July  5,  190f>, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
23 
Names  of  Plants. — We  only  undertake  to  name  species  of  cultivated 
plants,  not  wild  flowers,  or  varieties  that  have  originated  from  seeds  and 
termed  florists’  flowers.  Flowering  specimens  are  necessary  of  flowering 
plants,  and  Fern  fronds  should  bear  spores.  Specimens  should  arrive 
in  a  fresh  state  in  securely  tied  firm  boxes.  Thin  paper  boxes  arrive  in 
a  flattened  state.  Slightly  da-mp  moss,  soft  green  grass,  or  leaves  form 
the  best  packing,  dry  wool  or  paper  the  worst.  Those  arrive  in  the 
best  condition  that  are  so  closely  or  firmly  packed  in  soft  green  fresh 
grass,  as  to  remain  unmoved  by  shaking.  No  specimens  should  be  sent 
to  rest  in  the  post  office  over  Sunday,  on  which  day  there  is  no  delivery 
of  postal  matter  in  London.  Specimens  in  partially  filled  boxes  are 
invariably  injured  or  spoiled  by  being  dashed  to  and  fro  in  transit.  Not 
more  than  six  specimens  can  be  named  at  once,  and  the  numbers  should 
be  visible  without  untying  the  ligatures,  it  being  often  difficult  to 
separate  them  when  the  paper  is  damp.  (S.  T.  W.). — 1,  Lysimachia 
vulgaris;  2,  Dictamnus  Fraxinella  alba;  3,  Linaria  bipartita;  4, 
Tradescantia  virginica  ;  5,  Campanula  tnrbinata ;  6,  Geranium  nodosum. 
{R,  R.). — 1,  Phlebodium  aureum  ;  2,  Asplenium  bulbiferum  ;  3,  Chei- 
lanthes  hirta;  4,  Davallia  canariensis;  5,  Adiantum  gracillimum ;  6, 
Doodia  aspera.  (F.  H.). — 1,  Corydalis  lutea;  2,  Lychnis  chalcedonica  ; 
3,  Spira3a  filipendnla  flore-pleno  ;  4,  Acer  negundo  variegata.  (T.  C.  M.). 
— 1,  Geranium  atro-sanguineum ;  2,  Veronica  spicata ;  3,  Sedum 
spurium.  {Kent). — The  specimens  were  quite  withered;  please  send 
fresh  ones. 
Covent  Carden  Il|arket.— July  4th. 
Average  Wholesale  Prices. — Fruit. 
a.  d. 
a.  d. 
8.  d. 
8.  d. 
Apples,  Tasmanian . 
8  0tol8  0 
Grapes,  black  . 
1  0  to  3  0 
Apricots,  box . 
0  8 
1  3 
Lemons,  case  . 
10  0 
30  0 
Cherries,  box  . 
0  9 
1  3 
Melons,  house,  each 
1  0 
2  0 
„  J  bushel . 
5  0 
10  0 
Oranges,  case  . 
10  0 
25  0 
„  ^  bushel . 
3  0 
6  0 
Pines,  St.  Michael’s,  each 
1  0 
6  0 
„  Dutch  Duke,  Jbshl 
4  6 
5  6 
Strawberrie8,b8kt.  4  to  6  lb. 
1  3 
2  0 
Currants,  Black,  per  lb,... 
0  0 
0  3 
,,  peck  ...  ... 
4  6 
6  0 
Gooseberries,  J  bushel  ... 
1  3 
1  9 
„  home  grown,  doz. 
8  0 
12  0 
Average 
Wholesale 
Prices. — Vegetables. 
8.  d. 
s.  d. 
8.  d. 
s  . 
Artichokes,  green,  doz.  ...• 
1  6  to  2  0 
Mushrooms,  lb . 
0  6  to  0  8 
Asparagus,  green,  bundle 
0  9 
3  0 
Mustard  and  Cress,  punnpt 
0  2 
0  0 
Beans,  Long  Pods  . 
2  0 
8  0 
Onions,  bag,  about  1  cwt. 
5  6 
6  6 
„  Jersey,  lb . 
0  6 
0  9 
„  Egyptian,  cwt.  ... 
6  0 
0  0 
Beet,  Red,  doz . 
0  6 
1  6 
Parslev,  doz.  bunches  ... 
2  0 
4  0 
Cabbages,  tally . 
6  0 
7  6 
Peas,  Jersey,  lb . 
0  9 
1  0 
Carrots,  new,  bunch 
0  3 
0  6 
„  English,  per  bushel 
3  0 
5  0 
Cauliflowers,  spring,  per 
Potatoes,  cwt . 
5  0 
10  i 
dozen  ...  ...  ...  ... 
1  3 
4  0 
„  new  Jersey,  cwt. 
