OF AGRICULTURE. 211 



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 already foresee 

 that the growers under glass will be forced to 

 accept the methods of the French maraichers, 

 so as to have five and six crops every year, so far 

 as it can be done without spoiling the present 

 high quality of the produce. 



All this Industry is of a relatively recent origin. 

 One may see it still working out its methods. 

 And yet the exports from Guernsey alone are 

 already represented by quite extraordinary 

 figures. It was estimated some years ago that 

 they were as follows : Grapes, 502 tons, 37,500 

 worth at the average price of 9d. the pound ; 

 tomatoes, 1,000 tons, about 30,000 ; early 

 potatoes (chiefly in the fields), 20,000 ; radishes 

 and broccoli, 9,260; cut flowers, 3,000; 

 mushrooms, 200 ; total, 99,950 to which 

 total the local consumption in the houses and 

 hotels, which have to feed nearly 30,000 tourists, 

 must be added. Since then these figures have 

 grown considerably. In June, 1896, I saw the 

 Southampton steamers taking every day from 

 9,000 to 12,000, and occasionally more, baskets 

 of fruit (grapes, tomatoes, French beans and 



