120 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  1, 1895. 
PLANTS  IN  POTS. 
B. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
Arbor  Vitae  (golden)  dozen 
6 
0tol2 
0 
Heliotrope,  per  dozen  . , 
4 
0  to  6 
0 
Aspidistra,  dozen  . .  . . 
18 
0 
36 
0 
Hydrangeas,  per  dozen  . . 
12 
0 
42 
0 
Aspidistra,  specimen  plant 
5 
0 
10 
6 
Lilium  lancifolium,  12  pots  12 
0 
18 
0 
Calceolaria,  per  doz . 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Lobelia,  per  dozen  **  •* 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Ooleus,  per  doz . 
2 
6 
4 
0 
Lycopodiums,  dozen  , .  .. 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Dracaena,  various,  dozen  .. 
12 
0 
30 
0 
Marguerite  Daisy,  dozen  . . 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Dracaena  viridis,  dozen  . . 
9 
0 
18 
0 
„  Yellow  „  .. 
9 
0 
18 
0 
Euonymus,var.,  dozen  .. 
6 
0 
18 
0 
Myrtles,  dozen . 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Evergreens,  in  var.,  dozen 
6 
0 
24 
0 
Palms,  in  var.,  each  ..  .. 
1 
0 
15 
0 
Perns,  in  variety,  dozen  . . 
4 
0 
18 
0 
„  (specimens)  .. 
21 
0 
P3 
0 
Ferns  (smalll  per  hundred 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Pelargoniums,  per  dozen  . . 
8 
0 
12 
0 
Ficus  elastica,  each  . .  . . 
1 
0 
7 
0 
„  scarlets,  per 
Foliage  plants,  var.  each 
2 
0 
10 
0 
dozen 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Fuchsias,  per  dozen  . . 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Rhodanthe,  per  dozen 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Geraniums,  Ivy,  per  dozen 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Roses,  per  dozen . 
8 
0 
24 
0 
IMPORTED  FARM  PRODUCE. 
Six  months’  return  of  imports  for  the  current  year  brings 
us  to  the  end  of  June  and  affords  data  for  a  fair  estimate  of 
the  agricultural  situation  as  affected  by  foreign  supplies.  They 
tell  of  curious  fluctuations  in  quantities,  such  as  a  falling  off  by 
364,294  in  cattle  from  the  United  States  owing  to  a  remarkable 
scarcity  of  cattle  there,  and  which  has  at  any  rate  been  a  means 
of  keeping  up  prices  in  our  markets.  But  if  cattle  from  the 
States  have  fallen  off,  sheep  have  been  received  in  greatly 
increased  quantities  from  there,  from  Canada,  and  from  the 
Argentine  Republic,  the  total  increase  being  nearly  400,000  as 
compared  with  returns  for  the  same  period  of  time  last  year. 
Butter  returns  present  a  curious  anomaly.  The  Australian 
trade  continues  to  increase  with  marvellous  rapidity.  In  the 
first  six  months  of  1894  the  quantity  imported  from  there  was 
100,875  cwt ,  this  year  it  has  risen  to  241,665  cwt.  In  June  we 
received  214,000  cwt.  from  all  countries,  which  realised  an 
average  price  of  lOd.  per  lb.  wholesale,  yet  the  average  retail 
price  for  very  much  English  buttet  was  6d„  which  represents  a 
range  of  from  8d.  down  to  4d.  Xow  it  is  certain  that  there  can 
be  no  fanciful  or  arbitrary  preferential  rate  for  foreign  produce 
on  butter  markets,  it  is  just  a  question  of  uniform  quality  of  a 
fairly  high  standard.  It  is  certain  that  the  Australian  export 
butter  trade  has  been,  and  is  being,  promoted  by  the  fostering 
hands  of  the  Government  of  those  Australian  colonies — notably 
Victoria,  whence  it  comes  to  us,  by  means  of  a  bounty  of  2d 
per  lb.  and  the  use  of  cool  chambers  for  producers  rent  free. 
Here  it  is  still  a  matter  for  individual  effort,  home-made 
butter  being  very  generally  placed  on  market  in  small  quantities, 
which,  however  good  in  quality,  differ  so  much  that  it  is  not 
worth  while  for  the  butter  factor  to  collect  it  when  he  finds 
foreign  butter  ready  to  his  hands  in  bulk  of  uniform  excellence. 
