376 
.JOURNAL  OP'  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  24,  1902. 
American  Trusts  and  Home  Protection. 
''  It  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  good,”  and  we 
sincerely  hope  that  farmers  may  reap  a  much-needed  benefit 
from  the  machinations  of  the  American  Beef  Trust.  Whether 
the  benefit  will  be  of  any  lengthened  duration  may  be  con¬ 
sidered  very  doubtful ;  but  that  farmers  who  are  well  stocked 
with  cattle  in  forward  condition  will  have  a  profitable 
grazing  season  is  fully  assured.  The  American  Beef  Trust 
has  been  organised  on  an  enormous  scale,  and  its  objects  are, 
firstly,  to  curtail  for  a  time  the  supplies  of  beef  both  here 
and  in  the  States ;  and,  secondly,  as  a  result  of  that  action 
to  force  up  prices,  and  take  a  big  profit  out  of  the  consumer. 
Already,  and  before  the  action  of  the  Trust  can  possibly 
fiave  any  effect,  the  Butchers’  Associations  in  many  of  the 
leading  centres  of  population  have  decided  to  raise  their 
xetail  prices  all  round. 
In  one  northern  city  the  rise  will  be  from  Id.  to  Ijd.  per 
lb.,  and  will  embrace  all  classes  of  meat.  Whether  the 
advance  will  be  Id.  or  l^d.  wull  depend  on  the  cut,  the 
butcher,  and  the  customer.  Last  w'eek  some  of  the  large 
markets  were  so  glutted  with  fat  stock  that  large  numbers 
remained  unsold  ;  whilst  sheep  that  were  sold  made  most 
wretched  prices.  One  farmer  we  know  made  39s.  6d.  each 
of  some  sheep  for  which  he  had  44s.  bid  at  home.  He  lost 
4s.  6d.  per  head  besides  marketing  expenses.  At  the  present 
moment  farmers  are  hardly  beset  to  hold  what  sheep  they 
have,  and  they  are  not  likely  to  be  long  held  off  the  markets. 
Yet  the  butchers  are  raising  t]ie  price  of  mutton  by  Id.  and 
l^d.  per  lb.  Prices  in  the  wholesale  markets  go  for  nothing 
if  the  Butchers’  Association  so  wills  it.  Truly  we  are  ruled 
by  Kings  and  Trusts. 
That  beef  is  scarce  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and 
likely  to  be  so  for  some  time,  w^e  fully  believe.  A  shortage 
of  hay  and  straw,  combined  wfith  a  poor  root  crop,  in  bringing 
about  such  a  result  on  this  side  ;  w^hilst  in  the  States  the 
scarcity  is  caused  bv  the  high  price  of  Maize,  Avhich  for  the 
past  Hvelve  months  has  been  freely  exported  by  American 
farmers  instead  of  being  used  to  feed  cattle  and  pigs. 
There  seems  to  be  no  scarcity  of  cattle  in  America  as 
regards  numbers  ;  but  only  of  those  Avhich  are  now,  or 
shortly  will  be,  fit  for  the  butcher.  If  the  pasturage  in  the 
States  has  a  favourable  grooving  season  there  is  no  apioarent 
reason  why  States  beef  should  not  be  plentiful  enough  next 
autumn,  and  the  same  thing  also  may  apply  here  ;  but  for 
the  next  few  months  there  must  be  a  comparative  scarcity 
of  beef,_  and  it  only  remains  for  us  farmers  to  show  as  much 
unanimity  and  determination  as  these  Trusts  and  Rings,  and 
Ave  shall  get  our  share  of  the  plunder,  and  not  alloAv  the 
middleman  to  absorb  it  all  as  he  so  often  does. 
