314 



JODKNAL OF HOSTICULTORE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ April 20, 1876. 



different scents are produced. These plants thrive probably 

 in greater perfection here than in any part of the world. No 

 doubt South Australia ehould be a perfume-producing country. 

 We see flourishing here some of the most valuable scent plants. 

 We have the Wattle, Myall Wood, and other native plants, 

 yielding valuable scents. Bat two things are needed to 

 encourage the enterprise : first, freedom of the still, so as 

 to license distilling in vessels of less than twenty-five gallons 

 capacity ; and, secondly, the bond fide advertisement of a 

 capitalist manafaoturer, that he will buy any quantity of speci- 

 fied flowers, leaves, roots, or plants, at a marketable price. 

 Then some farmers might be tempted to plant a few acres of 

 Lavender or Mint, another Geraniums or Eosemary, another 

 Aniseed, whilst plantations in hedgerows, or suchlike places, of 

 Eoses, Cassia, together with contributions from gardens, would 

 lay the foundation for an export trade. Then it must be also 

 noted that whatever the value which the plants yield in flower, 

 fruit, leaves, and stems, it is increased threefold under manu- 

 facture, and this manufacture consumes other local produce 

 called into existence by it, such as olive and other oils, fats, 

 aJltalies, wheaten flour, colouring matter, pottery, and glass 

 ware, which combine to make the farmers and the manufac- 

 turers contribute largely to the maintenance of population and 

 the wealth of the perfume countries. 



" To advance this highly remunerative industry, as I have 

 already mentioned, a modification in the law of licensing stills 

 should be made to bond fide perfume-distillers, as the present 

 law restricts stills to a range of capacity between twenty-five 

 and fifty gallons. Perfume stills for the finer perfumes are 

 best at about eight to ten gallons. It is therefore to be hoped 

 that our legislators would take this into their earnest considera- 

 tion. To encourage the development of new industries, every 

 facility with respect to distillation of perfumes should be given, 

 even at the sacrifice of a small amount of revenue. To show 

 you the value of perfumes to the countries adapted for their 

 production the following table, compiled from the publications 

 of Piesee & Brande, and the " Cornhill Magazine," October, 

 1864, may show why it is so : — 



"One acre of Jaemine plants, 80,000, will produce 5000 lbs. 



of flowers, value Is JB250 



One acre lV.se trees, 10,000, will produce 2000 lbs. of flowers, 



value 9(i 75 



One acre of Oranjre trees, 100, at ten years old 2000 lbs. of 



flowers, value 6d 50 



One acre of Violets, 1600 lbs. of flowers, value 2s 160 



One acre of Cassia tre^s lAcaeia Farnesiana). 302, at three 



years, 9 lbs. of flowers, vnlne 28 90 



One acre of Geranium p'an's, Ifi 000, 4'i,O0O lbs. leaves, pro- 

 ducing 2 029. of distilled nl to per cwt., at 5« per oz. . . SOO 



One acre of Lavender, 3547, giving flowers for distillation, 



value 30 



" Further, without knowing the produce per acre, I add the 

 otto per cwt. which the following plants are said to yield: — 

 Eosemary, per cwt., will yield 24 ozs. of otto oil; Aniseed, 

 35 ozs. : Caraways, from 3 lbs. to 4 lbs. 12 ozs. ; Fennel seed, 

 2 lbs. ; Pachouli, 28 ozs." 



AN AMERICAN'S VISIT TO COVENT GARDEN 

 MARKET. 



Being long anxious to visit this world-renowned place for 

 a display of vegetables, I accordingly paid it a visit on Saturday 

 morning in January last. With the produce which the 

 market gardens around London brought to this market I was 

 astonish>;d at its excellence ; but with the place they have 

 to sell it in I was disappointed. It is far too small for the 

 immenre traffic, and, together with the narrowness of the 

 streets leading into it, make it altogether a mean place for the 

 purpose. The business is mostly done in the morniog between 

 BIX and nine o'clock, when but little traffic of any other kind 

 is being carried on, especially during winter; but at the same 

 time the large waggons used for conveying the produce are so 

 closely packed together that it is very difficult for those on foot 

 to pnth their way through ; and very disagreeable for those 

 having the work to do, getting their vegetables off the waggons 

 and properly disposed of. 



The flower market is much superior to the vegetable depart- 

 ment. It is a large building so arranged that one can move 

 about and examine the plants and flowers with a good deal 

 more comfort than in the vegetable maiket, and, undoubtedly, 

 with a good deal less of rebuff to the stranger th»n in the 

 latter place. The buyers and sellers appear to think they 

 have an exclusive right during the early hours of the morning, 

 and that strangers shonld stand ontside, and, under no pretence 



whatever, ask any questions about what they see, except the 

 prices of the different vegetables. In the flower depirtment 

 everyone appeared yery anxious to inform us what we asked 

 them. 



