July  4,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
21 
Diseased  Tomatoes  (A.  A.). — You  will  find  your  query  answered  on 
page  5. 
Foxglove  Freak  (0.,  Portsmouth ). — Not  uncommon,  especially  where 
the  plant  has,  perhaps,  been  staived  during  a  period  of  its  growth,  with 
better  conditions  when  the  terminal  flower  develops.  Your  raceme 
shows  the  terminal  flower  sporting  into  the  “Gloxinia”  type,  with 
wide-open  corolla. 
Covent  Garden  Market.— July  3rd. 
Apples.  Tasmanian,  case 
Apricots,  20s., 24s.  ...box 
Bananas  .  8  0  12  0 
Figs,  green,  doz .  2  0  4  0 
Grapes,  Hamburgh,  lb. ...  10  2  0 
„  Muscat  .  2  0  3  0 
Average  Wholesale  Prices. — Fruit, 
s.  d.  s.  d. 
9  0tol2  0 
10  13 
Lemons,  Messinas,  case 
,,  Naples  . 
Melons,  each  . 
Pines,  St.  Michael’s,  each 
Strawberries,  lb . 
s.  d.  s.  d. 
9  0tol2  0 
24  0 
1  0 
2  6 
0  4 
30  0 
2  0 
4  6 
1  0 
Artichokes,  green, doz.  ... 
„  Jerusalem,  sieve  1  6 
Asparagus,  English,  100  1  6 
Batavia,  doz  .  2  0 
Beans,  French,  lb .  0  9 
Beet,  red,  doz .  0  6 
Broccoli,  bush .  0  0 
Cabbages,  tally  .  16 
Carrots,  new,  doz.  bnch.  4  0 
Cauliflowers,  doz .  3  0 
Chicory,  Belgian,  lb  ...  0  4 
Corn  Salad,  strike .  10 
Cucumbers,  doz .  2  0 
Endive,  doz  .  1  3 
Greens,  bush .  1  0 
Herbs,  bunch  . 
Average  Whclesale  Prices. — Vegetables. 
s.  d.  s.  d.  [ 
2  0  to  3  0 
0  0 
2  0 
0  0 
10 
0  0 
0  0 
3  0 
6  0 
5  0 
0  0 
1  3 
3  0 
2  0 
Horseradish,  bnch . 
Leeks,  bunch  . 
Lettuce,  doz . . 
Mushrooms,  forced,  lb.  ... 
Mustard  and  Cress,  pnnt. 
Parsley,  doz.  bnchs. 
Peas,  blue,  per  bus. 
Potatoes,  cwt . 
„  New  Jersey,  cwt 
Radishes,  doz  . 
Rhubarb,  doz . 
Shallots,  lb . 
Spinach,  bush . 
Tomatoes, English,  lb.  ... 
Turnips,  doz.,  new . 
Watercress,  doz  . 
s.  d.  s.  d. 
1  2  to  1  6 
0  14  0 
1 
0  6 
0  8 
8  0 
0  6 
2 
0 
0  9 
0  0 
3  0 
6  0 
7  0 
9  0 
0  9 
Acers,  doz . . 
Aralias,  doz . 
Araucaria,  doz . 
Aspidistra,  doz . 
Grotons,  doz . 
Dracrena,  var.,  doz. 
Dracaena,  viridis,  doz.  ... 
Erica,  various,  doz. 
Euonymus,  var.,  doz.  ... 
Evergreens,  var.,  doz.  ... 
Ferns,  var..  doz . 
Ferns,  small,  100  . 
Ficus  elastica,  doz. 
Foliage  plants,  var.,  each 
1  6 
.  0  2  0  0 
Average  Wholesale  Prices  — Plants  in  Pots 
s.  d.  s.  d  | 
. .12  0to24  0 
5  0 
21  0 
18  0 
18  0 
12  0 
9  0 
18  0 
6  0 
4  0 
4  0 
10  0 
9  0 
1  0 
12  0 
30  0 
36  0 
30  0 
30  0 
18  0 
36  0 
18  0 
18  0 
18  0 
16  0 
12  0 
5 
0  I 
Fuchsias  . 
Geraniums,  scarlet,  doz. 
„  pink,  doz . 
,,  King  of  Denmark, doz. 
Hydrangea  panicula,  doz. 
Hydrangeas,  white,  pink 
Lycopodiums,  doz . 
Marguerite  Daisy,  doz.... 
Mignonette,  doz . 
Myrtles,  doz.  . 
Palms,  in  var.,  doz. 
,,  specimens  . 
Pelargoniums . 
„  Ivy  leaf  ... 
s. 
