October  31,  1901. 
JOURNAL  CF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
411 
Covent  Garden  Market. — October  30th. 
Average  Wholesale  Prices.— Fruit. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
Apples,  cooking,  bush. 
2 
0  to  6 
0 
Lemons,  Naples,  case 
24 
0to30 
0 
,,  dessert  . 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Melons,  each  . 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Bananas . 
8 
0 
12 
0 
Pears,  English,  sieve 
2 
0 
6 
0 
Pigs,  green,  doz . 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Pears,  French,  crate... 
4 
0 
9 
0 
Grapes,  Alicante,  lb. ... 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Pines,  St.  Michael’s, 
,,  Colman . 
0 
8 
1 
6 
each . 
2 
6 
4 
6 
,,  Hamburgh  ... 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Plums,  £  sieve  . 
3 
0 
4 
0 
,,  Muscat  . 
0 
9 
2 
0 
Walnuts,  £  sieve . 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Average  Wholesale  Prices.— Vegetables. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
Artichokes,  green,  doz. 
2 
0  to  3 
0 
Horseradish,  bunch  ... 
1 
OtoO 
0 
,,  Jerusalem,  sieve 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Leeks,  bunch  . 
0 
14 
0 
2 
Batavia,  doz . 
2 
0 
0 
0 
Lettuce,  Cos,  doz . 
0 
0 
2 
0 
Beans,  French,  per  lb. 
0 
8 
0 
9 
Mushrooms,  forced,  lb. 
0 
6 
0 
8 
Beet,  red,  doz . 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Mustard  &  Cress,  pnnt. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Brussels  Sprouts,^  sieve 
2 
0 
2 
3 
Parsley,  doz.  bnchs  ... 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Cabbages,  tally  . 
Carrots,  doz.  bnch. 
1 
6 
3 
0 
Potatoes,  English,  cwt. 
3 
0 
4 
0 
2 
0 
2 
6 
Radishes,  doz . 
0 
6 
0 
9 
Cauliflower,  tally 
Corn  Salad,  strike 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Shallots,  lb . 
0 
2 
0 
3 
1 
0 
1 
3 
Spinach,  bush . 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Cucumbers,  doz . 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Tomatoes,  English,  lb. 
0  3 
0 
4 
Endive,  doz . 
1 
0 
1 
3 
Turnips,  doz.  bnch.  ... 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Herbs,  bunch  . 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Watercress,  doz . 
0 
6 
0 
8 
Average  Wholesale  Prices.— Plants  in  Pots. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
S. 
d. 
S. 
d 
Aralias,  doz . 
5 
0tol2 
0 
Ferns,  small,  100 . 10 
Ficus  elastica,  doz.  ...  9 
0tol6 
0 
Araucaria,  doz . 
12 
0 
30 
0 
0 
12 
0 
Aspidistra,  doz . 
18 
0 
36 
0 
Foliage  plants,  var,  each  1 
0 
5 
0 
Chrysanthemums,  doz. 
6 
0 
30 
0 
Lycopodiums,  doz.  ...  3 
Marguerite  Daisy,  doz.  6 
0 
0 
0 
Crotons,  doz . 
18 
0 
30 
0 
0 
10 
0 
Cyclamen,  doz . 
10 
12 
0 
Myrtles,  doz .  6 
0 
9 
0 
Dracaena,  var.,  doz.  ... 
12 
0 
30 
0 
Palms,,  in  var.,  doz.  ...  15 
0 
30 
0 
Dracaena,  viridis,  doz. 
9 
0 
18 
0 
,.  specimens  ...  21 
0 
63 
0 
Erica  gracilis,  doz.  ... 
10 
0 
12 
0 
Primulas  .  3 
0 
4 
0 
, ,  caffra,  doz . 
15 
0 
18 
0 
Shrubs,  in  pots  .  4 
0 
6 
0 
Ferns,  var,  doz . 
4 
0 
18 
0 
Solanums  .  8 
0 
10 
0 
Average  Wholesale  Prices.— Cut  Blowers 
.d. 
S. 
d 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d 
Arums,  doz.  . . 
5 
0  to  6 
0 
Lilium  1.  rubrum  ...  1 
6  to  2 
0 
Asparagus,  Fern,  bnch. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Lilium  longiflorum  ...  3 
0 
4 
0 
Bouvardia,  white, 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  12 
doz.  bunches. 5 
4 
0 
6 
0 
bnchs  . 12 
0 
18 
0 
Bouvardia,  coloured, 
Maidenhair  Fern.  doz. 
doz.  bunches . 
4 
0 
6 
0 
bnchs .  3 
0 
4 
0 
Camellias,  white . 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Marguerites,  white, 
Carnations,  12  blooms 
1 
0 
1 
3 
doz.  bnchs .  1 
0 
2 
0 
Cattleyas,  doz . 
