Il8 FIELDS, FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS. 



winter and too hot in summer/' But although the five 

 houses cover only less than one-fifth of an acre, 2000 Ib. 

 of green peas had already been sold as a first crop; 

 and, in the first days of June, the second crop (about 

 1500 plants of tomatoes) was already in good progress. 



It is always difficult, of course, to know what are the 

 money returns of the growers, first of all because Thorold 

 Rogers' complaint about modern farmers keeping no 

 accounts holds good, even for the best gardening estab- 

 lishments, and next because when the returns are 

 known to me in all details it would not be right for me 

 to publish them. Roughly speaking, I can confirm Mr. 

 Bear's estimate to the effect that under proper manage- 

 ment even a cool greenhouse, which covers 4050 square 

 feet, can give a gross return of 180. " Don't prove too 

 much ; beware of the landlord ! " a practical gardener 

 once wrote to me. 



As a rule, the Guernsey and Jersey growers have only 

 three crops every year from their greenhouses. They 

 will start, for instance, potatoes in December. The 

 house will, of course, not be heated, fires being made 

 only when a sharp frost is expected at night ; and the 

 potato crop (from eight to ten tons per acre) will be 

 ready in April or May before the open-air potatoes begin 

 to be dug out Tomatoes will be planted next and be 

 ready by the end of the summer. Various catch crops 

 of peas, radishes, lettuce and pther small things will be 

 taken in the meantime. Or else the house will be 

 " started " in November with melons, which will be 

 ready in April. They will be followed by tomatoes, 

 either in pots, or trained as vines, and the last crop of 

 tomatoes will be in October. Beans may follow and 

 be ready for Christmas. I need not say that every 

 grower has his preference method for utilising his houses, 

 and it entirely depends upon his skill and watchfulness 

 to have all sorts of small catch crops. These last begin 

 to have a greater and greater importance, and one can 