Arums,  doz .  2 
Asparagus,  Fern,  bunch  1 
Carnations,  12  blooms  ...  1 
Cattleyas,  doz . 15 
Cornflower,  doz.  bnchs _  1 
Eucharis,  doz .  2 
Freesia,  doz.  bnchs.  ...  0 
Gardenias,  doz .  1 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
bunches .  4 
Gladioli,  doz.  bnchs.  ...  6 
Gypsophila,  doz.  bnchs.  3 
Iceland  Poppies,  doz. bnchs  1 
Iris,  Spanish,  doz.  bnchs.  3 
Lilium  lanoifolium  album  2 
„  ,,  rubrum  3 
„  longiflorum .  1 
Lilac,  white,  bunch, 
Average  Wholesale  Prices. — Cut  Flowers 
d.  s.  d.  | 
6  to  3  0 
Lily  of  the  Valley, 12  bnchs  12 
6 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
6 
0 
0 
0 
o 
0 
0 
0 
6- 
0 
0 
2  6 
1  6 
18  0 
0  0 
0  0 
0  0 
2  0 
0  0 
9.  0 
2  0 
0  0 
18  0 
Maidenhair  Fern,  dozen 
bnchs . 
Marguerites,  white,  doz. 
bunches . 
,,  yellow,  doz.  bnchs. 
Mignonette,  English,  doz. 
Odontoglossums  . 
Roses,  Niphetos,  white, 
doz . 
„  pink,  doz . 
,,  yellow,  doz.  (Perles)... 
,,  red,  doz . 
Smilax,  bunch . 
Stephanotis,  doz . 
Stock,  white,  doz.  bnchs. 
Hweet  Peas,  white,  doz. 
bunches . 
,,  coloured, doz. bnchs. 
Tuberoses,  gross  . 
1  0 
1  3 
0  4 
0  0 
4  0 
5  0 
0  3 
0  4 
6  0 
8  0 
0  6 
0  8 
s.  d. 
s.  d 
4  Oto  6  0 
4  0 
5  0 
4  0 
6  0 
3  0 
4  0 
18  0 
24  0 
9  0 
12  0 
3  0 
4  0 
4  0 
6  0 
6  0 
8  0 
6  0 
9  0 
15  0 
30  0 
21  0 
66  0 
6  0 
8  0 
4  0 
6  0 
s.  d. 
s.  d 
3  0  to  4  0 
2  0 
3  0 
2  0 
3  0 
4  0 
6  0 
2  0 
3  0 
1  0 
2  0 
1  0 
3  0 
1  0 
1  6 
0  6 
1  0 
3  0 
5  0 
1  0 
2  6 
2  6 
4  0 
2  0 
3  0 
2  0 
3  0 
3  0 
0  0 
Next  Week’s  Events. 
Friday,  July  5th. — Royal  Botanical  Society,  lecture  on  “  Plant  Culti¬ 
vation  in  British  Colonies,”  at  4  o’clock  p.m. 
Saturday,  July  6th. — Royal  Botanical  Society  meeting ;  Societe 
Frai^aise  d’Horticulture  de  Locdres  meeting  ;  Maidstone  Rose 
Show  ;  Sutton  Rose  Show  ;  Reading  Rose  Show. 
Monday,  July  8th. — United  Horticultural  Benevolent  and  Providential 
Society  Committees’  meeting. 
Tuesday,  July  9th.  —  Wolverhampton  Floral  Fete  (three  days)  ; 
Gloucester  Exhibition  ;  Harrow  Exhibition. 
Wednesday,  July  10th. — Stambridge  and  District  Rose  and  Horticultural 
Society  Show  ;  Thornton  Heath  and  District  Horticultural  Society 
first  annual  (open)  Show ;  Worthing  Exhibition ;  Formby  Rose 
Show  ;  Warminster  Rose  Show. 
Thursday,  July  11th. — Bath  Floral  Fete  and  Rose  Show;  Eltham  Rose 
Show  ;  Helensburgh  Exhibition  ;  Wocdbridge  Exhibition. 
Heaping  Machines. 
Machines  which  have  been  put  away  in  good  order,  and  kept 
clean,  should  require  little  preparation  for  the  coming  harvest,  but 
where  any  serious  repairs  are  necessary  it  is  very  advisable  to  take 
time  by  the  forelock,  and  give  the  blacksmith  or  machinist  a  fair 
chance  to  do  his  work  properly  by  allowing  him  a  reasonable  time  to 
do  it  in.  Where,  however,  the  machine  to  be  repaired  is  an  old  self¬ 
raker  or  manual,  and  the  expense  to  be  incurred  is  at  all  a  serious  one, 
the  natural  question  suggests  itself,  “  Is  the  old  thing  worth  the 
expense  ?  ”  If  the  bidding  at  auction  sales  is  anything  to  go  by,  no 
old-type  machines  are  worth  repairing,  for  farmers  will  hardly  make  a 
bid  for  them,  whereas  for  useful  self-binders  £15,  £20,  and  £25  are 
sums  often  realised  for  machines  in  fair  going  order.  There  can  be  no 
doubt,  in  fact,  that  the  binder  has  got  a  firm  hold,  notwithstanding 
all  the  prejudice  engendered  by  farmers’  conservatism  and  labourers* 
self-interest.  Another  fact  which  cannot  be  disputed  is  th  < t 
binders  are  an  absolute  necessity,  for  the  work  of  harvest  cannot  now 
be  done  without  them,  for  the  labour  difficulty  becomes  more  acute 
every  day,  and  the  time  is  probably  not  far  distant  when  corn  will  be 
harvested  in  no  other  way.  At  any  rate,  the  machines  have  the 
advantage  of  not  striking  for  higher  wages  at  inconvenient  times,  do 
not  get  drunk,  and  if  kept  in  order  are  always  ready  when  wanted. 
