JIarch 1, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
185 
1, Anemone fulgens ;^2, Chionorloxa sardensis ; 3, Narcissus obvallaris 
(see page 171). (.7". II’’.).—The Fern is Polystychum aculeatiim. The 
Dendrobium must be a good specimen, and has evidently been well 
grown. 
CO’^ENT GARDEN MARKET.— February 20th. 
Business steady with prices unaltered. 
VEGETABLES. 
s. 
d. 
B, 
d. 
s. 
d. 
B. 
d. 
Aitichokep, dozen .. .. 
1 
0 
to 2 
0 
Lettuce, dozen •• 
0 
9 
to 1 
3 
Asparagus, bundle .. .. 
0 
8 
0 
0 
Mushrooms, punnet 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Beans, Eidne;, per lb. .. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress, punt. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Beet, Red, dozen .. .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions, bunch. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Broccoli, bundle .. ,. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Parsley, dozen bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Brnssels Sproate, ^ sieve 
3 
6 
4 
0 
Parsnips, dozen ,, 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cabbage, dozen .. .. 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Potatoes, per cwt. 
4 
0 
0 
0 
Capsicums, per 100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
„ Kidney, per cwt. 
4 
0 
0 
0 
Carrots, bunch , • •. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Rhubarb, bundle •• •• 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Caulihowerp, dozen •• 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Salsafy, bundle •• 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Celery, bundle •. •. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Scorzonera, bundle .♦ 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Coleworts, doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale, basket •• •• 
1 
s 
1 
9 
Oucumbers, each ., ,, 
0 
6 
0 
9 
Shallots, per lb. 
0 
3 
0 
U 
Endive, dozen ., ,, ,, 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach, bushel .. .. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
HerOF, bunch • • • • • • 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes, per lb. 
u 
6 
1 
0 
Leeks, bunch •• •• «• 
0 
8 
0 
4 
Turnips, bunch .. .. 
0 
4 
0 
6 
FRUIT. 
S. 
d. 
B. 
d. 
B. 
d. 
B. 
a. 
Apples, 1 sieve. 
2 
6 
to 4 
6 
Oranges, per 100 .. .. 
2 
0 to 6 
0 
Nova Scotia and 
Pears, dozen. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Canada barrel 10 
0 
18 
0 
Fine Apples, English 
Cobs, 100 lbs. 
45 
0 
0 
0 
per lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Grapes, per lb. 
3 
6 
5 
0 
St. Michael Pines, each 
S 
0 
5 
0 
T4emoiip, case •• •• •• 
10 
0 
15 
0 
Strawberries, per oz. 
2 
0 
0 
0 
PLANTS 
IN POTS. 
B. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
B. 
d. 
Aralia Sieboldi, dozen .. 
6 
0tol2 
0 
Fnchsia. dozen. 
0 
0 
to 0 
0 
Axborvltas(golden) dozen 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Genista, per dozen .. 
6 
0 
12 
0 
„ (common),dozen. • 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Hyacinths, dozen •• .. 
5 
0 
10 
0 
Azalea, dozen .. • • .. 
24 
0 
42 
0 
Hydrangea, dozen •• 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cineraria, dozen • • .. 
8 
0 
12 
0 
Lilies Valley, dozen 
18 
0 
24 
0 
Cyclamen, dozen .. 
12 
0 
24 
0 
Lilinm lancifolium, doz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Dielytra, per dozen 
12 
0 
18 
0 
Marguerite Daisy, dozen 
9 
0 
12 
0 
Deutzia, per dozen 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Myrtles, dozen. 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Bracsena terminalis, doz. 
SO 
0 
60 
0 
Naroiss, per dozen 
8 
0 
10 
0 
„ viridis, dozen.. 
12 
0 
24 
0 
Palms, in var,, each 
2 
6 
21 
0 
Epiphyllum, dozen ., . • 
10 
0 
18 
0 
Pelargoniums, dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Erica, various, dozen .. 
9 
0 
18 
0 
,, scarlet, doz. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Euonymua, in var., dozen 
6 
0 
18 
0 
Poineettia, dozen .. .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Evergreens, in var., dozen 
6 
0 
24 
0 
Solanum, dozen .. .. 
9 
0 
12 
0 
Ferns, in variety, dozen 
4 
0 
18 
0 
Spirea japonica, doz. 
12 
0 
15 
0 
Ficus elastica, each 
1 
6 
7 
0 
Tulips, dozen pots .. .. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Foliage Plants, var., each 
2 
0 
10 
0 
CUT FLOW^ERS. 
B. 
d. 
B 
d. 
8. 
d. 
B. 
d. 
Abutilons, 12 bnnches .. 
8 
0 to 6 
0 
Lilies, White, 12 bunches 
0 
0 
to 0 
0 
Anenome (Fulgens), 12 
„ Orange, 12 bunches 
0 
0 
0 
0 
bunches 
6 
0 
8 
0 
Lily of the Valley, 12 
Anemones (French), 12 
sprays . 
0 
6 
1 
0 
bunches 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Mignonette. 12 bnnches 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Amm Lilies, 12 blooms .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Narclss, white (French) 12 
Azalea, 12 sprays .. .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
buDches . 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Bouvardias, bunch . • • • 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Narcits, various, 12 bchs 
1 
6 
3 
0 
Camellias, 12 blooms «• 
1 
0 
4 
0 
Pelargoniums. 12 trusses 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Carnations, 12 blooms . • 
1 
0 
3 
0 
„ scarlet, 12 trusses 
0 
6 
0 
9 
Chrysanthemums, 12 bchs. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Primroses, 12 bunches .. 
