28 THE AGRICULTURAL CLUB. 



In 1918, one Covent Garden firm sold in four months 722,145 

 packages each containing 12 Ib. tomatoes, or a total of 8,665,740 

 lb., and there are many other firms in London and the provin- 

 cial towns where enormous quantities of this class of produce 

 are sold. It is safe to say that the best customers for tomatoes, 

 even at this year's high prices, have been the miners and munition 

 workers. 



Cucumbers. At the time of which I have been speaking, 

 these were packed in open chip punnets, and my informant 

 remembers his first visit to London forty- two years ago, at the age 

 of eleven, with the first two cucumbers grown that year. These 

 realised 105. each, and were about 10 in. long. 



Prior to the war, many miles' run of greenhouses were used 

 for cucumber growing, and these were consumed not only in 

 the British Isles, but were sent in large quantities to Holland, 

 Denmark, Germany and other European countries. So far 

 as the home consumption of cucumbers is concerned it is estim- 

 ated that for every cucumber consumed by the well-to-do, 

 500 are eaten by the working-classes. This fruit is particularly 

 popular in the colliery districts, and I have seen it stated that 

 an examination of the police court records for South Wales 

 would show that cases of drunkenness decrease by at least 30 per 

 cent, during the cucumber season. 



An acre of glass devoted to cucumbers has been known to 

 produce as much as 80 tons during the season. An average 

 crop would probably be 60 to 70 tons. 



Grapes. Forty years ago grapes used to come to the market 

 in punnets containing 2 to 3 lb. each. Some of the very best 

 grapes came from Scotland, were collected at King's Cross, 

 and carried on the head of a porter to Covent Garden. 



Until thirty years ago, old grapes, at and after Christmas 

 time, were unknown. They are now retained on the vines 

 until the end of March and early April, when the new crop is 

 about to commence. In this way this very nutritious and life- 

 sustaining food is obtainable throughout the whole year, normally 

 at very reasonable prices. Considerable quantities of English 

 grapes are shipped to the United States. 



The approximate weight of grapes grown under glass in 

 England is 2,000-2,200 tons. 



Equally interesting and striking figures could be given con- 

 cerning the cultivation of flowers and plants under glass, but 

 sufficient has been said, I think, to warrant the statement that 

 the cultivation of crops under glass is an industry of national 

 importance. 



As regards labour employed in intensive culture, Mr. 

 Robbins said : 



