French Gardening or Intensive Cultivation 225 



frames and cloches, but the crops are successive and continuous throughout 

 the summer and autumn months. Owing to the abundance of water and 

 the beautiful mould, Radishes as grown in French gardens are tender 

 and delicate in flavour, and are never allowed to become overgrown, 

 spongy, and rank in flavour. Besides the Early Forcing varieties, others 

 like the French Breakfast, the Half Long Scarlet, white - tipped, and 

 others may be grown. The first early crops or primeurs, done up in 

 bunches of a dozen, often realize Id. and 2d per bunch (Is. to 2s. per 

 dozen bunches), each containing twelve Radishes. Open-air bunches, how- 

 ever, have from three dozen to four dozen Radishes in them for the same 

 money later on. 



Spinach. This is still an important crop to the French maraicher, but 

 is not grown so much in frames now as formerly. The seeds of a variety 

 like " Monstrous Viroflay " is sown on prepared beds about August to pro- 

 duce leaves in September; but a crop of Cos Lettuce, or Endive will have 

 been planted over the surface immediately after sowing; or the Spinach 

 may be sown between a crop already standing, but only half -grown. In 

 October such varieties as " Flanders " or " Prickly Longstanding " may be 

 sown for winter work, and some of these plants may be taken up in Feb- 

 ruary or early March, have the leaves cut off, and then be planted in 

 frames between a crop of Gotte Lettuces after a crop of Radishes have 

 been cleared, and while the Carrots beneath are only just showing through 

 the soil. Spinach grown in frames in this way produces beautiful leaves 

 fit for picking about three weeks after planting. The entire plant, how- 

 ever, is pulled, so as to leave room for the Carrots. From the middle of 

 February until the end of July or middle of August a sowing of Spinach 

 may be made on the beds, between or under other crops, at intervals of 

 two or three weeks, so that a supply is kept up all the year round. With 

 plenty of water there is little danger of the plants running to seed even 

 in the hottest summer. 



Turnips. The variety most in favour for frame work in French 

 gardens is the " Marteau " or " Half -long White Forcing ", but others may 

 be grown if considered sufficiently remunerative. The seeds are sown early 

 in January on a hotbed with a temperature of 70 to 80 F., the surface 

 being covered with fine spongy mould passed through a sieve. The seeds 

 are not sown broadcast or in drills. Small holes about 1 in. deep and 6 in. 

 apart are made with the index finger, and two or three seeds are dropped 

 into them. The surface is levelled over with a piece of batten and nicely 

 watered, and the lights are covered with mats for four or five days, until 

 the seed leaves appear. After a few days the seedlings are thinned out, 

 so as to leave only one plant to each little hole. About the middle of 

 February this first crop of Turnips will be advanced enough and sufficiently 

 hardy to allow the lights to be taken away to place over a second sowing in 

 other frames. In the event of frost, mats must be placed over the plants 

 at night. By making a sowing of " Marteau " Turnips in January, Feb- 

 ruary, March, and April, four crops can be taken off the beds by the 



VOL. IV. 60 a 



