On a holding of five acres, the occupier works himself and Cost of usually employs one man regularly, except in cases where he labour. has a son to assist him. The average rate of wages is 13s. 4d. a week, or 10s. a week in the slack season, and 25s. weekly at harvest, with occasionally a few potatoes: On the smaller holdings of 2 or 3 acres, the occupier does the greater part of the work himself in the slack season and only employs a man at harvest, to whom he pays 25s. a week, and sometimes more. No ploughs are used to work the land; the soil is well dug over and worked with the spade two or three times. The seed, of which about 7 ounces per acre is sown, costs from Seed. 5d. to 8d. per ounce for late varieties, and from 1s. 2d. to 2s. per ounce for early varieties. It is grown for the most part in a village near Alkmaar, though seed for late varieties is sometimes purchased from abroad. Only the best of the young plants are selected for planting out, the number ranging from 4,500 to 5,000 per acre, so that with two crops in the year, which is usual, an acre yields from 9,000 to 10,000 plants. Sometimes early potatoes are grown between the cauliflowers, or early and late varieties of cauliflower are planted together. When the plants are maturing two of the large inner leaves are broken and folded over the head to keep it white and to protect it from damage. The greater part of the crop is exported to Germany, where Price of there is a large demand for fresh cauliflowers. The price varies cauliflowers. at different dates. Early varieties were sold this year at 26s. 8d. to 33s. 4d. per 100 net in July, but in September the price had fallen to 8s. 4d. per 100. Brining of Cauliflowers. When prices are high only the second quality plants are sold Cauliflowers to the brining factories, the usual price paid by these establish- for brining ments being d. each; in some seasons the price rises to 1d., but seldom higher. There are several factories in the neighbourhood of Alkmaar Brining and Bovenkarspel engaged in the brining of cauliflowers and factories. white and red cabbage. Some of the cauliflower is exported to Great Britain, but the cabbage is all sent to Germany for sauerkraut. One of these factories, near Bovenkarspel, consists of a large shed about 100 feet by 50 feet on the bank of a canal. Round the walls, inside, vats are arranged containing brine in which the cauliflower heads are steeped. Sea water, to which salt has been added, is used for the brine. The only special feature noticed in this factory was the use of Method of a portable worm press for pressing the cauliflower into the casks. pressing A hogshead to be filled is placed under a cross beam, and when Price of brined cauli flowers. A sketch showing the principle of the worm press is reproduced above, as a simple labour-saving apparatus of this kind should prove serviceable in the brining-sheds in this country. If any difficulty is experienced in obtaining this press, an ordinary light bottle-jack would probably serve the same purpose, though not quite so effectively, if a short bar were passed through the holes in the head of the jack to facilitate its manipulation. The railway freight on cauliflower from Bovenkarspel to Rotterdam is 43s. 2d. per truck of 10 tons. The distance is 89 miles. A filled hogshead usually contains about 3 cwts. of brined cauliflower heads. The prices quoted per hogshead this season, f.o.b. Rotterdam, were 22s. for loose cauliflower; 26s. for best cauliflower; and 29s. for extra selected. Freights on Brined Vegetables. rebates on freights on A suggestion was made by some members of the deputation No special from the Biggleswade Trades and Agricultural Association, that the trade in brined vegetables from the Continent was facilitated brined vege by State subsidies to the shipping lines, which enabled the latter tables to give special rebates on the freight rates charged for the conveyance of brined onions to British ports. Inquiries instituted in North Belgium and the Netherlands have, however, failed to discover any foundation for this suggestion. An idea prevailed in some quarters that an arrangement in the nature of a Government subsidy existed in the case of the Cockerill line of boats running from Ostend to Tilbury, but there appears to be no ground for this supposition, and it has been categorically denied on behalf of the John Cockerill Company. With regard to this question of "rebates," it should be observed that it is a common practice of shipping companies, both in this country and abroad, to give what is known as a rebate from their ordinary rates on large consignments, and reductions of this kind are granted by most of the shipping lines conveying produce from Dutch and Belgian ports to this country. Particulars of the rates quoted in September last for the carriage of onions, potatoes, and brined vegetables from Rotterdam, Ostend and Ghent are given below: FREIGHT RATES FROM THE NETHERLANDS. Shipping Line. Onions in Potatoes. Onions, Cauli- and Gherkins in Brine. Rates from and Flush- ROTTERDAM TO LONDON. Great Eastern Railway, viâ Har- 11s. per ton 12s. 6d. per wish. on 5 tons and upwards. Rotterdam London Line: delivered 8s. per ton to vans. Netherlands Steamboat Co. : ton. 88. per ton 38. 3d. per ton on 28. 6d. per |