November  27,  1902.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
507 
SCOTS  FIR  COVERED  WITH  IVY  (Subscriber).— As  the 
Scots  Fir  is  considerably  over  a.  century  old,  and  the  bole  and 
some  of  the  branches  covered  with  Ivy,  thus  asserting  its 
supremacy  as  a  “  parasite  of  support  ”  to  such  extent  that  some 
of  the  branches  are  dying,  we  do  not  think  it  would  be  good  policy 
to  cut  away  the  Ivy,  as  the  Scots  Fir  is  not  likely  to  recuperate 
much,  if  any,  in  consequence,  therefore  the  better  plan  would 
be  to  leave  the  tree  in  its  glory  of  age,  and  thus  prolong  the 
feature  as  long  a  period  as  possible.  With  the  Ivy  the  Scots  Fir 
would  probably  linger  on  some  time,  and  the  Ivy  would  gain 
correspondingly,  and  be  for  some  time  after  the  demise  of  the 
Scots  Fir  an  evergreen  feature  of  no  little  interest  and  beauty. 
Spare  both  Scots  Fir  and  Ivy. 
FURNACE  OF  WATERWAY  END  SADDLE  BOILER 
NOT  DRAWING  (S.  J.  D.). — So  far  as  we  can  make  out  from 
your  rough  sketch,  the  boiler  does  not  draw  simply  because  the 
bottoms  of  the  side  flues  are  below  that  of  the  openings  at  the 
sides  of  the  boiler,  this  causing  a  check  on  the  draught  ;  otherwise 
the  setting  appears  all  right,  the  flues  (Gin)  being  wide  enough, 
and  not  being  more  in  depth  than  1ft  there  will  be  a  rise  at  the 
doorway  end  from  the-  side  flues  into  the  over-boiler  flue,  and 
thus  an  equal  flue  space  being  allowed  at  the  doorway  end  of  the 
boiler  as  in  the  side  flues,  and  the  over-boiler  flue  not  throttled 
where  it  passes  into  the  chimney,  we  do  not  see  why  the  boiler 
should  not  draw.  The  damper,  of  course1,  will  be  in  the  chimney, 
and  is  best  at  least  a  foot  above  the  over-boiler  flue.  The  flues 
will  follow  the  course  of  the  boiler,  and  they  should  be  properly 
separated — the  side  flues  from  the  over-boiler  one. 
NAMES  OF  FRUITS.- — Correspondents  ivhose  queries  are  un¬ 
answered  in  the  present  issxie  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult  the 
following  number.  (E.  W.). — 1,  Northern  Sweet ;  2.  King  of  the 
Pippins;  3,  Northern  Greening;  4,  Alfriston  ;  5,  Potts’s  Seedling  ;  6, 
Withington  Fillbasket. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS. — Correspondents  whose  queries  are  un¬ 
answered  in  the  present  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult  the 
following  number.  (J.  B.). — 1,  Lueulia  gratissima ;  2,  Tibouehina 
maerantha  ;  3,  Acacia  platyptera  ;  4.  Rhodoehiton  volubile ;  5,  Gymno- 
gramma  grandiceps.  (Fern-lover). — 1,  Platycerium  alcicorne ;  2, 
Davallia  hirta  eristata;  3,  Neplirolepis  peetinata.  (N,  T.). — 1, 
Garrya  elliptica ;  2,  Azara  microphylla ;  3,  a  Birch ;  4,  Daphne 
Laureola.  (D.  G.,  Yorks). — 1.  Rose,  probably  Mrs.  Mawley  (send  to 
a  specialist) ;  2,  Hibiscus  syriacus  ;  3,  not  recognised.  (B.  B.). — 1  and 
3,  useless  for  naming  by ;  2,  Tradescantia  virginica ;  4,  Daphne 
Mezereum,  . 
Covent  Garden  Market. — November  26th. 
Average  Wholesale  Prices.— Plants  in  Pots. 
Most  of  the  undermentioned  plants  are  sold  in  48  and  32-sized  pots 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
Aralias,  doz . 
5 
0tol2 
0 
Ficus  elastica,  doz.  ... 
9  0tol2 
0 
Araucaria,  doz . 
12 
0 
30 
0 
Foliage  plants,  var,  each 
1 
0 
5 
0 
Aspidistra,  doz . 