A  great  deal  has  been  made  in  the  past  of  the  over-tightness  with 
which  much  of  the  corn  has  been  bound  when  string  has  been  used, 
and  of  the  consequent  difficulty  of  getting  the  sheaves  dry  again  when 
once  they  have  become  thoroughly  wet.  There  need  be  no  difficulty 
of  this  kind,  for  with  the  newest  machines  the  sheaves  may  be 
tied  slackly  as  well  as  tightly,  and  with  just  a  firm  knot. 
Harvest  men  often  used  to  tie  the  sheaves  so  slackly  that  half  of  them 
fell  to  pieces  when  touched  by  a  fork.  There  is  no  such  thing  with 
slackly  bound  reaper  sheaves,  as,  the  knot  holding,  the  sheaf  can 
be  lifted  to  the  waggon  without  losing  a  straw.  A  great  advantage  of 
string-bound  sheaves,  especially  in  the  case  of  Barley  in  showery 
weather,  is  the  absence  of  sprouted  corn  in  the  band,  and  consequent 
superiority  of  the  sample  over  a  hand-bound  one,  for  the  latter 
generally  contained  some  sprouted  grain  amongst  the  ears  of  the  land 
if  there  were  any  in  the  sheaf  at  all.  Another  advantage  of  the 
binder  is  the  greater  symmetry  with  which  the  ears  are  kept  to  the  right 
end  of  the  sheaf;  this  is  very  important,  as  it  tends  to  keep  the  ears 
from  contact  with  damp  soil  and  consequent  damage. 
The  cleanness  with  which  the  grain  is  cleared  from  the  ground  is 
the  most  marked  feature  of  string-bound  work,  and  many  farmers 
nowadays  have  little  use  for  a  horse  rake  except  in  the  hay  field.  The 
corn  also  goes  all  into  one  stack,  and  there  is  no  raking  stack  with  its 
weathered  and  sprouted  grain,  fit  only  for  poultry  or  grinding  for  pigs. 
In  estimating  the  financial  advantages  ot  binders,  the  difference 
between  the  price  of  raking  corn  and  best  is  a  considerable  item,  for 
on  a  400-acre  farm,  growing  about  130  acres  of  grain,  we  have 
generally  under  the  old  system  had  at  least  20  qrs.  of  rakings,  worth 
from  5s.  to  10s.  per  qr.  less  than  the  best;  20  qrs.  at  7s.  would 
pay  for  a  new  binder  every  five  years. 
Rearing  Foals, 
Breeders  will  soon  begin  to  think  of  weaning  their  early  foals,  for 
many  farmers  require  the  services  of  all  their  brood  mares  during 
harvest,  and  if  they  can  get  the  earlier  foals  weaned  before  harvest 
commences  much  trouble  and  risk  is  saved.  In  the  case  of  mares 
which  are  likely  to  brepd  again  there  is  also  advantage  in  the  early 
weaning  of  the  foal,  for  any  benefit,  to  the  newborn  by  protracted 
nursing  is  gained  at  the  expense  of  the  unborn.  In  any  case  a  foal 
should  be  ready  for  weaning  at  five  months  old,  but  many  are  separated 
from  the  dam  at  four  months.  Much,  however,  depends  on  the  foal 
itself.  If  it  is  strong  and  well  grown  it  may  be  taken  off  much 
sooner  than  a  weakly  one.  Weaning  should  have  proper  preparation.. 
The  loss  of  the  mother’s  milk  is  at  first  greatly  felt  by  the  foal,  and 
the  effect  is  easily  seen  in  the  appearance  of  its  coat  and  its  condition  ; 
but  if  a  foal  has  been  early  taught  to  feed  from  a  crib  with  its  dam, 
and  is,  for  three  or  four  weeks  before  weaning,  fed  with  an  extra 
supply  of  crushed  Oats  and  bran,  it  will,  on  beiog  separated  from  her, 
be  trained  to  look  out  for  itself,  and  if  liberally  treated  little  loss  of 
condition  will  take  place. 
On  being  taken  from  the  mare,  or  the  mare  from  it,  the  foal  should 
never  be  left  until  its  excitement  and  distress  have  quite  subsided. 
