radishes, lettuces, parsley, herbs, and fiowers are the chief articles grown, and they are sold
in small quantities on the spot. The market-gardeners near sea-ports direct thcir attention
cliicfiy to the produce of cabbage, onions, turnips, and such vegetables as are in
demand as ships’ stores. In most parts of the country it happens that, from bankniptcies,
absence of families, and such like causes, the produce of a number of private gardens is
sent to market. This is agood deal the case near London; but so much so round
Livei-pool and Manchester, that scarcely a market-gardener is to be found near those
towns. Indeed, many of the citizens there, who possess villas and gardens, cultivate
them as much for the sake of the disposal of the produce as for thcir own enjoyment.
6362. Market-gardeners on a small scale have generally been master or head gardeners,
who have acquired a capital from a number of years’ servitude; those occupying more
extensive concerns are gcneraliy the sons or successors of other market-gardeners, and
possess considcrabie capital. An important point in the culture of tliese gardens is to
supply abundance of manure and water in dry weather ; these always produce luxuriant
and succulent crops of leaves, though obviously injurious in respect to flavour. A proper
rotation and change of surface arc also important; and in smaller crops it is a material
point to have tlie rudiments of onc crop always ready to succeed another. Thus radishes,
lettuces, and onions arc sown on asparagus-beds; the radishes are soon drawn, and succeeded
by the lettuces and onions, which are left only in places where they will not injure
the asparagus; the lettuces come into nse soon after the asparagus is cut, part of
the onions arc drawn young, and tho rest left to bulb. In the alleys between the beds,
cauliflowers are planted early in the season; and between these, at a later period, cucumbers,
which, with their runners, cover tlic vacant parts both of the alleys and beds. Thus
six crops are obtained in succession, and the ground is clear by October for landing xip
the beds. Early cauliflowers are generally a profitable crop. The seeds are sown in
August, pricked out, and planted under hand-glasses, six under each, in October. The
glasses are placed in rows, 10 ft. apart, and at 4 ft. distance from centre to centre in the
row : thus an acre will contain 1092 glasses. After the cauliflowers are planted, the
ground is sown with lettuces and spinach; if the lettuce stands the winter, it is valuable,
and grows fast when the soil is stiiTed round it in March. About this time, four of the
six plants nnder each glass are removed, and planted in a wai-m situation, or in the
sheltered alleys of the aspai*agus-beds. About tho beginning of May the cauliflowers arc
too large for the glasses, and arc just coming into flower. As they are gathered and
their roots removed, they are replaced by cucumber-plants, previously raised in hotbeds,
and now containing two or more proper leaves. In July, the middle of the intervals
between the rows of glasses is planted with endive, and between each glass two cauli-
flower-plants are planted to come in late. Thus five crops arc raised, all valuable ones,
if the ground was previously in good heart and was kept frequently well stin-ed, and
quite free from weeds. The following is a common rotation : 1 . —Radishes, carrots,
savoys or cabbages, and coleworts ; 2. Early turnips, autumn cabbage ; 3. Spring tuniips,
kidneybeans, savoys, or peas and spinaeh, and lecks or broccoli.
63C3. In sowing broad-cast crops it is found of advantage to sow sevcrai sorts of seeds together, because
some of them may fail or be destroyed by insects after tliey come u p : if all come up and thrive, then such
sorts as are least valuable.may be tro a te i as weeds. Thus onions, radishes, lettuce, and carrots, are often
sown to g e th e r; sometimes th e carrots are weeded out, and the best crop is the onions; a t other times
the onions partially fail, and are drawn for salading or transplanting, and the lettuce is th e main crop.
Radishes are often sown with turnips, as a sacrifice to the fly, while the turnips escape.