As  to  the  ability  of  the  butchers  to  make  mutton  conform 
to  beef  in  A'alue  Ave  are  someAAdiat  sceptical.  Still  there  is 
alAA’ays  a  greater  demand  for  mutton  during  the  AA^arm  Aveather 
of  summer,  and  the  piirchaser  Avould  certainly  be  attracted 
by  an  advantage  in  pi’ice.  Dear  beef  might  readily,  there¬ 
fore,  bring  about  comparatively  dear  mutton  ;  AA^hilst,  on  the 
other  hand,  if  Ave  have  a  drv  time  the  poor  pasUires  of  this 
season  cannot  possiblv  carry  through  a  full  head  of  sheep, 
and  larve  numbers  will  be  unnaturally  forced  on  the  market, 
prices  will  be  Ioav,  and  cheap  mutton  affecting  the  demand 
for  beef  Avould  also  affect  its  A’alue.  If  farmers  AA’ould  only 
sell  their  cattle  and  sheep  at  home  to  the  best  customer, 
instead  of  putting  them  into  those  lotteries  named  fat  stock 
auctions,  they  AA'ould  not  be  so  much  at  the  mercy  of  butchers’ 
rings  and  overstocked  markets,  a  combination  AA’hich  often 
deprives  the  hard-working  farmer  of  the  margin  of  profit 
Avhich  his  patient  industry  has  earned. 
The  Government  have  taken  the  long-talked-of  plunge, 
and  propose  to  put  a  duty  on  imported  Wheat  and  Flour. 
That  a  dutv  representing  respectively  13^d.  and  2s.  per 
quarter  of  Wheat  Avill  have  any  appreciable  effect  on  the 
A'alue  of  the  4lb  loaf  is  A^ery  unlikely.  ProA'ision  dealers  aauII, 
no  doiibt,  be  ready  enough  to  impose  ^d.  per  loaf  additional  ; 
but,  like  the  increase  in  the  retail  price  of  sugar,  it  Avill 
soon  come  off  again.  If  this  duty  does  not  materially  affect 
the  price  of  bread,  it  is  not  unlikely  that,  at  any  rate,  as 
regards  flour,  the  tax  may  in  the  future  be  much  increased. 
There  are  sound  economic  reasons  for  such  a  course.  _  A 
differential  tax  on  flour  AA'hich  Avould  be  at  all  prohibitive 
would  put  renewed  life  into  the  home  milling  industry,  which 
is  in  a  sad  state  of  decay ;  whilst  the  import  of  Wheat  in 
place  of  flour  Avould  provide  a  Avelcome  addition  to  the  supply 
of  bran  and  other  offals,  AA'hich  are  so  useful  to  farmers, 
horse-keepers,  and  dairy  men,  and  are  noAV  so  unnaturally 
scarce  and  dear. 
These  small  imposts  on  Wheat  and  flour  Avill  be  useful  as 
sources  of  revenue  ;  but  that  thev  Avill  help  the  farmer  by 
enhancing  the  value  of  his  produce  we  very  much  doubt. 
The  foreign  product,  at  any  rate  the  Wheat,  Avill  come  just 
the  same  as  before,  and  the  producer  Avill  nay  the  duty  for 
the  privilege  of  sending  it.  We  may  be  AA'rong  in  theory,  but 
that  is  our  vieAv  of  Avhat  the  result  Avill  be  in  practice.  The 
registration  duty  the  Government  propose  is  little  more  than 
a  market  toll,  and  the  country  should  accept  it  as  such. 
There  seems  to  be  some  uncertainty  as  to  the  sqope  of 
the  duty.  We  imagine  that  Wheat  and  grain  include  Barley 
and  Oats,  as  Avell  as  Indian  Corn.  It  it  does,  the  duty  may 
give  a  useful  lift  to  Bariev  growing,  for  the  breAver  uses 
almost  eA’ery  species  of  grain  which  he  can  procure  at  a  cheap 
rate.  In  this  connection,  Ave  notice  a  statement  that  Rice 
is  specially  included.  As  Rice  is  used  in  breAving,  it  would 
appear  that  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  intends  that 
no  breAving  material  shall  escape  the  duty. 
Work  on  tlie  Home  Farm. 
