March  16,  189.'. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
227 
COVENT  GARDEN  MARKET.— March  15th. 
FRUIT. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
B.  d. 
Apples,  i  sieve . 
...  1  3  to  3  6 
Lemons,  case  . 
30  OtoGO  0 
Grapes,  lb . 
...  1  6 
2  G 
St.  Michael’s  Pines,  each 
2  6 
6  0 
VEGETABLES. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
s.  d. 
s.  d. 
Asparagus,  per  100  ... 
...  0  0  to  0  0 
Mustard  and  Cress,  punnet 
0  2  to  0  4 
Beans,  {  sieve  . 
...  0  0 
0  0 
Onions,  bushel . 
3  6 
4  0 
Beet,  Red,  doz . 
...  1  0 
0  0 
Parsley,  doz.  bnchs . 
2  0 
3  0 
Carrots,  bunch . 
...  0  3 
0  4 
Parsnips,  doz.  ...  1 . 
1  0 
0  0 
Cauliflowers,  doz.  ... 
...  2  0 
3  0 
Potatoes,  cwt . 
2  0 
4  0 
Celery,  bundle . 
...  1  0 
0  0 
Salsafy,  bundle . 
1  0 
0  0 
Coleworts,  doz.  bnchs. 
...  2  0 
4  0 
Scorzonera,  bundle . 
1  6 
0  0 
Cucumbers . 
...  0  4 
0  8 
Seakale,  basket . 
1  6 
1  0 
Endive,  doz . 
...  1  3 
1  6 
Shallots,  Ib . 
0  3 
0  0 
Herbs,  bunch  . 
...  0  3 
0  0 
Spinach,  pad  . 
0  0 
0  0 
Leeks,  bunch  . 
...  0  2 
0  0 
Sprouts,  ^  sieve  . 
1  6 
1  9 
Lettuce,  doz . 
...  1  3 
0  0 
Tomatoes,  lb . 
0  4 
0  9 
Mushrooms,  lb . 
...  0  6 
0 
Turnips,  bunch . 
0  3 
0  4 
AVERAGE  WHOLESALE  PRICES.— CUT  FLOWERS. 
B.  d. 
s.  d. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
Arums  °  . 
2  Oto 
3  0 
LilyoftheValley,12  sprays 
0  6  to  1  0 
Asparagus,  Fern,  bunch... 
2  0 
2  6  t 
Marguerites,  doz.  bnchs. 
4  0 
0  0 
Azalea,  white,  doz.  bnchs. 
3  0 
4  0 
Maidenhair  Fern,  doz. 
Bouvardias,  bunch . 
0  4 
0  6 
bnchs.  ...  ...  ...  ... 
6  0 
8  0 
Carnations,  12  blooms  ... 
1  6 
3  0 
Narcissus,  doz.  bnchs.  ... 
1  0 
2  0 
Daffodils,  single  yellow. 
Orchids,  var.,  doz.  bloojns 
1  6 
9  0 
bch.  12  blooms  . 
0  4 
0  8 
Pelargoniums,  doz.  bnchs. 
6  0 
10  0 
Daffodils,  double,  bunches 
0  4 
0  6 
Roses  (indoor),  doz . 
2  0 
3  0 
Eucharis,  doz . 
2  0 
3  0 
,,  Red,  doz . 
6  0 
8  0 
Freesia,  doz.  bnchs. 
2  0 
4  0 
,,  Tea,  white,  doz. 
2  0 
3  0 
Gardenias,  doz.  . 
4  0 
C  0 
,,  Yellow,  doz,  (Perles) 
2  0 
3  0 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
,,  Safrano,  doz.  ., 
2  0 
2  6 
bnchs . 
6  0 
8  0 
Smilax,  bunch . 
2  0 
3  0 
Hyacinths,  Roman,  bunch 
0  6 
0  8 
Tulips,  bunch . 
0  6 
1  0 
Lilium  lancifolium,  white 
0  0 
0  0 
Violets  doz.  bunches  ... 
0  6 
1  6 
,,  longifforum,  12  blooms 
4  0 
6  0 
„  Parme,  bunch 
2  6 
3  0 
Lilac,  bunch  . 