English  co-operative  factories,  though  so  certain  to  prove  profit¬ 
able,  and  as  assuredly  being  the  one  means  open  to  us  of 
grappling  with  the  foreign  producer,  are  still  practically 
unknown,  and  any  mention  of  Government  intervention  is 
liable  to  be  met  by  contemptuous  remarks  about  grandmotherly 
legislation.  Meanwhile,  the  golden  stream  of  profit  goes  on 
flowing  into  the  pockets  of  foreign  farmers  in  keen  competi¬ 
tion  with  each  other  for  our  trade,  while  our  own  farmers  tell 
us  of  having  to  accept  as  little  as  4d  per  lb.  for  their  butter, 
and  are  clamorous  for  a  reduction  of  rent.  Of  cheese  it  is 
worthy  of  mention  that  from  Australia  we  had  85,000  cwt ,  as 
compared  with  42,000  cwt.  in  the  first  six  months  of  last  year. 
Recent  low  prices  for  home-bred  pork  is  accounted  for  by  the 
large  quantity  of  bacon,  hams,  and  lard  imported.  From 
Danish  factories  came  452,000  cwt.  of  bacon,  out  of  a  total 
quantity  of  2,030,000  cwt.  With  corn  so  cheap  we  ought  to 
compete  successfully  in  this  trade.  Prices  for  pork  are  fre¬ 
quently  changing,  but  we  have  found  pigs  to  be  always  profitable 
under  good  management,  and  occasionally  very  profitable. 
Throughout  last  year  the  high  price  of  pigs  proved  a  boon  to 
corn  farmers  who  had  the  wit  to  turn  very  much  of  their  corn 
into  pork  on  the  farm.  Though  pork  and  bacon  is  cheap  now, 
let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  low  prices  stave  off  the  foreign  pro¬ 
ducer,  often  giving  us  high  prices  for  a  few  months,  therefore 
keep  up  the  swine  stock,  it  always  “pays  its  way,”  and  when 
the  rise  comes  again,  as  come  it  will,  we  shall  be  ready  to  take 
immediate  advantage  of  it.  In  doing  this  remember  to  clear  off 
old  stock,  to  keep  only  young  sows;  old  heavy  sows  consume 
enormous  quantities  of  food  and  afford  no  adequate  return. 
Holland  has  sent  us  most  of  a  largely  increased  supply  of  fresh 
pork,  about  55  cwt.  more  than  in  the  first  half  of  last  year. 
The  wool  trade  just  now  is  an  interesting  study,  the 
advance  in  price  being  all  the  more  remarkable  from  the 
heavy  importations — 5,000,000  lbs.  more  than  last  year.  Against 
this  comes  the  interesting  fact  that  of  British  grown  wool  the 
United  States  have  taken  5  908.000  lbs ,  as  compared  with 
1,567,000  lbs.  last  year,  and  we  have  sent  them  about 
41,000,000  lbs.  more  of  colonial  wool,  which  accounts  very  much 
for  the  advanced  prices,  which  have  caused  such  general 
surprise  and  satisfaction,  and  have  been  like  a  ray  of  light 
amidst  the  gloom  of  low  prices. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
Since  writing  our  last  note  on  farm  work  we  have  seen  a  small  field 
of  cattle  Cabbage  of  singular  excellence  after  such  a  long  spell  of  hot, 
dry  weather.  Early  sowing  and  rich  land  gave  this  crop  its  apparent 
immunity  from  harm  by  drought — a  good  start  in  rich  soil  had  got  these 
early  Drumhead  Cabbage  so  forward  and  so  vigorous,  that  fine  firm 
heads  by  autumn  are  now  a  certainty.  Never  was  weather  more  suitable 
for  Green  Maize,  it  positively  revels  in  the  hot  weather  and  warm,  moist 
soil.  The  crop  will  be  exceptionally  heavy  and  will  be  ready  for  use  very 
soon.  Better  not  to  wait  for  full  growth  before  beginning  to  use  it,  as 
it  is  certain  to  suffer  more  or  less  from  early  frost.  Early  Mangolds  and 
Swedes  have  also  made  wonderful  progress,  and  are  quite  out  of  hand 
now.  But  there  is  plenty  to  do  among  the  later  root  crops,  which  are 
growing  so  freely  that  singling  has  to  be  pushed  on  as  fast  as  may  be. 
