io THE GARDENING YEAR 



market-gardens, from which so much of our vege- 

 table food usually comes. Up to the present 

 there has been a glut of unsold produce left upon 

 the English market, a result of war economies 

 practised by the rich ; yet one feels that in any 

 eventuality it is safer to have too much than too 

 little in the garden. It may be wanted, and badly 

 wanted, later on. 



This year, therefore, we shall hardly have an 

 inch of room to spare in the market-garden here, 

 and all vacant ground, or what we call " dummy " 

 land, that has hitherto been utilised for standing 

 pea-boughs on or used for refuse-heaps, will be 

 dug and cultivated. 



We know that our private customers will be 

 glad to send their friends to us for the nicely 

 mixed vegetable " basses " that are dispatched 

 each week to them, so that radishes, carrots, and 

 many other things are being raised in plenty. 

 " Greens," too, of every description abound on the 

 land, and little baby ones are waiting still in their 

 nursery-beds for the first wet day to come, when 

 they will be planted out, and, with ample space 

 round them, should grow to be bushy, fine plants. 



I think, perhaps, the man who best understands 

 close intercropping is the self-taught Mr. Vincent, 

 who cultivates land not far from here, at Ditchling, 

 and professes to make £62 a year out of half an 

 acre. Unfortunately, there are not many as thrifty 

 and hard-working, except the French peasants, 

 who wisely make it their life-work to learn not 

 only what to grow and how to raise produce, 

 but also how to market it successfully. I have 