3  0 
4  0 
PLANTS 
IN  POTS. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
Arbor  Vitae,  var.,  doz.  ... 
6  0to36  0 
Ficus  elastica,  each . 
1  0  to  7  0 
Aspidistra,  doz . 
18  0 
36  0 
Foliage  plants,  var.,  each 
1  0 
5  0 
Aspidistra,  specimen 
5  0 
10  6 
Lilium  Harrisi,  doz. 
24  0 
36  0 
Crotons,  doz . 
18  0 
24  0 
Lycopodiums,  doz . 
3  0 
4  0 
Dracaena,  var.,  doz . 
12  0 
30  0 
Marguerite  Daisy,  doz.  ... 
6  0 
8  0 
Dracaena  viridis,  doz. 
9  0 
18  0 
Myrtles,  doz . 
6  0 
9  0 
Erica  various,  doz . 
9  0 
24  0 
Palms,  in  var.,  each 
1  0 
15  0 
Euonymus,  var.,  doz. 
6  0 
18  0 
,,  specimens  . 
21  0 
63  0 
Evergreens,  var.,  doz.  ... 
4  0 
18  0 
Pelargoniums,  scarlet,  doz. 
8  0 
12  0 
Ferns,  var.,  doz . 
4  0 
18  0 
Solanurns,  doz . 
6  0 
12  0 
„  small,  100  . 
4  0 
8  0 
FIELD  CABBAGE. 
In  these  days,  when  the  return  of  low  prices  for  corn  makes  the 
fanner  turn  again  to  his  live  stock  to  help  him  through  the  wood,  the 
question  of  sound  and  economical  food  is  a  serious  one. 
Prices  of  dry  adjunct  foods,  cake,  offal,  corn,  and  grains  or  culms, 
have  been  very  high,  or  at  least  high  as  regards  prices  to  which  we 
have  been  recently  accustomed  ;  it  is  therefore  more  than  ever  neces¬ 
sary  to  make  the  land  produce  its  best — i.e.,  the  best  of  which  it  is 
capable  in  the  shape  of  food  for  man  or  beast.  Food  for  man  is 
Wheat,  and  the  price  at  present  being  27s.  per  quarter,  it  is  easy  for 
every  farmer  to  estimate  the  profit  or  loss  on  growing  an  acre  of 
Wheat. 
But  what  is  the  best  food  for  live  stock  ?  We  answer  without 
hesitation,  “  Cabbage.”  A  good  plot  of  Cabbage  is  never  without  a 
useful  purpose;  with  a  succession  of  Cabbage  from  midsummer  to 
Martinmas  the  flockmaster  need  have  little  anxiety  as  to  the^welfare 
of  his  sheep.  Some  people  object  to  tbe  Cabbage  crop  as  being  an 
expensive  one ;  so  it  is,  but  good  things  are  not  usually  acquired 
without  cost,  and  an  acre  of  good  Cabbage  will  feed  twice  as  many 
sheep  as  an  acre  of  Turnips,  in  addition  to  being  much  more 
digestible,  and  therefore  better  cdculated  to  keep  the  animals  in  a 
healthy  condition. 
Any  moderately  good  soil  will  grow  Cabbage,  but  we  should  not 
recommend  light  sandy  land  as  being  likely  to  grow  a  satisfactory 
crop.  With  good  land,  however,  there  is  every  necessity^  for  high 
cultivation.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  overfeed  Cabbage,  but  at  the 
same  time  it  is  useful  to  know  what  manures  have  the  most  telling 
effect  in  proportion  to  the  cost. 
For  July  and  August  use  the  seeds  should  have  been^sown  (the 
first  week  of  the  previous  August  and  planted  out  about  November  1st. 
For  later  use  the  seed  may  be  driileU  early  in  x\pri],  at  the  rate  of 
oi-  lbs.  per  acre,  and  for  succession  as  late  as  May  14th.  The  previous 
preparation  of  the  land  is  important ;  it  must  have  been  well  worked 
and  got  as  nearly  to  the  state  of  a  good  Turnip  mould  as  possible. 
