0 
Plump, £-sieve. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
0 6 
2 6 
St. Mioaael Fines, each 
S 
0 
5 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
s. d. 
B. d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
a. 
2 0 
to 8 0 
Lettuce, dozen .. .. 
0 
9 to 1 
3 
0 0 
0 0 
Mushrooms, punnet .. 
Mustard and Cress, punt. 
0 
6 
l 
0 
0 2 
0 0 
0 
2 
0 
0 
1 0 
2 0 
New Potatoes, per cwt... 
8 
0 
14 
0 
0 0 
0 0 
Onion?, bunch. 
Parsley, dozen bunches 
0 
3 
0 
0 
0 0 
0 0 
2 
0 
8 
0 
1 6 
0 0 
Parsnips, dozen .. .. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 0 
0 0 
Potatoes, per cwt. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
0 4 
0 0 
„ Kidney, per cwt. 
4 
0 
8 
0 
3 0 
4 0 
Rhubarb, bundle .. .. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
1 0 
2 0 
Salsafy, bundle .. ,. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
2 0 
4 0 
Scorzonera, bundle .. 
l 
6 
0 
0 
0 3 
0 4 
Shallots, per R> .. .. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
1 0 
2 0 
Spinaoh, bushel ♦, 
1 
8 
2 
0 
0 2 
0 0 
Tomatoes, per fk. 
0 
3 
0 
7 
0 3 
1 0 4 
Turnips, bunch .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
CUT FLOWERS. 
a. d. 
a d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
1 0 to 2 0 
Marguerites, 12 bunches 
2 
0 
to f> 
0 
2 0 
3 0 
Mignonette, 12 bunches 
1 
0 
8 
0 
2 0 
4 0 
Pansies, 12 bchs .. .. 
1 
0 
8 
0 
1 0 
1 6 
Pelargoniums, 12 trusses 
0 
6 
1 
0 
1 6 
2 0 
„ scarlet, 12 trusses 
0 
3 
0 
6 
0 6 
1 0 
Pinks, various, 12 bunches 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 0 
0 0 
Polyanthus, 12 bunches .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
4 0 
0 0 
Pyrethrum, doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
0 6 
1 0 
Roses, Red, 12 blooms .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
4 0 
0 0 
,, (outdoor), 12 bcha 
2 
0 
6 
0 
1 0 
4 0 
„ (indoor), dozen 
0 
B 
1 
0 
2 0 
6 0 
,, Tea, dozen .. .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
1 0 
8 0 
„ yellow . 
2 
0 
4 
0 
2 0 
4 0 
,, (Moss), 12 bunches 
0 
0 
0 
0 
2 0 
4 0 
Stephanotis, 12 sprays .. 
2 
0 
8 
0 
2 0 
4 0 
Stock s, 12 bunches .. .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
1 0 
. 4 0 
S weet Peas, dozen .. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
1 0 
2 6 
Sweet Sultan, 12 bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
3 0 
4 0 
Tropfeolum, 12 bunches 
i 
0 
2 
0 
Tuberoses, 12 blooms .. 
0 
4 
0 
9 
2 0 
4 0 
Gladiolus, 12 eprajs 
0 
6 
1 
6 
PLANTS 
IN TOTS. 
s. a. 
8. G. 
8 . 
a. 
8 . 
d. 
0 0 to 12 0 
Foliage Plants, var.,each 
2 
0 to 10 
0 
24 0 
6 0 
4 0 
9 0 
S 
9 
4 
12 
60 
24 
18 
24 
18 0 
7 0 
Fuchsia, dozen pots 
Genista, por dozen .. 
Heliotrope, dozen pots .. 
Ivy Geranium ., .. .. 
Eydrangea, dozen 
Lilinm, various, doz. pot s 
Marguerite Daisy, dozen 
Mignonette, per dozen ., 
Musk, dozen ,iots .. .. 
Myrtle3, dozer.. 
Nasturtiums, per dozen.. 
Palms, in var., each .. 
Pelargoniums, dozen 
,, scarlet, doz. 
8 0 
0 
8 
0 
6 0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
12 0 
6 0 
0 0 
2 6 
4 0 
8 0 
12 0 
21 0 
12 
6 
0 
12 0 
0 0 
21 0 
9 0 
6 0 
HARVEST PROSPECTS. 
