214 Commercial Gardening 



II. ESTIMATED ANNUAL EXPENSES ON A TWO-ACRE FRENCH GARDEN 



Manure, 800 tons @ 6s. per ton 240 



Labour 260 



Horse food ... 30 



Kent, rates, taxes, insurance ... ... ... ... 50 



Seeds, depreciation, &c. ... ... ... ... 50 



Total 630 



III. ESTIMATED ANNUAL RECEIPTS FROM A TWO-ACRE FRENCH GARDEN 



900 lights, produce, @ 12s. each 540 



3000 cloches, about Is. Qd. each, say ... 220 



Open ground (190 poles, say), about 10s. 6d. each, say 100 



Total 860 



It will thus be seen that a profit of 230 may be made on 2 ac. each year 

 with care, being equivalent to about 24 per cent on a capital outlay of 971. 

 The profits, of course, may be either considerably more or very much less 

 according to the business management and the fluctuations of the market. 



2. CROPS GROWN IN FRENCH GARDENS 



The principal crops grown are Radishes, Lettuces (Cos and Cabbage 

 varieties), Endive, Carrots, Cauliflowers, Turnips, Spinach, Celery, and 

 Canteloupe Melons. These may be regarded as the standard crops, but 

 Corn Salad, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Aubergines, Cabbages, Sorrel, Leeks, 

 Onions, &c., are sometimes grown as catch crops. 



It may be well to say a little about each of the principal crops in 

 alphabetical order. 



Carrots. Vast quantities of these are grown, the smaller - rooted 

 varieties, like " Paris Forcing " (Carotte rouge a forcer), " Early Forcing 

 Horn " (Carotte tres-courte d chassis, or C. grelot, C. Toupie), " Scarlet 

 Dutch Horn " (C. rouge court hdtive, or C. Bellot) being preferred for early 

 framework, while the " Half -long Nantes Scarlet " (C. rouge demi-longue 

 nantaise or G. sans cosur) and the " Half-long Scarlet Carentan " are used 

 for open-air work. 



The first crops are sown in the frames in October on finely prepared 

 mould, only a gentle heat from the manure being necessary at this time. 

 On top of the Carrots, Radishes (forcing scarlet white -tipped variety) 

 are also sown. The Radishes, however, grow more quickly than the 

 Carrots, and are picked and marketed before these are any appreciable 

 size. But while both the Radishes and Carrots are germinating, the upper 

 surface of the soil is planted with some " Crepe " or " Petite noire" Cabbage 

 Lettuces which have been raised in advance from seed sown in September. 

 Thus each frame is actually carrying three crops at one and the same 

 time, viz. Carrots, Radishes, and Cabbage Lettuces. Being of a distinct 