18 
0 
36 
0 
Grevilleas,  48’s,  doz.  ... 
5 
0 
0 
0 
Chrysanthemums 
6 
0 
12  0 
Lycopodiums,  doz.  ... 
3 
0 
0 
0 
Crotons,  doz . 
18 
0 
30 
0 
Marguerite  Daisy,  doz. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Cyperus  alternifolius 
Myrtles,  doz . 
6 
0 
9 
6 
doz . 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Palms,  in  var.,  doz.  ... 
15 
0 
30  0 
Dracaena,  var.,  doz.  ... 
12 
0 
30 
0 
,,  specimens 
21 
0 
63 
0 
,,  viridis,  doz. . 
9 
0 
18 
0 
Pandanus  Veitchi,  48’s, 
Erica  gracilis  . 
8 
0 
9 
0 
doz . 
24 
0 
30  0 
,,  hyemalis  . 
10 
0 
12 
0 
Primulas  . 
4 
0 
5 
0 
.,  Caff'ra  .  ... 
12 
0 
15 
0 
Shrubs,  in  pots  . 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Ferns,  var.,  doz . 
4 
0 
18 
0 
Solanums  . 
5 
0 
8 
0 
,,  small,  100 . 
10 
0 
16 
0 
Average  Wholesale  Prices  — Cut  Blowers 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
Arums,  doz . 
4 
OtoO 
0 
Lily  of  Valley,  12  bncbs 
CO 
o 
C"+- 
o 
t — 1 
CO 
0 
Asparagus,  Fern,  bnch. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Maidenhair  Fern,  doz. 
Bouvardia,  coloured, 
bncbs . 
5 
0 
6 
0 
doz.  bunches  . 
6 
0 
8 
0 
Marguerites,  white, 
Carnations,  12  blooms 
1 
3 
1 
9 
doz.  bnchs . 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Cattleyas,  doz.  . 
9 
0 
10 
0 
,,  yellow,  doz.  bnchs. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Chrysanthemums,  doz. 
Myrtle,  English,  per 
bun. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
bunch  . 
0  6 
0 
0 
,,  doz.  blooms 
1 
0 
4 
0 
Odontoglossums . 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Croton  foliage,  bun.  ... 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Orange  blossom,  bunch 
2 
0 
0 
0 
Cycas  leaves,  each 
0  9 
1 
6 
Roses,  Niphetos,  white, 
Cypripediums,  doz.  ... 
2 
0 
3 
0 
doz . 
1 
6 
2 
6 
Eucharis,  doz . 
3 
0 
0 
0 
,,  pink,  doz . 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Gardenias,  doz . 
4 
0 
5 
0 
,,  yellow, doz.(Perles) 
1 
6 
3 
0 
Geranium,  scarlet,  doz. 
,,  Generals. . 
0 
0 
0 
0 
bncbs . 
4 
0 
5 
0 
S  mil  ax,  bunch  . 
2 
6 
0 
0 
Ivy  leaves,  doz.  bun. ... 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Stephanotis,  doz.  pips 
Tuberoses,  dozen . 
0 
0 
0  0 
Lilium  Harrisi  . 
3 
0 
4 
0 
0 
9 
1 
0 
,,  lancifoliumalb. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Violets,  doz.  bun-. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
,,  1.  rubrum . 
2 
0 
0 
0 
,,  Marie  Louise... 
3 
0 
4 
0 
,,  longiflorum  ... 
3  0 
4 
o| 
The  Winter  Quarter. 
The  problem  how  to  keep  down  expenses  and  still 
keep  up  the  work  of  the  farm  during  the  winter  quarter  is 
the  most  difficult  that  the  modern  farmer  has  to  solve. 
Horses  have  to  be  fed  whether  they  are  working  or  not,  and 
the  profitable  use  of  farm  horses  has  a  very  close  relation 
to  the  successful  cultivation  of  arable  land.  On  very  few 
farms  nowadays  is  the  horse-power  an  ample  one  ;  that  is, 
sufficient  for  all  purposes  and  a  little  to  spare.  We  can 
remember  the  time  when  farmers  could  afford  to  keep  their 
stables  full  of  good  horses,  many  of  them  eating  their  heads 
off  in  the  way  or  corn  ;  but  matters  are  sadly  different  now, 
and  every  quarter  of  horse  corn  must  be  strictly  accounted 
for  if  the  balance  sheet  is  to  present  anything  like  a  decent 
appearance. 
