London Nurseries. 373 



tlie first 'gathering in gentlemen's gardens it may be preferable; but, for 

 a general crop, the frame pea, in my opinion, will maintain its character. 

 Those sold to-day were of the latter ; the former were offered, as observed, 

 on the 27th of April ; the difference in time, as to being brought to market, 

 between this and the preceding spring is only five days, whereas the season 

 in general is, I think, in advance fourteen. Our supply of rhubarb for tarts 

 has been, and continues to be, very great ; and from the unproved varieties 

 recently introduced, promises to be supported in the ensuing season, if pos- 

 sible, with much larger quantities. The demand for it increases commen- 

 surately, and appears to justify the position maintained by many writers, 

 that demand, suppty, and prices assimilate very readily if left to themselves. 

 I have ascertained the weight of several bundles of rhubarb taken this sea- 

 son (containing sixteen stalks) to be from 23 to 26 lbs., giving lilbs. each 

 stalk as the average. The varieties were Dulley's Goliath, and Myatt's new 

 Atlas seedlings ; the quality and flavour quite equal to any others. Cab- 

 bages of the London, Battersea, or Fulham variety, were brought to market 

 on the 17th of April : formerly the same period in May was considered early; 

 and they have been sold in my recollection at 2s. 6d. per doz. as late in the 

 season as the 29th, by which time now we have an abundant supply of peas, 

 and some cauliflowers generally. It is singular that the earlier but smaller 

 varieties of cabbages, such as the early dwarf, York, &c, are not cultivated 

 in the neighbourhood of London, as under the same favourable culture and 

 attention they would, I think, furnish a supply at least ten or twelve days 

 earlier, and make up by the quantity from the same extent of surface for the 

 difference of size and weight in the others. We had gooseberries in pottle 

 on the 13th of April, and on the 1st of May in sieves and bushels, show- 

 ing at once how much the improved varieties and methods of culture assist 

 in furnishing an immediate supply to what formerly existed, when a month 

 usually elapsed from their first appearance to the coming in of quantities 

 in general i since the 1st of May to the 1 1th inclusive, not less than seven or 

 eight hundred sieves have been disposed of in Covent Garden Market alone. 

 Early turnips of the Dutch variety were produced about the 10th of April, 

 and sold for 3s. 6d. per bunch ; it has been usual for the grower to obtain 

 5s. The difference of price of this and many other articles both in fruit 

 and vegetables of the earliest growth and rarity will, I think, warrant the 

 conclusion I ventured upon in a former Number as to the cause of it : for 

 instance, five guineas was the price usually given for the first half sieve 

 of peas, now three only ; for cherries three guineas per lb. has been 

 obtained, now from one and a half to two is the most; nectarines and 

 peaches, formerly 31. per dozen, now two guineas; asparagus, of the best 

 and largest quality, formerly 8s. to 10s. per hundred, now 6s. or 7s., and 

 every other article of indulgence and gratification in the vegetable and fruit 

 market appears to be determined by the same relative proportionate value. 

 — G.C. May 11. 1830. 



Art. XI. The London Nurseries. 



Knight' 's Exotic Nursery, King's Road, Dec. 21. — An orangery has 

 just been completed here, which, in several respects, is worthy of public 

 inspection. It is 50 ft. long, 20 ft. wide, 6 ft. 6 in. high in front, and 16 ft. 

 high at the back wall. In front there is a shelf 4 ft. broad, of open wood- 

 work, at the height of about 3 ft. from the ground; in the back, within 4 ft. 

 of the top of the wall, there is another shelf of similar breadth of open wood- 



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