6364 In general all transplanted crops, and as many sown ones as possible, are drilled ; and for bulky
crops, as cabbages, peas, beans, &c.. it is an improved practice to sow or plant two rows near to each other,
and then leave a wide interval, in which a dwarf early crop, or crops of short duration, as spinach, lettuce,
&c may be sown. By the time the main crop is a t its full size, th e inter-crop is removed ; the ground is
then dry and another crop, as cabbages or turnips, introduced, which is ready in its turn to succeed as
the main crop. In this way, no part of a market-garden is ever left naked or cropless, at least during
summer and though these intervening crops are often injured when young b y th e shade of the mam
crops yet, if the ground be in high order, they soon recover when freely exposed to thea ir, and the ground
is stirred. If the land, however, is not in good heart, it is a better system to adopt a rotation, and stir the
whole ground well between each c ro p ; because, the soil being poorer, a greater volume is required to
supply th(? same nourishment: quantity is substituted for quality.
636o. With respect to the comparative market value of crops, they must, on the general average, be nearly
on a p a r ; if one crop is a t any time dearer than another, it is in consequence of being more precarious or
expensive to ra is e ; if one article is very dear at one time, it is immediately overgrown, and becomes proportionally
cheap. To grow something of every thing is safe for those who have extensive concerns;
select things for those who devote their whole attention to small spots ; and things long in coming to perfection
as tart-rhubarb, sea kale, asparagus, &c., to those who have capital. It is never advisable to
propagate a dear article very extensively, as every body is likely to be doing the same th in g ; it is better
even to adopt a contrary practice. ^ ^ .
6366. A good deal ofthe profit o f market-gardening depends on studying the state of the m a rk e t: m
gathering crops sparingly when things are low, and in sending liberal supplies a t times when, from weather
or other causes, they are, or are likely to be, high. This requires both judgment and capital, for tlie
needy grower must sell a t any price.
6367. Orchard-gardens. These ave distinguished from the pai-terrc or field orchards
in being cultivated-with a spade, and cropped like a market-garden ; indeed, they are
so much allied to market-gardens, as hardly to require any separate discussion. In
general, several kinds of fruit trees arc cuitivatcd together, as trce-fruits, shrub-fruit,«,
and herbaceons fruits ; liut some sjiuts, from the soil, and jirobably superior ailture, are
noted for particular kinds of fruit, as Twickenham and Koslin, for strawberries ; Maidstone,
for lilbci-ts and clien-ics ; Fcrshore, for cun-ants, &c. An account of the Isleworth
mode of growing strawberries has been given in the Horficultnral Transactions by Keen,
an eminent grower of fmits and culinary vegetables. The filberts arc planted in rows
alternately with rows of cherry trees ; and, as temporary crops, a row of gooscbenies,
cun-ants, or raspben-ies, may be planted in each interval. Currants arc grown extensively
round Pershore, and the fruit sold to the manufacturers of British wines. They are also
groivn in Kent and Essex in rows 8 ft. asunder, and 4 ft. from tree to tree. Early in
spring the ground is dug, and sown with spinacli ; to tliat succeed potatoes, and to these
cabbages, whicli last are gathered as coleworts before winter : four crops, including the
fruit, are obtained in one season.