Where  Thousand-headed  Kale  was  sown  in  seed  beds  transplanting 
has  been  done  and  the  plants  are  growing  freely.  There  will  be  a  last 
drilling  of  this  valuable  hardy  Kale  and  Giant  Drumhead  Cabbage  very 
soon  now  while  the  land  is  in  such  favourable  condition  for  quick  ger¬ 
mination  and  free  growth.  We  are  well  rewarded  for  the  thorough 
culture  of  these  excellent  green  crops,  and  shall  drill  with  the  seed  per 
acre  3  cwt.  each  of  muriate  of  potash  and  superphosphate,  and  1  cwt. 
nitrate  of  soda  to  give  the  young  plants  a  good  start. 
A  first  autumn  sowing  of  Sutton’s  Giant  Evergreen  Italian  Rye 
Grass  will  also  be  made  early  in  August,  to  be  followed  by  another  in 
September  ;  our  object  with  the  first  sowing  being  especially  early 
spring  growth.  To  have  this  Grass  at  its  best  the  soil  must  be  rich  in 
fertility,  no  crop  being  a  better  indicator  of  soil  condition.  In  poor 
soil  it  does  no  good,  the  plant  being  weak,  slow  in  growth,  and  of  a 
sickly  pale  green  hue.  On  the  other  hand,  in  rich  soil  it  is  of  a  rich 
green  luxuriant  growth,  and  is  ready  for  use  very  early. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdbn  Square,  London. 
Lat.Sl®  32'  40"  N. ;  Long.  0°  8/  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date, 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
d 
*2 
(4 
1895, 
July. 
1  Barometer 
at  32°,  and 
1  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  , . 
21 
29491 
58-6 
58-0 
S.W. 
61-8 
65-1 
55-3 
112-3 
52-2 
0-565- 
Monday  . . 
22 
29-665 
60-9 
55-9 
N. 
60  9 
69-7 
53-9 
118-1 
50-2 
0-030 
Tuesday  . . 
23 
29-887 
61-9 
56-9 
W. 
60-9 
71-9 
51-1 
118-3 
47-1 
0-568 
Wednesday 
24 
29-698 
65-3 
62-2 
W. 
61  6 
72-9 
55-0 
101-9 
54-8 
— 
Thursday  . . 
25 
29-924 
66-2 
63-2 
w. 
62-0 
71-9 
61-9 
93-6 
58-7 
— 
Friday 
26 
29-894 
64-9 
62-3 
S.W. 
62-2 
76-9 
6 1-2 
106-6 
56-2 
— 
Saturday  . . 
27 
29-722 
65  9 
61-4 
3.W. 
62-9 
72-8 
61-2 
119  8 
57-9 
0-572 
29-754 
63-4 
60-0 
61-8 
71-6 
57-1 
110-1 
53-9 
1-735- 
REMARKS. 
21st.— Steady  heavy  rain  from  8.40  A.M  to  noon,  then  sunny  till  2  P.M. ;  alternate  storm 
rains  and  sunshine,  with  occasional  thunder,  till  about  7  P.M. ;  fair  night. 
22nd. — Alternate  cloud,  sunshine,  and  showers. 
23rd. — Fine  and  pleasant,  but  frequently  cloudy. 
24th. — Heavy  rain  from  midnight  to  3.30  A.M. ;  overcast  all  day,  with  drizzle  in  early 
morning. 
25th.— Overcast  almost  throughout,  and  slight  shower  about  10  A.M. 
26th. — Overcast  till  11.30  A.M.  alternate  sunshine  and  cloud  after. 
27th.— Overcast  early,  a  shower  at  noon ;  sunny  about  11  A.M.,  and  frequent  sunshine 
after  1  P.M. 
A  wet  week,  but  in  other  respects  very  near  the  average.— G.  J.  SVMONS. 
