606 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December, 26, 1896. 
AYBBAUB  WHOLESALE 
PRI0E3.- 
OUT  FLOWERS. — Orchid  Blooms  in  variety. 
fl. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
f. 
Acacia  or  Mimosa  (French) 
Pelargoniums,  12  bunches 
4 
0 
to  9 
per  bunch . 
1 
0  to  2 
0 
Primula  (double),  dozen 
Arum  Lilies,  12  blooms  .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
sprays  . 
0 
6 
1 
Asparagus  Pern,  per  bunch 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Roses  (indoor),  dozen 
1 
0 
2 
Bouvardias,  bunch  ..  .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
„  Tea,  white,  dozen 
1 
6 
2 
Oamations,  12  blooms  . . 
1 
0 
3 
0 
„  Yellow,  dozen  (Niels) 
3 
(.1 
6 
Chrysanthemum,  doz.  blms. 
1 
0 
4 
0 
„  Red,  dozen  blooms  ., 
1 
0 
1 
„  doz.  Dunches 
3 
0 
6 
0 
„  Safrano  (English), 
Eucharis,  dozen . 
4 
0 
6 
0 
dozen . 
1 
6 
s 
Gardenias,  dozen  ..  .. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
„  Safrano  (French),  per 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
dozen  ....  . . 
1 
3 
2 
bunches . 
4 
0 
6 
0 
„  Pink  (French),  per 
Hyacinth  (Roman)  dozen 
dozen  . 
3 
0 
4 
sprays . 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Smilax,  per  bunch 
5 
0 
0 
Lilac  (French)  -per  bunch 
5 
0 
8 
6 
Stephanotis,  dozen  sprays 
4 
0 
6 
Lilium  lancifoUum,  twelve 
Tuberoses.  12  bloom.s. . 
0 
4 
0 
blooms . 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Violets  Parme  (French), 
„  longifiorum,  12  blooms 
4 
0 
8 
0 
per  bunch  . . 
4 
6 
0 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  dozen 
„  Czar  (French),  per 
sprays . 
1 
0 
2 
6 
bunch 
2 
0 
3 
Maidenhair  Fern,  doz.  bohs. 
4 
U 
6 
0 
„  Victoria  (French), 
Marguerites,  12  bunches  . . 
2 
G 
4 
0 
12  bunches 
2 
6 
0 
Orchids,  various,  dozen 
„  English,  12  bunches 
2 
6 
0 
blooms  . 
% 
1 
6 
12 
0 
CHRISTMAS  BEEF. 
Both  at  the  Cattle  Show  at  the  Agricultural  Hall,  Islington, 
and  the  great  Christmas  market  held  at  Islington  on  the 
Monday  following  the  show,  lesson  |g  of  tbe  highest  value  to 
farmers  were  to  be  had.  We  purpose  in  our  Christmas  article 
drawing  attention  to  some  of  them. 
Perhaps  the  most  remarkable,  as  well  as  most  useful,  feature 
of  the  Cattle  Show,  was  the  class  for  cross-bred  beasts  It  was 
decidedly  the  largest  and  finest  section  of  the  show,  pointing 
the  way  to  one  branch  of  profitable  farming  in  the  future  most 
clearly,  showing  how  admirably  systematic  cross  breeding 
answers,  how  Border  farmers  are  rendering  their  Galloways 
more  valuable  by  judicious  crossings  with  Shorthorns,  and  what  i 
an  important  factor  to  success  is  careful  selection  combined  with  | 
intelligent  management.  It  is  admitted  that  the  Border  men 
have  not  thus  far  passed  scatheless  through  the  depression,  but 
they  have  acted  well  up  to  their  motto  of  facing  a  steep  brae 
with  a  stout  breast,  and  are  holding  their  own  right  manfully 
under  stress  of  foreign  competition.  The  keynote  to  the 
position  is  high  quality  and  early  maturity  Again  has  it  been 
proved  to  demonstration  at  Islington  that  it  does  not  answer  to 
keep  cattle  over  three  years,  and  that  it  is  far  better  to  ripen 
them  at  two  years. 