Reports - more or less positive, and certainly more or less 
| speculative, as to harvest prospects are being published very 
j frequently both in the daily papers and in the organs of the 
i agricultural Press. Ivfost of them point to a probable rise in the 
| price of corn, and elaborate tables are given again and again in the 
j attempts to prove certain conclusions by the aid of figures. Mean¬ 
while farmers keep plodding on under difficulties which seem to 
increase rather than diminish under the depressing influence of 
cloudy skies and a wet summer, and corn stacks are springing up 
slowly very much in accordance with the prevalence of those 
“ local showers ” which have been predicted day after day in the 
I weather forecasts ; but writing on the third day of fine bright 
weather we feel hopeful that a bountiful corn crop may be saved in 
j fair condition, and that after all the harvest of 1888 may not prove 
| a failure. 
Just at the beginning of harvest business took us within a few 
miles of the south coast ; subsequently we have had to go north as 
far as the Highlands of Scotland. We have lost no opportunity in 
those journeys of seeing all we could of the crops and farming 
practice in every district we visited, and have, on the whole, just 
reason for saying that British farming is anything hut a failing in¬ 
dustry yet. 
Perhaps the finest example of corn-growing in the world, cer¬ 
tainly the best we have ever seen, is that which the Fen districts of 
North Cambridge and South Lincoln now afford. We are ■well 
■within bounds in applying the term magnificent to the crops 
which we saw there ready for the reaper in the first week of the 
present month. In the fields where the corn was being cut the 
surface was crowded with sheaves. The yield of straw there will 
far exceed the average, and that of the corn too must be high. 
Well, since then we have been able in East Anglia to build nearly 
a score of huge Wheat stacks, and doubt not that the fenmen 
have missed no chance of doing all they could to save their boun¬ 
tiful crop of corn. 
If farmers below the Trent cry out about a late season and a 
disastrous year, what may we expect to hear from Yorkshire, Dur¬ 
ham, Northumberland, and the Lothians ? For there many of 
the corn crops are still green, and farmers between 54° and 56 e 
of latitude certainly need stout hearts to face the difficulties arising 
from such an adverse season. In Yorkshire and Durham we 
regret to see so much needless sub-division of farms, and strongly 
recommend estate agents there to do all they can to sweep away 
useless interior divisions. We know that sweeping reforms in¬ 
volving a heavy outlay are impracticable in districts where rents have 
fallen to such a nominal sum as has happened in some parts of 
Yorkshire. , But no contrast can possibly be greater than that of 
many such farms and those which we saw north of the Tweed. 
“ Why ! ” said an enthusiastic friend who was travelling with us,. 
“ every field is clean as a garden.” He was right. However much 
hard times may press upon Scottish farmers it has caused no falling 
off in that high and finished system of cultivation for which they 
are deservedly famous. The land is kept free of weeds, and the 
whole of its fertility is absorbed by the legitimate crop. Some 
Barley and Wheat—most of the latter—may be seen in the 
Lothians, but it is Oats and root crops that are to he seen there in 
perfection, and it was undoubtedly a lively recollection of such 
crops that induced a certain canny Scotchman to advise farmers in 
East Anglia to substitute the culture of Oats for Wheat. His 
advice was untrustworthy, as he was quickly made to under, 
stand, but as the French say, “ he had reason.” 
The Wheat, so far, has been got together without any serious 
amount of damage from sprouting, but very much of the grain is 
soft, and, though the stacks are built long and narrow, it will be 
some time before the grain is in the best order for threshing. Yet 
it will be advisable to wait, if any reliance is to be placed in pub¬ 
lished reports of the Wheat crop, for we are told the estimated 
production of Wheat in Europe falls short of that of last year by 
21,000,000 quarters. Adding the estimated deficiency in the other 
principal Wheat-growing countries of the world, the produce of the 
present year comes out at 23,000,000 quarters less than that of last- 
year. To all who can possibly afford to wait, every report or cal¬ 
culation we have seen clearly says, Do so. If you only grow four 
quarters, an acre, waiting may mean 40s. an acre more to you from 
the Wheat, and that sum, in these critical times, may mark the 
difference between success and failure. To all farmers we say,. 
Continue to give all possible care to the selection of pure seed of 
the best sorts, get your land clean and dry, store it with fertility, 
keep down weeds, and do all that is possible to bring and keep the 
land in the highest possible state of cultivation. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Harvest work is still in hand, but fine settled weather has at length 
enabled us to push briskly on with it, and there is now a fair prospect 
of a speedy ending. Barley, though the grain is thick-skinned and much 
discoloured, is being carted quite ready for threshing, and the strong 
growth of Clover mingled with the straw will prove such excellent 