The  first  lesson  to  be  learned  from  this  is  that  we  must 
keep  no  more  horses  than  necessary  ;  at  any  rate,  at  work, 
and  if  we  keep  horses  in  idleness  they  must  either  be  breed¬ 
ing  mares  of  high  pedigree  or  young  growing  colts  not  yet 
mature  for  much  work.  Days  are  too  short  to  admit  of  a 
full  tale  of  work,  and  unless  the  weather  be  very  cold  the 
proportion  between  food  and  work  may  be  maintained  by 
reducing  the  corn  allowance.  This  often  is  as  much  as  14lb 
per  day  when  the  horses  are  working  hard  ;  but  it  may  be 
reduced  to  10lb  until  February  1,  and  then  gradually  increased 
again.  Twenty-eight  pounds  per  week,  cpsting  about  Is.  9d., 
does  not  appear  much,  and  there  are  plenty  of  people  who 
would  consider  it  not  worth  bothering  about ;  but  it  is  useless 
for  us  to  grumble  about  farming  being  unremunerative  unless 
we' do  our  best  in  every  way  to  make  it  otherwise. 
If  a  farmer  is  working  twelve  horses  he  will  save  one 
guinea  per  week,  or  thirteen  guineas  in  the  quarter,  by  their 
reducing  the  winter  corn,  and  thirteen  guineas  is  not  easily 
earned  by  agriculture.  When  reducing  the  corn,  however, 
we  should  somewhat  change  its  character.  During  winter 
horses  require  more  fattening  food,  and  we  should  reduce 
the  bran  to  the  smallest  allowance.  Split  Maize  mixed  with 
a  smaller  quantity  of  Wheat  or  Barleymeal,  say  two-thirds 
to  one,  would  not  be  too  heavy  a  food  for  good  constitutioned 
animals.  For  those  which  are  subject  to  outbreaks _  of 
humour  the  use  of  bran  should  be  continued.  In  districts 
where  the  annual  servants’  hiring  take  place  at  Martinmas  it 
is  not  uncommon  nowadays  for  a  farmer  to  turn  two  or  three 
horses  into  a  yard  or  paddock  for  a  rest  on  cheap  rations 
until  the  days  materially  lengthen.  They  hire  a  man  less 
than  usual,  and  thus  save  his  wages  for  two  or  three  months 
until  the  horses  are  again  put  into  work.  This  plan  is  a 
useful  one  where  several  two-year-old  colts  or  fillies  are 
included  in  the  team.  Winter  is  the  time  when  they  are  of 
the  least  use,  and  so  .they  can  well  be  spared.  But  much 
depends  on  the  state  of  the  farm  work,  whether  it  is  forward 
or  the  contrary,  as  it  is  very  unwise  to  reduce  the  working 
staff  when  much  remains  to  be  done. 
It  is  not  strange  that  farmers  complain  of  labour  being 
costly  and  difficult  to  obtain  when  they  so  often  make 
wasteful  use  of  it.  Only  the  other  day  we  noticed  three 
ploughs  at  work  on  a  piece  of  stubble  land.  One  was  a 
digger  with  a  chilled  breast  ;  the  other  two  were  old 
fashioned  wooden  swing  ploughs.  The  work  done  by  the 
digger  contrasted  most  favourably  with  that  by  the  others, 
and  on  examination  of  the  furrows  showed  that  it  was  doing 
nearly  as  much  work  as  the  two  put  together.  The  foreman 
who  was  in  the  field  explained  that  the  swing  ploughs  were 
used  because  he  only  had  one  digger  available.  The  saving 
was  about  7s.  per  day  on  the  one  pair  of  horses,  and  we 
reckoned  that  an  additional  digger  would  save  its  own  cost 
in  little  more  than  a  fortnight.  Some  farmers  have  a  pre¬ 
judice  against  putting  aside  implements  until  they  are  quite 
worn  out,  quite  regardless  of  the  patent  fact  that  by  doing  so 
and  using  obsolete  tools  they  are  penny  wise  and  pound 
foolish. 
We  know  a  man  who  never  stayed  many  years  on  one 
holding,  but  who  removed  to  pastures  new  at  almost  regular 
