January  29,  1903. 
109 
JOURNAL 
OF  HORTICULTURE.  AXD 
COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
lilaelvinore  and  Langdon,  Twcrton  Hill  Nursery,  Bath. — i,  Begonias  ; 
,9,  Carnations  and  Picotees. 
W.  Atlce  Burpee  and  Co.,  Seed  Warehouse,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  C.B.A. — 
Seeds. 
Frank  Dicks  and  Co..  66,  High  Street,  I )eansgate.  Manchester. — Seeds, 
'Idiomas  W.  Edmunds,  Ltd..  W’’esterhaiu.  Kent.— -SVed.s. 
Win.  Baylor  Hartland,  ‘'The  Victoria  KoyaT’  Seed  Warehouse,  Cork. — 
Seeds. 
.John  I\.  Iving  and  Sons,  'I’he  Royal  Seed  Ci’OAving  Establislnncnti 
Coggleshall.  Essex. — Seeds. 
Laxton  Bros.,  Nurserymen*  Bedford. — Seeds. 
Pope  and  Sons,  Central  venue,  Market  Hall,  Birininghani. —  S.eds. 
Richard  Smith  and  Co.,  61,  High  Street,  Worcester. —  Seeds. 
Albert  F.  I'pstone,  35,  Church  Street,  Rotherham,  V'orks. — Seeds. 
Vilmorin-Andrieux  and  Co.,  4,  Quai  de  la  Megisserie,  Paris. — General 
Catalogue.  Sjpring,  lODd. 
Covent  Garden  Market.— January  28th, 
Average  Wholesale  Prices.— Fruit. 
s.  d. 
s. 
d 
s.  d. 
s.  d 
Apples,  Blenheims, 
Grapes,  Alicantes  ^  ... 
1  0  to  2  6 
bush. 
7  OtoO 
0 
,,  Colman  . 
1  0 
2  6 
,,  culinary,  bush. 
3  0 
4 
0 
Lemons,  Messina,  case 
10  0 
15  0 
Bananas . 
10  0 
15 
0 
Oranges,  case  . 
10  0 
20  0 
Cobs  and  Filberts,  lb. 
0  5 
0  0 
Pines,  St.  Michael’s, 
Grapes,  Muscat  . 
3  0 
5 
0 
each . 
2  6 
5  0 
Averagre  Wholesale  Prices.— Yegetables. 
s.  d. 
s. 
d 
s.  d. 
s.  d 
Artichokes,  green,  doz. 
2  0  to  3 
0 
Horseradish,  bunch  ... 
2  0  to  2  6 
,,  Jerusalem,  sieve 
1  6 
0 
0 
Leeks,  bunch  . 
0  2 
0  21 
Batavia,  doz . 
2  0 
0 
0 
Lettuce,  Cabbage,  doz. 
1  3 
0  0 
Beet,  red,  doz . 
0  6 
1 
0 
Mushrooms,  forced,  lb. 
1  3 
1  0 
Brussels  Sprouts, 
Mustard  &  Cress,  pnnt. 
0  2 
0  0 
sieve . 
1  6 
0 
0 
Onions,  bushel  . 
3  0 
0  0 
Cabbages,  tally  . 
3  0 
5 
0 
Parsley,  doz.  bnchs.  ... 
2  0 
3  0 
Carrots,  new,  bun. 
0  2 
0 
0 
Potatoes,  cwt . 
5  0 
6  0 
Cauliflowers,  doz. 
2  0 
2 
6 
Radishes,  doz . 
1  0 
0  0 
Corn  Salad,  strike 
1  0 
1 
3 
Spinach,  bush . 
4  0 
0  0 
Cucumbers  doz . 
10  0 
12 
0 
Tomatoes,  Canary  Isles 
Endive,  doz . 
1  6 
0 
0 
per  case  . 
4  0 
4  6 
Herbs,  bunch  . 
0  2 
0 
0 
Turnips,  bnch . 
0  0 
0  2 
Average  Wholesale  Prices.— Plants  in  Pots. 
Most  of  the  undermentioned  plants  are  sold  in  48  and  32-sized  pots 
Aralias,  doz . 
Araucaria,  doz . 
Aspidistra,  doz . 
Crotons,  doz . 
Cyperus  alternifolius 
doz . 
Dracaena,  var.,  doz.  ... 
,,  viridis,  doz. . 
Erica  inelanthcra,  doz. 
,,  hyeinalis  . 
Ferns,  var.,  doz . 