Among  the  cross  breds  the  blue-greys  stood  pre-eminent, 
the  yearling  steers  being  wonderfully  good,  the  best  of  them 
weighing  13  cwts.  2  qrs.  10  lbs ,  the  average  daily  gain  being 
2‘39  lbs  Of  the  eighteen  competitors  in  the  two-year  old  steer 
class  not  one  equalled  this  marvellous  average,  and  yet  the 
total  weight  of  some  of  them  was  extraordinary,  as  witness 
Mr.  Colman’s  red  roan  “Norwich  Wonder”  weighing  17  cwts. 
2  qrs  4  lbs.,  or  a  daily  gain  of  1-88  lb.  Lord  Rosebery’s 
black  steer  weighed  18|^  cwts,  Mr.  Irving’s  blue-grey  19  cwts. 
2  qrs.  18  lbs.,  the  daily  average  gain  being  1'64  lb.;  while 
heaviest  of  all  was  Sir  J.  Swinburne’s  huge  steer,  exceeding  a 
ton  in  weight  by  11  lbs.  The  cross  bred  heifers  were  equally 
good.  Lord  Rosebery’s  “  White  Locks  ”  at  two  years  nine 
months  eighteen  days  weighing  16  cwts.  1  qr  8  lbs ,  or  daily 
average  of  1  79  lb. 
Among  the  pure  breeds  Shorthorns  had  in  the  aged  steer 
class  four  out  of  five  weighing  over  a  ton  apiece,  the  winner, 
Mr.  Sale’s  “  Snowflake,”  weighing,  at  three  years  eight  month?, 
20  cwts.  3  qrs.  14  lbs.,  a  daily  average  of  1'75  lb.  It  was 
amongst  this  breed  that  the  champion  was  found  in  “  Frederica,’  ' 
a  heifer  bred  by  the  Queen,  weighing  16  cwts.  23  lbs.  at  two 
years  ten  months  two  weeks  and  three  days,  with  a  daily  average 
increase  of  1'73  lb.  Shorthorn  yearlings  came  out  well,  the 
very  symmetrical  “Little  Hero”  having  a  daily  average  increase 
in  weight  of  2-40  lbs.  Among  the  two-year-old  steers  Mr.  W.  E. 
Learner’s  “  Snowball  ”  at  two  years  seven  months  weighed 
18  cwts.  within  3  lbs.,  with  a  daily  average  of  212  lbs. 
Of  others,  a  yearling  Hereford  steer  had  a  daily  record  of 
2  24  lbs.  This  was  beaten  by  a  yearling  Aberdeen- Angus  with 
a  daily  average  of  2'27  lbs.,  and  a  total  weight  of  12  cwts  12  lbs- 
So  it  went  throughout  the  show,  the  heaviest  daily  gain  always 
being  by  yearlings  that  had  been  kept  going  from  calfdom.  Not 
only  had  the  calf  flesh  been  kept  on,  but  it  had  been  so  briskly 
added  to,  that  early  maturity  was  certainly  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  features  of  the  show.  We  may  have  something 
more  to  say  about  the  show  later  on,  but  our  theme  is  Christmas 
beef,  and  we  must  turn  to  the  great  market. 
Though  this  market  was  said  to  be  the  smallest  for  fifty 
years  only  3170  beasts  being  on  offer,  there  was  some  com¬ 
pensation  in  the  superior  quality  of  very  many  of  the  beasts, 
the  top  price  being  8d.  per  stone  more  than  last  year,  or  5s.  2d. 