8 
0 
12 
0 
,,  yellow,  doz.  bnchs.  0 
Odontoglossums .  4 
6 
1 
0 
Chrysanthe  m  u  m  s, 
0 
5 
0 
specimen  blooms, 
Primula,  double  white, 
doz . 
1 
0 
4 
0 
doz.  bunches .  5 
0 
6 
0 
,,  white,  doz.  bnchs. 
2 
0 
8 
0 
Roses,  Niphetos,  white, 
,,  coloured,  doz.  bnchs  2 
0 
8 
0 
doz .  1 
0 
2 
0 
Cypripediums,  doz.  ... 
3 
0 
4 
0 
,,  pink,  doz .  2 
0 
4 
0 
Eucharis,  doz . 
1 
6 
2 
0 
,,  yellow, doz.  (Perles)  1 
6 
2 
0 
Gardenias,  doz . 
2 
0 
2 
6 
,,  red,  doz .  0 
6 
1 
0 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
Smilax,  bnch  .  1 
Steplianotis,  doz.  ...  3 
0 
2 
6 
bnchs . 
3 
0 
4 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Hyacinth,  Roman, 
Tuberoses,  gross .  4 
0 
5 
0 
doz.  bunches . 
15 
0 
18 
0 
Violets,  single,  doz  ...  1 
6 
2 
0 
Lilium  lancifolium  alb. 
2 
0 
2 
6 
,,  double,  doz .  3 
0 
4 
0 
CANADIAN  WHEAT :  MANITOBA.— Writing  to  a  London 
morning  paper,  a  Press  correspondent  with  the  Royal  party 
sends  some  details  of  the  Wheat  belt  of  Manitoba.  On  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  the  8th  Poplar  Point  was  reached.  At  this  little  prairie 
settlement,  which  is  in  the  centre  of  the  Manitoba  Wheat  belt, 
the  Duchess  was  present  at  a  very  interesting  exhibition  of 
Wheat  threshing.  The  huge  machine,  which,  burning  Wheat 
straw  as  fuel,  works  very  economically,  was  drawn  up  by  a 
traction  engine  to  a  gigantic  pile  of  sheaved  Wheat,  and 
astonished  us  all  by  the  rapidity  with  which  it  dealt  with  it, 
threshing  and  winnowing  the  great  mass  within  a  few  minutes. 
It  threw  the  separated  straw  and  chaff  far  from  it,  spouting  them 
out  in  a  great  fountain  from  the  mouth  of  its  long  flume.  After 
thoroughly  cleansing  the  Wheat  by  the  strong  draught  of  its  fans 
it  dropped  the  grain  ready  for  the  market  into  the  sacks  beneath. 
The  rain  has  to  some  extent  damaged  this  year’s  Wheat  crop  in 
Canada,  and  a  good  deal  of  the  grain  may  be  of  low  grade  ;  but 
still  it  is  estimated  that  this  year’s  harvest  is  the  best  by  27  per 
cent,  that  has  ever  been  known  in  the  country,  and  five  times 
larger  than  it  was  last  year,  which  was  an  exceptionally  bad  one. 
The  following  figures  will  convey  some  idea  of  the  enormous 
quantities  of  grain  that  are  produced  on  these  rich  plains :  Sixty 
million  bushels  of  "Wheat  are  awaiting  conveyance  to  the  coast, 
and  for  the  next  two  months  four  hundred  loaded  trucks  (each 
containing  from  one  thousand  to  one  thousand  two  hundred 
bushels  of  Wheat)  will  be  carried  daily  over  the  Canadian  Pacific 
Railway.  No  manure  is  used  on  these  rich  Wheat-growing 
plains,  and  there  remains  still  vaster  tracts  of  as  good  soil  that 
have  never  yet  been  tilled. 
On  Some  Causes  of  Failure. 