It  AA'ould  liaA'e  been  splendid  noAV  for  the  Barley  drilling  if  the 
seed  were  not  already  in  the  ground  and  a  good  portion  of  it 
already  making  a  green  resurrection.  The  first  leaf  of  Barley 
when  fully  up  is  the  loA'eliest  green  imaginable,  and  the 
fields  Avill  soon  be  AA’aA'y  seas  of  it.  We  wish  that  all  the  Wheat 
fields  and  pastures  looked  as  green.  The  lea  Wheat  is  still  any¬ 
thing  but  satisfactoiw-  Some  fields  AA’hich  AA’ere  promptly  rolled 
when  opportunity  offered  are  improving,  and  may  groAV  into 
decent  crops,  but  others  aa  o  knoAV  of  can  hardly  be  distinguished 
from  bare  falloAA'.  The  OAA'ners  of  those  fields,  through  eagerness 
to  get  their  Barley  drilled,  missed  a  golden  opportunity  of 
rolling  Wheat  a  month  ago.  The  chance  has  not  recurred  until 
noAV.  To-day  aa  b  saAv  a  roll  at  Avork  on  a  piece  of  land  AA'hich  we 
AA^ere  informed  AA’as  Wheat,  but  Ave  could  hardly  see  enough  to 
SAA'ear  by.  It  AAmuld  haAm  been  Avi.ser  to  plough  this  Wheat  up  and 
resoAA'  AA'ith  Oats  or  Barley  than  to  leaA-e  it  as  it  is.  Rolling  will 
improve  Wheat  AA’hen  it  is  there,  but  AA’ill  not  bring  the  dead 
to  life. 
The  Aveek  has  been  dry  and  Avindy,  and  the  roller  Avas  AA'orking 
to-day  amid  clouds  of  dust.  It  is  needless  to  say  hoAV  sheep  pastures 
look.  There  is  absolutely  nothing  to  see,  and  hoAv  the  poor  sheep 
manage  to  exist  in  some  fields  is  a  mystery.  The  .strong  beasts 
AAdiich  are  out  are  keeping  the  grass  A'ciy  bare,  and  the  young 
stirks  and  heifers,  Avhich  should  haA'e  been  out  also,  are  still  in 
the  yai'ds,  eating  their  heads  off.  Too  much  IMangold  AA’ould  not 
suit  them,  so  they  must  have  hay  or  cloA'er.  Fortunately  aa'o  can 
buy  some  close  at  hand  ;  but  the  price  is  high,  and  the  extra 
expense  AA’ill  make  them  costly  creatures  to  tiirn  out  tb  grass. 
As  Ave  adA’ised  last  AA’eek,  Mangold  mu.st  be  soaa’ii  at  once.  Xo 
delay,  please!  The  land  is  drying  i-apidB',  and  moisture  for 
germination  is  the  great  necessity  in  procuring  a  MaiAgold  plant. 
As  soon  as  the  Barley  is  .strong  enough  Ave  shall  put  the  Cambridge 
roll  over  it,  and  AA’here  the  Clovers  liaA-e  not  already  been  soavu 
shall  drill  them  broadcast  on  the  small  roller  seams  and  cover 
them  by  means  of  a  flat  roller  folloAving. 
Since  commencing  to  pen  the  above  Ave  haA'e  had  a  beautiful 
warm  rain,  Avhich  is  most  acceptable  after  the  frosts  and  drying 
Avinds.  There  need  not  be  so  much  huri-y  about  putting  the 
Mangolds  in  noAv,  but  still  the  season  is  here,  and  Mangold  like 
plenty  of  time;  in  fact,  the  capacity  for  groAvth  of  a  Alangold  is 
only  limited  by  the  advent  of  autumn  fro.sts. 
Doubling  the  Value  of  Manure. 
After  an  almost  continuous  experience  Avith  a  manure  spreader 
for  over  eight  years,  Avrites  an  American,  I  feel  justified  in  .saying 
that  it  will  pay  any  farmer  having  from  150  to  200  loads  of 
manure  per  year  to  buy  a  spreader.  When  used  to  top-dress 
groAving  crops  or  prepared  fields  before  planting,  I  have  found 
that  the  decidedly  better  meclianical  condition  in  Avhich  the 
machine  places  the  manure  on  the  ground  increases  the  producing 
value  of  the  material  by  fully  100  per  cent.,  by  rendering  every 
particle  more'  immediately  aA'ailable  as  plant  food,  and  giA'ing  a 
perfectly  eA^en  distribution  over  ever^'  inch  of  surface.  There¬ 
fore,  if  the  gi’OAver  is  enabled  to  get  tAvice  the  fertilising  A-alue 
from  his  manure  by  the  use  of  the  spreader,  the  increase  on  even 
100  loads  Avould  pay  a  satisfactory  dividend  on  the  investment. 