10  0 
12  0 
Celery,  bundle . 
1  0 
1  9 
„  Teneriffe,  cwt.... 
12  0 
14  0 
Cucumbers,  doz . 
2  0 
4  0 
Radishes,  long,  doz . 
0  6 
0  0 
Endive,  doz . 
1  6 
2  0 
„  round,  doz. 
1  0 
0  9 
Herbs,  bunch  . 
0  2 
0  0 
Shallots,  lb . 
0  4 
0  0 
Leeks,  bunch  . 
0  3 
0  0 
Spinach,  birshel 
2  0 
3  0 
Lettuce,  doz . 
0  6 
0  0 
Tomatoes,  Engli-h,  doz.  lb. 
3  0 
5  0 
„  Cos,  score,  from 
0  6 
2  0 
Turnips,  new  . 
0  4 
0  8 
Mint,  green,  doz.  bunches 
2  0 
0  0 
Vegetable  Marrows,  doz.... 
4  0 
6  0 
Average  Wholesale  Prices. — Cut  Flowers. 
Arums  ...  ...  •** 
Asparagus,  Fern,  bunch... 
Carnations,  12  blooms  ... 
Cattleyas,  per  doz . .*. 
Eucharis,  doz . 
Gardenias,  doz . 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
bnchs . . . 
Lilium  lancifolium  album 
„  ,,  rubrum 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  12  bun. 
Maidenhair  Fern,  dozen 
buncbes . 
Marguerites,  doz.  bnchs. 
„  Yellow  doz.  bnchs. 
Mignonette,  doz.  bunches 
d. 
8.  d. 
2  0  to  3  0 
2  0 
2  6 
1  0 
2  0 
12  0 
18  0 
4  0 
8  0 
2  0 
3  0 
6  0 
9  0 
3  0 
4  0 
3  0 
4  0 
8  0 
18  0 
4  0 
6  0 
2  0 
4  0 
2  0 
4  0 
2  0 
4  0 
Odontoglossums  . 
Pelargoniums,  doz.  bnchs 
Pseouies  . 
Pyrethrum,  white,  doz. 
bunches . 
„  coloured,  doz.  bnchs 
Roses  (indoor),  doz . 
,,  Red,  doz . 
„  Safrano,  doz  . 
„  Tea,  white,  doz.  ... 
,,  Yellow,  doz.  (Perles) 
„  Marechal  Niel,  doz. 
„  English: — 
„  La  France,  doz. 
„  Mermets,  doz . 
Smilax,  bunch . 
Average  Wholesale  Prices. — Plants  in  Pots. 
Acacias,  per  doz.  ... 
Arbor  Vitse,  var.,  doz. 
Aspidistra,  doz. 
Aspidistra,  specimen 
Azaleas,  various,  each 
Boronias,  doz . 
Crotons,  doz . 
Dracaena,  var.,  doz. ... 
Dracsena  viridis,  doz. 
Erica  various,  doz.  ... 
Euonymus,  var.,  doz. 
Evergreens,  var.,  doz. 
Ferns,  var.,  doz. 
„  small,  100  ... 
s.  d.  s.  d. 
12  0to24  0 
6  0  36  0 
18  0  36  0 
16  0  20  0 
2  6  6  0 
20  0  24  0 
18  0  30  0 
12  0  30  0 
9  0  18  0 
8  0  18  0 
6  0  18  0 
4  0  18  0 
4  0  18  0 
4  0  8  0 
Ficus  elastica,  es*ch . 
Foliage  plants,  var.,  each 
Genistas,  per  doz . 
Geraniums,  scarlet,  doz.... 
„  pink,  doz.  ... 
Hydrangeas,  white,  each 
,,  pinX,  doz. ... 
Lycopodiums,  doz . 
Marguerite  Daisy,  doz.  ... 
Mignonette,  doz . 
Myrtles,  doz . 
Palms,  in  var.,  each 
,,  specimens  . 
Spiraeas,  per  doz . 
8.  d. 
8  d. 
3  0  to  7  6 
4  0 
6  0 
12  0 
0  0 
2  0 
3  0 
1  6 
2  0 
3  0 
4  0 
1  0 
2  0 
1  6 
2  6 
2  0 
3  0 
2  0 
3  C 
6  0 
12  0 
2  0 
3  0 
3  0 
8  0 
4  0 
6  0 
B.  d. 
B.d. 