Upon the whole, I really think London — the Empire City of 

 the world — should possess a vegetable market something in 

 keeping with her great size and immense wealth. 



Turnips were in large quantities and of good quality, but 

 not very large insir.e; they sold for 4<i. per bunch. Carrots 

 were splendid, not extra large, but clean and free from canker ; 

 &d. per bunch. Ehubarb at Is. Gd. per bundle was finely 

 coloured although forced, which is what is not always seen, 

 and what many gardeners do not deem requisite to have in 

 forced Rhubarb ; but what is cot well coloured is not well 

 flavoured. Plenty of air and light are necessary in obtaining 

 colour. Green Peas at Is. 6d. per lb. were not very plentiful. 

 Considerable quantities of new Potatoes were in the market, 

 and for about Is. 6<J per small basket. A good many Tomatoes 

 I saw, bat of a quality which would not be much relished by 

 Americans, who are so much accustomed to such fine fruit at 

 home ; they brought from Is. to 2s. per dozen. Seakale was 

 in splendid condition, thoroughly blanched, and therefore 

 very tender ; sold for about 2s. per punnet. Asparagus was 

 plentiful and of excellent quality ; home-grown brought from 

 8s. to 10s. per bundle. Tbere were also Cucumbers, Onions in 

 large quantities. Leeks, Celery (mostly red varieties), Lettuce, 

 Endive, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, and Cauliflower, which all 

 sold at good fair prices. Taken altogether, the vegetables 

 were the best and in larger quantities than I had previously 

 seen anywhere. 



The fruit was also very good and in large quantities ; some 

 excellent Grapes of Lady Downe's and Black Alicante varieties. 

 These are the two best kinds we have for hanging late, but it 

 appears to me the true Alicante is not always seen bearing the 

 name. It is a fine-keeping and good-looking, but not an extra- 

 flavoured Grape. They ranged in price from 2s. to 6s. per lb. 

 Plenty of foreign Grapes are sold at much lower prices. There 

 were some good specimens of No Plus Meuris, Easter Beurrii, 

 and Beurru Eance Pears, large lots of American Apples, plenty 

 of Oranges, Figs, Nuts, Melons, and Pine Apples. 



The plants were mostly growing in 6-inch pots, but were well 

 grown and free from insects. Those in flower appeared as it 

 their blooms had just opened, so as to be in their best that 

 very day. The plants of Azaleas were grown mostly as 

 standards, and the smallest of the plants full of blossoms, 

 both single and doable varieties ; they sold for from £2 to £3 

 per dozen. 



Bouvardiaa were not in such good condition as I have often 

 seen some of the American gardeners having them ; they sold 

 for about 12s. per dozen. When visiting the large plant 

 establishment of Messrs. Hugh Low ct Co. I saw a great 

 quantity of the diilerent varieties of Bouvardia growing in 

 pots flowering very freely, but what drew my attention most 

 was the large size of trasses they had. Primula sinensis 

 astonished me to see the excellent strains of some of the lots 

 exposed for sale here. It is very strange that some of the enthu- 

 siastic florists throughout the United States have not got into 

 the cultivation of some good strain of Primula and raise seed 

 for home demands. As it is, gardeners in want of fine kinds 

 have to import seed from England, and although the highest 

 price is paid for it, far superior strains are seen for sale in 

 Covent Garden than any I have ever seen raised from any 

 of our " imported " seed. The plants have foliage of fine 

 substance. The flowers, which are very large, are produced 

 in large truEses, and rise above the leaves just high enough 

 to make them look well. The fine 'strains brought 12s. per 

 dozen. 



Poinsettia pulcherrima is grown in G-inch pots. The plants 

 are very dwarf, and the bracts very large. Some of the white 

 one — alba — are for sale, but not nearly so abundant as the red 

 one; they brought about £1 per dozen. TuUps were in variety 

 and very fine. They are planted five bulbs in a pot, and sell 

 from 9s. to 18s. per dozen. Hyacinths are grown singly in 

 pnts, and bring about the same price, except Roman Hyacinths, 

 which sell for as much as 30s. per dozen. There was a great 

 show of the different colours of Cyclamen, selling for from 

 12s. to 18s. per dozen. 



Besides the above there were large lots of Heaths in variety, 

 Begonia?, Echeveria retusa floribunda, Cyperus alternifolius, 

 Epiphyllum=, Dracaenas, Mignonette, Pelargoniums, and Ficus 

 elastica. Cat flowers were not so plentiful as are seen in the 

 florists' establishments in the United States. I have seen in 