Any  requisite  cleaning  should  have  been  done  in  early^  autumn 
then  twelve  to  twenty  loads  of  farmyard  manure  should  have  been 
ploughed  m  if  possible  8  or  9  inches  deep. 
The  spring  stirring  will  possibly  bring  some  of  this  to  the  surface 
but  it  does  not  matter,  as  the  last  ploughing  will  again  bury  it.  A 
few  days  before  drilling  the  laud  should  be  ploughed  about  4  or 
5  inches  deep,  tueu  well  harrowed  and  rolled,  and  the  sowing  completed 
at  once. 
As  noted  above,  good  soil  and  plenty  of  manure  are  the  first  two 
requisites  for  the  growth  of  Cabbage ;  but,  as  we  have  before  remarked, 
the  crop  is  one  that  can  hardly  be  overdone  with  kindness,  and  the 
use  of  suitable  artificials  will  not  only  bring  an  increased  yield  of 
produce,  but  materially  help  succeeding  crops ;  for  Cabbage  is  really,, 
when,  as  is  so  often  the  case,  carted  away  for  use  on  grass,  an 
exhaustive  crop.  The  immense  weight  of  succulent  food,  though 
calculated  to  benefit  the  land  on  which  it  is  consumed,  must  tax  the 
resources  of  the  land  on  which  it  is  grown  ;  therefore  it  must  be 
liberally  treated,  so  as  to  benefit  materially  the  present  crop  and  leave 
the  land  in  condition  to  produce  paying  crops  in  the  luture. 
We  should  not  advise  the  use  of  any  large  quantity  of  phosphatic 
manure,  as  it  will  not  be  necessary  in  addition  to  the  phosphates 
contained  in  the  natural  manure,  and  we  should  prefer  to  save  the 
phosphate  and  apply  it  to  the  succeeding  crops  as  needed. 
Ammoniacal  manures,  such  as  nitrate  of  soda  and  sulphate  of 
ammonia,  if  used  judiciously,  can  be  used  with  good  financial  results; 
but,  strange  as  some  people  may  think  it,  the  use  of  salt  with  the 
ammonia  has  been  found  to  give  a  great  increase  of  Cabbage. 
Whether  used  with  nitrate  or  sulphate,  salt  has  been  louiid  much 
more  valuable  than  phosphates ;  whilst  the  latter  had  very  little 
appreciable  effect,  the  result  of  using  salt  was  most  markedly  and 
satisfactorily  apparent.  Tue  effect  of  kainit  was  only  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  soil  therein  contained. 
Given  a  good  supply  of  yard  manure,  we  should  recommend  in  the 
way  of  artificials  3  c',vt.  superphosphate,  3  cwt.  salt,  and  1  cwt.  sulphate 
of  ammonia  per  acre,  sown  broadcast  and  harrowed  in  before  the 
seed ;  cwt.  nitrate  of  soda  sown  broadcast  immediately  alter  the 
plants  are  singled  out. 
One  great  point  in  the  growth  of  Cabbage,  as  in  that  of  all  root 
crops,  is  the  constant  use  of  the  horse  or  hand  hoe  ;  the  surface  must 
be  kept  stirred  until  the  plants  begin  to  take  full  possession. 
There  is  an  idea,  and  it  is  a  very  prevalent  one,  that  stirring  the 
surface  assists  evaporation  and  adds  to  the  ill  effects  of  a  drought.. 
The  opposite  is  really  the  case,  for  to  prevent  evaporation  the  land 
must  not  be  allowed  to  crack,  and  to  prevent  cracking  constant  move¬ 
ment  of  the  surface  soil  is  the  only  remedy. 
Having  got  a  Cabbage  plant,  then  we  must  keep  the  skerries 
constantly  at  work  and  the  hand  hoe  working  between  the  plants. 
When  the  plants  begin  to  get  large  enough  to  mate  such  work  difficult, 
stop  it  and  leave  them  in  undisputed  possession. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
In  some  of  the  colder  districts,  such  as  the  high  wolds,  much  spring 
corn  has  been  sown  and  has  gone  in  satisfactorily.  We  ourselves,  being 
on  warmer  soil,  have  waited  for  the  nearer  approach  of  Ladyday,  and 