,,  small,  100 . 
Ficus  elastica,  doz.  ... 
s.  d.  s.  d 
5  0tol2  0 
12  0  30  0 
18  0  36  0 
18  0  30  0 
4 
12 
9 
24 
8 
4 
10  0 
9  0 
5  0 
30  0 
18  0 
30  0 
10  0 
18  0 
16  0 
12  0 
'  Foliage  plants,  var,  each 
Grevilleas,  48’s,  doz.  ... 
Lycopodiums,  doz.  ... 
Marguerite  Daisy,  doz. 
Myrtles,  doz . 
Palms,  in  var.,  doz.  ... 
,,  specimens 
Pandanus  Veitchi,  48’s, 
doz . 
Primulas  . 
Shrubs,  in  pots  . 
Solanums  . 
Average  Wholesale  Prices.— Cut  I  lowers 
Arums,  doz . 
Asparagus,  Fern,  bnch. 
Bouvardia,  coloured, 
doz.  bunches  . 
Carnations,  12  blooms 
Cattleyas,  doz . 
Croton  foliage,  bun.  ... 
Cycas  leaves,  each 
Cypripediums,  doz.  ... 
Daffodils,  single,  doz. 
bnch . 
,,  double,  doz. 
bnch . 
Eucharis,  doz . 
Frees!  a,  white,  doz. 
bnch . 
Gardenias,  doz . 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
bnchs . 
Ivy  leaves,  doz.  bun _ 
Lilium  Harris!  ... 
,,  lancifoliumalb. 
,,  1.  rubrum . 
,,  longiflorum  ... 
Lily  of  Valley,  12  bnchs 
s.  d. 
s. 
d 
5  0to6 
0 
1  0 
2 
0 
6  0 
8 
0 
1  3 
1 
9 
12  0 
18 
0 
0  9 
1 
0 
0  9 
1 
6 
2  0 
3 
0 
7  0 
9 
0 
6  0 
9 
0 
3  0 
0 
0 
2  0 
0 
0 
6  0 
9 
0 
6  0 
8 
0 
1  6 
0 
0 
6  0 
0 
0 
2  0 
2 
6 
2  0 
0 
0 
6  0 
0  0 
9  0 
12 
0 
Maidenhair  Fern,  doz. 
bnchs . 
Marguerites,  white, 
doz.  bnchs . 
,,  yellow,  doz.  bnchs. 
Myrtle,  English,  per 
bunch  . 
Narcissus,  Sol  d’Or,  doz. 
,,  paper  white,  ,, 
Odontoglossums . 
Orange  iDlossom,  bunch 
Roses,  Niphetos,  white, 
doz . 
,,  pink,  doz . 
,,  yellow, doz.  (Perles) 
,,  Liberty,  doz.. . 
Smilax,  bunch  . 
Tuberoses,  dozen . 
Tulips,  pink,  doz.  bnch. 
,,  white, 
,,  yellow, 
,,  terra  cotta  ,, 
,,  scarlet  ,, 
Violets,  doz.  bun. 
,,  Marie  Louise... 
s.  d.  s.  d 
1  0  to  5  0 
5 
0 
0 
0 
3 
0 
0 
0 
8 
0 
0 
0 
6 
0 
9 
6 
15 
0 
30 
0 
21 
0 
63 
0 
24 
0 
30 
0 
4 
0 
5 
0 
4 
0 
6 
0 
8 
0 
10 
0 
s. 
d. 
s.  d 
8 
0to9  0 
3  0 
4  0 
1 
6 
2  0 
0 
6 
0  0 
2 
6 
3  0 
1 
6 
2  0 
4 
0 
5  0 
2 
0 
0  0 
2 
0 
3  0 
2 
0 
5  0 
2 
0 
3  0 
18 
0 
0  0 
2 
6 
3  0 
0 
9 
1  0 
8 
0 
10  0 
8 
0 
10  0 
8 
0 
10  0 
8 
0 
10  0 
6 
0 
0  0 
1 
0 
1  3 
3 
0 
4  0 
Meteorological  Observatioiis  at  Chiswick. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chis¬ 
wick,  height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
«4^ 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
1903. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
c 
cd 
P? 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
- 
s 
S  =«  g 
2:  J-* 
>  ®C3 
January. 
u 
3 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
CQ 
<u 
eC3 
to 
S 
■4^ 
00 
o 
a 
§  o 
Erl 
Sunday  ...18 
E.S  E. 
deg. 