per  stone,  which  was  exactly  the  top  price  in  that  year  of  years 
1863,  when  there  were  10,478  beasts  at  the  market.  This  year, 
as  usual,  Scotch  beasts  predominated,  of  the  home  supply  there 
being  940  Scotch,  160  Trish,  280  Devons,  and  350  from  East 
Anglia.  A  poor  record  truly,  showing  the  urgent  need  of  a 
more  general  effort  to  breed  well,  feed  well,  and  aim  at  high 
quality  wi  h  early  maturity.  Depend  on  it,  there’s  money  in 
it,  as  the  foreign  producer  knows  at  any  rate,  for  he  is  con¬ 
stantly  feeding  and  feeling  our  markets.  We  may  safely 
say  that  there  never  is  a  stock  market  without  a  predomin¬ 
ance  of  inferior  beasts,  'lake  the  latest  quotations  of  the 
Metropolitan  Central  Meat  Market,  and  we  have  a  ran.e  of 
2s.  6d.  up  to  5s.  2d.  for  beef,  which  just  marks  the  difference 
in  quality. 
Coarse,  half  finished  beasts  never  do  sell  at  a  profit,  and  the 
inferior  meat  of  the  lower  quotation  was  most  probably  sold  at 
a  loss  in  the  first  instance.  Plenty  of  room  for  improvement  is 
there,  and  we  may  usefully  commend  the  matter  to  the 
thoughtful  attention  of  every  stock  breeder,  in  view  of  striving 
for  greater  success  in  the  coming  year. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
On  the  light  land  the  folding  of  hoggets  on  Turnips  clamped  in  small 
heaps  all  over  the  field  is  satisfactory.  The  land  is  so  porous  that  fhere 
is  very  little  mud  in  the  folds,  there  are  no  foot  troubles,  and  the  sheep 
are  thriving.  Sorry  were  we  to  see  on  a  neighbouring  farm  some  heavy  . 
ewes  out  in  Turnip  folds  ;  as  we  have  so  frequently  pointed  out,  the- 
practice  involves  a  risk  of  much  suffering,  of  abortion,  of  the  loss  of  both 
sheep  and  lambs.  If  only  the  ewes  were  kept  on  sound  pasture  till 
after  the  lambing,  then  the  roots  in  moderation  are  useful ;  later  on  ewes 
and  lambs  both  do  well  in  folds.  The  matter  is  really  very  simple,  the 
reason  for  seasonable  folding  so  clear,  that  the  exercise  of  a  little 
forethought  should  prevent  mistakes. 
Winter  work  is  all  well  forward,  but  there  is  still  plenty  of  work  in 
hand  for  the  men.  We  have  had  a  lot  of  planting— new  boundary,^, 
hedges,  timber  trees  in  and  by  hedgerows.  Larch  and  Ash  in  belts  <an4 
plantations.  The  weather  has,  on  the  whole,  been  favourable«forlthi8.:.. 
work,  which  is  now  being  followed  by  hedge  plashing  and  clipping,, 
ditch  scouring,  and  draining.  There  is  an  unwritten  law  cn  the  estate 
that  tenants  are  to  keep  up  fences  and*  gates,  and  to  scour  ditches,, 
but  we  have  had  to  take  the  matter  in  hand  as  much  on  the  landlord’s 
behalf  as  on  that  of  the  tenants.  Some  ditches  recently  scoured  had  not 
been  done  for  many  years,  the  ends  of  all  the  land’s  drains  emptying 
into  them  being  buried  in  mud,  so  that  the  drains  could  not  act.  Yet 
when  the  mud  was  removed  the  water  soon  burst  out,  washed  the  drains 
clear,  and  is  now  flowing  freely  enough. 
Under  downright  good  practice  on  farms  where  autumn  tillage  is 
done  thoroughly  and  winter  crops  sown  early,  there  is  much  that  is 
instructive  and  attractive.  To-day,  December  19th,  we  have  been  over 
several  farms,  and  ^aw  much  to  praise,  something,  also,  to  blame.  A 
large  field  had  been  ploughed,  the  headlands  well  finished,  the  water 
furrows  well  made  in  the  ploughing  with  remarkable  precision,  but  they 
had  not  been  continued  by  hand  through  the  headlands,  and  there  was 
evidently  a  serious  accumulation  of  water  on  the  land  near  the  end  of 
each  water  furrow  after  heavy  rain. 