1 
0 
s 
0 
„ 12 blooms 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Primula (single), bunch. • 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Cyclamen, 12 blooms 
u 
6 
1 
0 
,, (doubfe), bunch ., 
0 
9 
1 
6 
Daffodils, Double, 12 bchs 
5 
0 
10 
0 
Roses, Red, 12 blooms . • 
4 
0 
8 
0 
„ Single, 12 bchs 
6 
0 
12 
0 
„ (indoor), dozen 
8 
0 
4 
0 
Daisies, 12 bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
„ Tea, dozen .. .. 
1 
6 
4 
0 
Epiphyllum, 12 blooms .. 
0 
4 
0 
5 
red, dozen (French) 
1 
6 
8 
0 
Eucharis, dozen .. .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
„ yellow . 
4 
0 
9 
0 
Gardenias, 12 blooms .. 
9 
0 
18 
0 
Snowdrops. 12 bunches .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Hyacinths. Roman, 12 
Spiraaa, bunch. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
sprays 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Stepbanotis, 12 sprays .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ French, 12 
Troppeolum, 12 bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
bunches ... 
0 
9 
2 
0 
Tuberoses, 12 blooms .. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Lapageria, coloured, 12 
Tulips, dozen blooms .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
blooms. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Violets, 12 bunches.. ., 
1 
0 
1 
6 
LUinm longidorum, 12 
„ (French), bunch 
1 
6 
2 
0 
blooms. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
„ (Parme), bunch 
3 
6 
4 
6 
Marguerites, 12 bunches 
2 
0 
6 
0 
White Lilac, per bunch .. 
5 
0 
6 
0 
RESULTS. 
“ From all the ills w hich Heaven send^, 
Save me, Oh save me ! from too candid friends.” 
Forcibly was this old couplet brought to mind by the receipt 
of a letter from one of our readers, wherein, after certain compli¬ 
mentary expressions, came a suggestion that he and other “ friends ’’ 
would like us to prepare a balance-sheet of one of our farms, have 
it audited by some disinterested person, and submit it to the readers 
of the Journal as something tangible, that would add weight to our 
writings. 
Well, now, we should have no difficulty in doing this, for our 
farm accounts are well kept, but we certainly do not intend doing 
so in compliance with such a suggestion. We may indeed publish 
some balance-sheets in due course, if we think the doing so will be 
likely to induce better practice on the part of any of our readers, 
but if we are expected to do so in proof of our veracity we must 
simply decline compliance. Even our candid friends will do us 
the credit to own that our writings possess the characteristic of 
frankness; we may also claim for them the much more 
important merit of truthfulness. We tell of our doings week 
after week in as plain and simple a manner as possible, and we 
certainly do expect our statements to be accepted in perfect good 
faith. If our readers do not so accept them, is it likely that any 
statement of accounts would induce them to do so? We think 
not, for we know full well what a plausible appearance figures may 
be made to assume to serve some dishonest purpose or to enforce 
some lame argument, and we have more than once done what we 
could to expose unfair statements of accounts. Let it not be 
supposed that we deprecate criticism, rather do we court it, so 
that it be fair and to the point. Our work is beset with too many 
difficulties, and we have been brought too much into contact with 
the stern realities of agricultural depression to shirk any respon¬ 
sibility. 
Having thus briefly given our reasons for non-compliance, at 
any rate at present, with the wishes of our correspondent, we will 
now proceed to give a few extracts from our accounts in evidence 
of the difficulties which beset our work in practical farming, and to 
show him that we have to pay our way. It may be well to explain 
that when we took charge of our farms in the spring of 1885 they 
were cropped upon a four-course shift, which means that about one- 
fourth of each farm was in fallow. With the exception of a flock 
of ewes at the home farm, and a few starveling pigs, the whole of 
the live stock except the horses, and all the hay and corn had been 
sold, so that we had nothing wherewith to realise money out of 
the farms but the wool and the lambs till after harvest. We had 
a balance of £1000 to draw upon for current expenses, and we are 
glad to say that after a severe struggle that sum has practically 
been repaid, and the farms are now self-supporting. But we dare 
not say there is an end of our difficulties, for two more farms came 
upon our hands last Michaelmas, and we have reason to expect 
another one next Michaelmas. It is no light matter to take 
up such farms, for without exception they are in wretched 
plight, the soil being foul, poverty stricken, and badly cultivated, 
so that a considerable part of the profits derived from the impi-oved 
farms are absorbed in bringing others into order as they fall in. 
Take for example a heavy land farm of 335 acres, part of which 
has clay so near the surface that all spring corn is practically a 
failure in such a drought as we had last year. Considerable si)pas 
of money have been absorbed by it in our work of drainingyclay 
burning, manuring, and laying part of it down to permanent 
pasture, for nearly the whole of it was under the plough. When 
our accounts were balanced at the end of 1885 there was a debt 
against this farm of £418 8s. 3d. At the end of 1886 the debt had 
grown to £787 7s. 7d. owing to low prices for farm produce and 
our per-sistent efforts to improve the land. At the end of last 
year we were able to append a foot note to the effect that “ This 
farm has paid all outgoings, and £67 5s. 2d. of the debt which was 
upon it at the beginning of the year, notwithstanding the practical 
failure of 50 acres of spring corn owing to drought.” 
Well, now, if all our farms had turned out as badly as this one, 
we should have become bankrupt long ago ; but that was our worst 
case. Let us turn now to our best one. This is a mixed soil farm 
of 320 acres, of which we found some 80 under grass, but there was 
no flock, no pigs, and some of the land was very foul. Even this 
farm had a balance against it at the end of 1885 of £216 3s. 9d., 
but we had managed to get together some store pigs and sows, and 