37  0 
deg. 
36-5 
deg. 
40-6 
deg. 
28-9 
Ins. 
0-02 
deg. 
33  9 
deg. 
39-5 
deg. 
44-8 
deg. 
25  4 
Monday  ...19 
S.E. 
40-4 
39-9 
43-1 
360 
0  03 
34-9 
39  5 
44-5 
33-7 
Tuesday  ...20 
S.E. 
41-1 
40-5 
45'1 
40-2 
_ 
34-9 
39-3 
44-2 
35-8 
Wed’sday  21 
S.E. 
35-8 
35-4 
42-1 
34-2 
_ 
34-9 
39'2 
440 
25-9 
Thursday  22 
S.S.E. 
41'4 
40-4 
45-4 
35-0 
0-09 
359 
390 
43-8 
28-3 
Friday  ...23 
s.w. 
36-4 
35-5 
47T 
32-5 
_ 
37-6 
39  5 
43-5 
20  6 
Saturday  24 
s.w. 
47-1 
44-7 
49  5 
350 
0-07 
37'6 
40-0 
43-T 
224 
Means  ... 
39-9 
39  0 
44-7 
34  5 
Total. 
0  21 
35-7 
39-4 
44  0 
27-4 
A  Few  Odd  Facts. 
We  hope  we  are  emerging  from  a  spell  of  bitter  wintry 
weather,  quite  seasonable  for  January,  and  what  we  might 
expect.  Roads  knee  deep  in  snowq  or  ankle  deep  in  slush, 
the  air  charged  with  penetrating  moisture,  or  damp  and 
dank  with  impenetrable  fog :  not  nice  conditions  for  either 
man  or  beast.  We  have  another  class  of  beings  in  our 
mind  now,  and  a  very  large  class  too,  taking  the  country 
as  a  whole.  Living  on  the  outskirts  of  an  agricultural 
village,  we  daily  see  big  groups  of  wee  children  making 
their  way  from  outlying  farms  and  cottages  to  the  schools. 
Some  come  a  mile,  others  t\yo,  and  there  are  one  or  two 
w’ho  have  more  than  that  distance  to  travel.  Just  think 
a  minute  what  this  means.  We  all  know  how  very  dark 
these  winter  mornings  are,  and  horv  cold.  Two  miles  of 
bad  road,  possibly  field-road,  to  be  trodden  by  children 
under  ten,  though,  of  course,  there  are  some  older.  Think 
of  the  early  start ;  the  insufficient  wrappings  ;  the  damp, 
nay,  often  soaking  feet  ;  the  bit  of  dinner  that  has  to  be 
eaten  cold  ;  home  reached  when  twilight  is  far  passed.  To 
the  credit  of  these  children  and  their  parents  we  may  add 
the  attendance  is  wonderful ;  in  fact,  we  are  in  the  proud 
position  of  having  the  best  attended  school  in  this  Poor 
Law  union.  No  doubt  the  personality  of  the  master  has 
a  great  deal  to  do  with  it.  He  makes  school  attractive,  and 
the  hardships  are  forgotten  ;  but  nevertheless  they  exist, 
and  can  it  be  wondered  that  there  are  few  applicants  for 
these  far-off  cottages,  good  in  themselves,  and  carrying  with 
them  good  pay? 
Contrast  for  a  moment  the  lot  of  these  children  with 
those  in  a  town.  We  will  venture  to  say  that  a  mile  is  quite 
the  outside  distance  to  be  traversed  ;  they  all  can  get  home 
to  dinner  ;  there  is  a  good  pavement  which  in  a  snowfall  is 
speedily  cleared  ;  and  ere  school  closes  in  the  afternoon  the 
street  lamps  shed  a  cheering  gleam  on  the  homeward  way. 
The  labourer’s  wife  has  few  recreations.  She  has  not  much 
money  to  spend,  but  it  requires  an  effort  to  get  herself  to 
the  village  or  nearest  town.  It  is  not  half  so  amusing  to 
buy  from  a  travelling  cart,  there  is  not  the  variety, 
nor  is  there  the  chance  of  a  friendly  gossip.  Sundays, 
too,  the  time  spent  in  going  and  returning  from 
church  or  chapel  can  be  hardly  spared  by  the  mother 
of  a  large  young  family  ;  it  is  not  often  in  the 
winter  months  she  can  get  there  at  all.  Those  \yho  have 
never  perambulated  country  lanes  on  moonless  nights  can 
