The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-11-23
Editorial NOtings.


GARDENING is a new candidate
for popular favor, issued twice month
by The Gardening Company, M mon
Building, Chicago, and edited by Will
lam Falconer. one of the best horticul-
turists in America. 1t is beautifully
printed and illustrated and sold at 81 a
year-twenty-fou numbers. 1t bears
the marks of having come to stay"
and we believe it will. The West
needs more of such publications than it
has had.
NOTHING that we have suggested for
the benefit of our readers has awakened
greater interest than the idea of an or
ganized effort to block the games of the
commission swindlers and dishonest
produce dealers in our New England
cities. Though we have as yet heard
nothing from our friends of the grange,
officially, we have evidence that many
members of that excellent society are
awake to the Importance of some better
protection from dishonest dealers than
they now possess. 1t can be easily and
cheaply secured, if there is a decided
and practical interest awakened, and
the matter pushed with energy. The
only officer needed is a secretary, who
will receive the names of dealers who
have defrauded those who have trusted
them with their products, and will send
these names and addresses to every
contributing member of the organiza-
ton who will pay sum sufficient to
defray the postage and other necessary
expenses of distributing the information.
The grange is already organized in all
the New England states; and if it can
be induced to take up this very import
ant matter with energy, it will have
earned right to be considered as an
unexampled benefactor to the strug-
Cling, Woodworking and often defrauded
rural population of New England.
SUCH is the Importance of success
ful effort of this kind that we hope our
good friend Messer will give our read
ers the benefit of his ideas in regard to
it. We also invite expressions of opin-
ion, and suggestions as to the best
method of accomplishing the end in
view, from readers everywhere; and
we hope that the agricultural press will
also take the subject up, and push it.
AS the idea is not presented by one of
their number, and no Jealousy need be
excited, it may be hoped that all will
take hold-for certainly there is now
no single point more pressing than this
of the rascality being so commonly
practiced. Honest dealers are also as
much interested in the matter as their
customers. Every honest man who
grows or handles produce is vitality con-
cerned in purging the trade from dis
honesty.
REFERRING 10 the subject of wheat
growing in England, we find that an
estimate of the wheat crop of Great
Britain, based on the yield of certain
experimental fields, has been published.
This estimate, in the opinion of some
experts, says the Springfield RpuJh-
can, places the probable yield too high,
because of the unfavorable conditions
under which much of the English crop
was finally harvested. The product of
these experimental fields is also said
to be above the average of the United
Kingdom. The consequence will be
that Great Britain will need to buy
more wheat from abroad than this es-
innate contemplates. The estimated
average product of the British wheat
fields is 255 bushels of 60 pounds each
to the acre. This means on the 2,295,-
1873 acres planted total yield of So
3S7 1854 bushels. Deducting for seed
and waste, the net product for home
consumption is 52,797 ,496 bushels.
But the more than 3S 100000 of in
habitants of the British isles require six
bushels each, or 229, oil ,52S bushels,
which means that Great Britain must
be in the market for at least rs, 900 900
bushels next year.
EDMUND HERsEY, superintendent of
the Bussey Farm, connected with the
Bussey Institute-the agricultural de-
partment of Harvard University-has
kindly sent US some " facts gathered
by observation and experience relating
to the white pine" which are both in