1  6  to  7  6 
1  0 
5  0 
8  0 
15  0 
6  0 
10  0 
8  0 
10  0 
2  6 
5  0 
12  0 
15  0 
3  0 
6  0 
8  0 
10  0 
8  0 
12  0 
6  0 
9  0 
1  0 
15  0 
21  0 
63  0 
8  0 
12  0 
The  English  farmer  is  essentially  many-sided — he  could  not  carry 
0  1  his  business  at  all  did  he  not  have  so  many  irons  in  the  fire.  Of 
course  cavillers  will  say  the  fire  may  get  low,  or  even  go  out,  whilst 
the  irons  should  be  heating  ;  that  may  be  so,  but  the  farmer  does  not 
stand  alone  in  that  respect,  he  has  to  take  the  risk. 
It  is  wonderful  what  a  part  wool  plays  at  the  present  day.  We,, 
wiser  than  our  ancestors,  do  not  insist  on  a  shroud  of  wool  for  our 
dead  bodies,  we  prefer  to  have  the  woollen  garments  in  our  lifetime, 
and  by  that  means  we  defer  the  period  when  a  shroud  becomes 
necessary.  It  was  the  exception,  not  the  rule,  fifty  years  ago  to  find 
a  person  with  flannel  underwear,  partly  because  flannel  was  dear,  was 
not  fashionable,  was  considered  clumsy,  and,  above  all,  the  doctors 
had  not  begun  to  preach  of  its  hygienic  properties.  Now  all  this  is 
altered,  and  the  shops,  summer  as  well  as  winter,  are  full  of  season¬ 
able  garments  to  suit  all  ages  and  all  purses.  We  suppose  it  is  a 
well  known  and  accepted  fact  that  woollen  underwear  is  even  more 
necessary  in  summer  than  winter ;  and  it  is  a  great  fallacy  to  suppose 
that  with  the  warm  days  we  may  safely  cast  our  lamb’s  wool  and 
merino.  Lessfn  the  thickness  a  little  if  you  will,  but  if  you  have  the 
least  respect  to  your  health,  never  discard  it  entirely.  Now  one  would 
naturally  sup[)Ose  that  with  an  increasing  population,  and  an  educated 
population  (hygienically),  that  the  demand  would  exceed  the  supply, 
and  that  in  cbn sequence  wool  growers  would  be  reaping  a  glorious 
harvest.  Not  so,  as  in  everything  else,  given  the  demand,  the 
supply  comes  quickly  to  market.  One  would  almost  think  that  some¬ 
where  a  breed  of  sheep  had  been  invented  that  would  bear  the  shears 
two  or  three  times  a  year,  such  is  the  immehse  quantity  of  wool  which 
fills  our  markets. 
We  have  some  very  unpleasant  facts  to  face.  There  are  among 
us  those  who  remember  the  good  old  times  of  the  seventies  when  Lin¬ 
coln  hrgg  wool  touched  the  pleasant  total  of  28.  l|^d.  per  lb.,  in 
fact  we  remember  23,  6d.,  and  that  half  crown  totted  up  to  a  good 
round  sum  where  a  goodly  flock  of  sheep  was  kept.  Clipping  t  me 
was  a  time  of  feasting  and  gladness.  There  was  a  sort  of  harvest 
supper  for  the  men,  and  probably  another  good  supper  for  the  farme  r 
and  his  guests.  This  year  of  grace  the  beginning  of  a  new  decade, 
shows  us  wool  in  March  at  Is.,  that  was  for  Shropshire  and  Southdown. 
In  June  the  price  has  gone  down  l|-d.,  and  the  highest  quotation  for 
Lincoln  is  8:^d.  This  is  not  a  very  cheery  look  out,  and  apparen'ly  at 
present  there  is  not  much  hope  for  any  betterment.  Oh,  those 
colonies  and  these  sheep  growing  countries  have  much  to  answer  for  ! 
If  anything  our  wool  crop  is  smaller  than  it  was  in  1874.  The 
figures  are  thus  : — 34,837,597  sheep  in  1874  as  against  31,680,225  in^ 
1899.  By  careful  selection  and  attention  to  breeding  we  have 
increased  the  weight  per  fleece,  so  that  we  might  almost  consider  our 
wool  production  stationary.  The  old  proverb  says  “It  is  not  lost 
what  a  friend  gets,”  and  there  is  no  doubt  our  Australian  brethren 
are  taking  a  good  bit  of  solid  English  gold  in  exchange  for  their 
fleeces.  They  are  growing  and  sending  us  a  lot  of  their  cross¬ 
bred,  which  is  better  adapted  to  many  purposes  than  our  own  longer 
stapled  wool. 
In  1820  we  received  99,415  lbs. 
„  1840  „  „  9,721,243  „ 
„  1880  „  „  300,240,128  ,, 
„  1895  „  ,,  541,394,383  „ 
They  have  by  no  means  yet  exhausted  their  resources.  It  is  not 
all  one-sided  this  wool  trade;  if  they  have  knocked  our  wool 
market  down,  they  have  also  been  good  customers  at  our  high-class 