6368. Herb and physic gardens. These are of limited number and extent, and generally
occupied along with market or seed gardens. There are one or two for peppermint
and a few other herbs, near Edinburgh, and the rest are in the vicinity of the metropolis,
and chiefly at Mitcham in Surrey. Peppermint is a principal crop, ivhich recjuires a
moist soft soil, and to be taken up and replanted every three or four years. Lavender is
grown to a considerable extent on lean soils, as is chamomile, wormwood, rosemary,
thyme, &c. Liquorice and rhubarb require a deep free soil ; roses, which are grown in
large quantities for thcir flowers, require a rich soil ; white lilies and colcliicuin, grown
for their bulbs, require a new soil. In one or two gardens near the metropolis, many
species of herbs are grown to gratify the demand of certain classes of medical men, of
self-doctors, and of quacks and irregular practitioners. Formerly there were many gardens
of this sort ; apothecaries gener<illy grew a gj-eat part of their own lierbs, and collected
the rest in the fields ; and hence the reason why so many of them fonnerly were
eminent as botanists. Tlierc are still one or two herb-shops which collect their simples
in a wild state ; but land is now so generally cultivated, that, even if there were a demand
for native herbs, this mode would not be very successful. It may he mentioned as a curious
fact, that, in Weston’s time (say about 1750), winter savory, chamomile, pennyroyal,
peppermint, &c., were groivn in the conunon fields near London, ivhere cattle were
turned out all the ivinter ; the scent of these herhs being so disagreeable to these animals
as to cause them to avoid them. (Weston's Tracts, &c., p. 71.) All herbs should be
gathered dry, and in sunshine after dry weather ; they should he dried in the shade, and,
when perfectly dried, pressed close by a press or weights, and enclosed in paper. The
packets should then be deposited in a dry place, and when opened for use always carefully
shut afterwards. The practice of hanging up herbs in loose bundles tends to dry them
too much and dissipate thcir flavour.
6369. Market flower-gardens. These are devoted to the culture of flowers for sale
when in blossom ; either cut as nosegays, or in pots. They are chiefly to be found in
the neighbourhood of the metropolis, where a sort, of division of objects exists among
them.- Some gardens are noted for their roses ; others for gi-owing the narcissus tribe ;
for pelargoniums ; for cheap heaths ; for mignonette ; and for forced flowers of all sorts.
These gardens are not large ; general!}' from one to a dozen acres, and they are occupied
by gardeners who have been brought up to this department of their profession.
Tiie standard articles of cultivation are roses, especially the moss-rose for nosegays tlie
monthly rose is also much groivn in pots for spring and antmnn sale. The sweetbriar is
in demand for its odour ; honeysuckles, lilacs, mezereons, rhododendrons, azaleas, kalmias,
spiraias, ledums, andromedas, jasmines, laburnums, rose acacias, ai-c in gi-cat repute,
especially when forced. All sorts of evergreens, as pines, firs, laurels, cypresses, arbor-
vitses, hollies, yews, and, above all, laumstinns and box, are much in demand for decorating
balconies, flat roofs, areas, courts, lobbies, &e. Potted fruit trees in bearing
liave generally a ready sale, and especially the gi-ape and peach.
campior
4. SiC. The exotifs in most common demand are camellia.'!, Chinese
roses, mjrtles, pelargoniums, hycirangeas, lieaths, heliotropes,
fuchsias, &c.
The flowering plants generally kejit in pots are auriculas, polyanthuses,
pinks, carnations, violets, foxgloves veronicas,,
dahlias, chrysanthemums, phloxes, saxífragas of sorts, most
of tho bulbs, nnd many ofthe annuals and biennials.
The flowers blown in water-glasses are tho hyacinth and narcissus
chiefly, and also the crocus, tulip, amaryllis, colchicum,
iris, &c.
biennial and annual kinds.
The flowers prolonged in duration by being placed under glass
bMore/rost a})}>roaches, beinginpots, are mignonette, stocks
of all tho sorts, nasturtiums, veronicas, violets, gentians,
monthly roses, laurustinus, clematis, dahlias, and chrysanthemums.
The forced flowers are-chftdy lilies of the valley, the pink iribe,
violets, wallflowers, ten-week stocks, cominon stocks, hyacinths,
crocuses, narcissi, tulips, tuberoses, irises, rose-
6.370. O/’mfyreoBciie, perhaps more pots are sold in and ne.ar the metropolis than of any
other potted plaut whatever; fifty yc.ars ago it was hardly known. Next to mignonette
may be named stocks, pinks, sweetpeas, and wallflowers, among the hardy plants;
hyacinths, among the bulbs; and camellias, pelargoniums, and myrtles, among the
exotics. Some years ago heaths were chiefly in repute ; these being found difflenlt to
keep in living-rooms, the public ta,ste has changed, and the flower-grower varies liis