*  - - 
Robbie  Burns  wrote  of  many  things  that  will  keep  his  memory 
green  as  long  as  time  lasts,  but  of  all  his  striking  verses  the  one 
that  appeals  most  to  us  is  the  one  which  suggests  the  need  for 
strict  self-examination.  What  a  revolution  it  would  cause  if 
for  one  single  day  we  could  each  view  our  actions  as  they  appear 
to  our  neighbours.  It  might  be  a  salutary  process,  but  it  would, 
at  the  same  time,  be  a  very  painful  one.  Of  course,  the  neigh¬ 
bour  does  not  take  into  account  “  mitigating  circumstances,” 
and  he  may  not  know  all  the  ins  and  outs  of  our  position.  Yet 
in  the  country  among  farmers,  it  is  difficult,  nay  impossible,  to 
hide  our  daily  actions  from  our  neighbour’s  view.  The  operations 
of  the  farmer  are  conducted  out  of  doors.  No  closed  gates  or 
walled  enclosures.  And  as  we  are  pretty  well  all  of  us  following 
the  same  calling,  we  are  more  or  less  alert  as  to  our  neighbour’s 
doings.  An  observant  man  learns  valuable  lessons  constantly 
from  the  failures  of  others  around  him.  This  very  week, 
Tuesday,  October  15,  we  were  with  a  large  farmer  going  his 
rounds.  The  day  was  brilliantly  fine  and  warm,  and  he  was  in 
good  spirits.  All  his  Wheat  was  drilled,  and  his  men  could  turn 
their  attention  to  other  matters.  His  neighbours,  in  the  same 
parish  and  other  adjacent  ones,  farming  the  same  class  of  land, 
were  most  of  them  ploughing,  and  an  odd  one  or  two  just  starting 
to  drill.  Anyone  who  knows  anything  of  farming  has  learnt 
the  value  of  a  dry  seed  bed — in  fact,  even  if  it  is  wished,  the 
drill  will  not  work  on  wet,  sodden  land.  Now,  mark  what 
follows.  Since  Tuesday  we  have  had  practically  incessant  rain, 
the  weather  has  totally  changed,  and  those  belated  sowers  may 
have  to  wait  some  considerable  time  before  the  land  is  fit  for 
the  reception  of  seed.  There  is  nothing  like  taking  time  by  the 
forelock.  Now,  again,  this  harvest  we  saw  a  Wheat  stubble  that 
puzzled  us  considerably.  It  was  covered  with  a  green  growth, 
not  weeds,  not  seeds,  something  quite  different,  and  we  were 
curious  enough  to  look  nearer — Potatoes — the  small  seed  left  in 
the  ground  from  the  previous  year.  It  was  all  the  more  astound¬ 
ing  because  in  1900  here  Potatoes  of  any  sort  were  dear,  and 
eagerly  sought  for  pigs,  &c.  That  field  must  have  been  badly 
harrowed,  or  not  harrowed  at  all.  Besides  the  unsightly  appear¬ 
ance,  those  plants  must  have  taken  from  the  land  much  of  what 
ought  by  rights  to  have  gone  to  the  nurture  of  the  Wheat  crop. 
We  were  struck  the  other  day,  when  at  a  large  agricultural 
sale,  to  see  the  lack  of  quality  in  the  farm  horses.  There  were 
thirteen  or  fourteen  of  them,  and  not  one  sound!  No  good 
young  ones.  Nothing  suitable  for  town  work.  All  worn  out  and 
practically  done.  The  owner  was  not  a  poor  man,  nor 
uneducated.  He  was  also  living  within  a  mile  of  a  well-known 
shire  stud,  where  the  services  of  sires  of  undoubted  pedigree 
could  be  had  for  a  small  fee.  His  farm  was  anything  but  a 
strong-land  one  (we  mention  this  as  the  working  of  strong  land 
is  most  detrimental  to  mares  in  foal),  and  he  was  also  within 
twenty  miles  of  the  biggest  horse  fair  in  England.  Surely  there 
had  been  great  apathy  on  his  part.  A  good  well-bred  horse  eats 
no  more  than  an  old  worn-out  one,  and  when  it  comes  to  selling 
— well ! 
There  is  a  farmer  who  never  has  any’  “  luck  ”  at  lambing 
time.  He  cannot  tell  why  it  is  his  ewes  always  go  the  wrong 
way  and  die.  Other  people  can,  though.  The  ewes  are,  first,  very 
badly  kept  during  the  winter.  Bad  old  grass,  that  really  ought 
to  be  rabbit  warren,  very  few  roots  (roots  may  be  easily  over¬ 
done),  and  little  of  anything  else.  The  ewes  come  to  the  lamb- 
ing  pens  weak  and  in  wretched  condition,  and  succumb.  Those 
that  struggle  through  leave  their  lambs  a  legacy  of  a  debilitated 
constitution,  and  in  trying  days  of  early  autumn,  the  weakly 
ones  die  off  like  mice.  We  know  another  case  of  sickly  lambs 
and  unhealthy  ewes,  but  here  the  food  supply  is  all  that  is  right 
and  good.  We  must  look  for  another  cause.  We  find  two  causes 
at  work.  The  old-fashioned,  prejudiced  shepherd  who  does  not 
believe  in  infection  or  in  the  use  of  disinfectants.  The  second 
cause  is  the  lambing  pen,  which  has  been  used  for  a  great  length 
of  time  till  the  ground  and  the  surroundings  generally  are 
saturated  and  infested  with  harmful  bacilli.  If  the  master  could 
see  his  way  to  a  neAV  shepherd  and  a  clean,  healthy  lamb  pen,  we 
believe  his  difficulties  would  vanish  like  smoke. 
Often  there  is  an  uncomfortable  feeling  between  master  and 
men.  There  is  friction  about  little  things.  The  wheels  do  not 
run  easily.  Continuously  things  are  going  wrong.  It  is  not  the 
master’s  fault,  neither  are  the  men  altogether  to  blame.  We 
once  had  a  difficulty  of  this  sort,  and  finally  traced  the  cause 
home.  Our  best  labourer  was  not  on  good  terms  with  the 
