September 20, 1864. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



239 



Mr. Packe, at the recent meeting of the Great Northern 

 Company, that the directors were expending ,£40,000 in 

 improving the condition of their Potato market, took his 

 audience completely by surprise. A Potato market ! Have 

 we such a thing ? Where is it ? How possibly can .£40,000 

 be required for any such purpose ? Such was the exclama- 

 tion, and such the inquiries which greeted the announce- 

 ment. 



These inquiries we shall now endeavour to satisfy, for the 

 information not only of the Great Northern shareholders, 

 but the public at large ; and the facts and figures which we 

 shall have to place before them are so extraordinary that 

 they cannot fail to add to the astonishment and surprise 

 which were then expressed. Scarcely had the line been 

 opened when the Yorkshire Potato growers applied to the 

 directors to afford them some facilities for the transport of 

 their produce to the London market. Their request was 

 complied with, and the conveyance of a few hundred tons of 

 Potatoes in one season from Selby to London was the 

 beginning of a carrying trade, which may now be roughly 

 estimated at 85,000 tons a-year, or (taking one ton as suffi- 

 cient during twelve months for consumption by a family of 

 ten persons) an amount of Potatoes sufficient to supply the 

 wants of S50,000 persons. Such has been the development 

 of the trade in the course of twelve years ; and as it is a 

 growing trade, and one sure to be stimulated by the increase 

 in the amount of accommodation afforded tp it, it is not 

 hazarding too much to say that before the lapse of another 

 period of twelve years, one-half the entire population of 

 London may expect to be supplied with Potatoes from the 

 Great Northern Railway. 



At present this trade is conducted by thirty-five factors, 

 who have hitherto carried on their business m little wooden 

 huts, not unlike sentry-boxes, paying a small toll to the 

 company for the privilege. Badly, however, as they have 

 been housed, they have been far worse situated in regard to 

 the facilities of receiving and forwarding their consignments. 

 They have been altogether without store accommodation, a 

 circumstance which compelled them to get rid of the Pota- 

 toes the moment they removed them from the company's 

 waggons, which, in itself, has been no easy task, owing to a 

 deficiency of siding accommodation, and the consequent 

 blocks upon the lines. On one occasion, as stated by Mr. 

 Packe, there were as many as nine hundred trucks waiting 

 to be unloaded. This must have been a great inconvenience 

 to the factors, and no less an inconvenience to the company, 

 whose rolling stock was to that extent crippled so long as 

 the block continued. 



The recurrence, however, of any such drawbacks is now 

 about to be obviated, for the whole of the old terminus in 

 Maiden Lane has been set aside as the area of the new 

 market. On that site the company is now building a long 

 range of warehouses, thirty-eight in number, fitted with dry 

 and well-ventilated cellars for the storage of the Potatoes. 

 In front of each there is fitted upon the arrival line a turn- 

 table, communicating with a short line of about 60 or 70 feet 

 long, which strikes from the main line at right angles, and 

 runs up to the warehouse door — in other words, the line 

 throws out here thirty-eight short spurs. Each spur is 

 supplied with a wide platform, at which four waggons can 

 with ease deliver their goods, to be at once carried into the 

 warehouse, and stored there, either on the floor or in the 

 cellars. It may not be out of place here to mention that in 

 times of frost Potatoes are much safer in dark cellars than 

 in places where they are exposed to the light. It will be 

 seen by the above explanation that immediately on the 

 arrival of a Potato train it can. be broken up into as many 

 portions as there are consignments in it, and that each 

 factor can have the waggon consigned to him turned in upon 

 his own 60 feet of line, and brought alongside his own plat- 

 form, there to be at once emptied and'made again available 

 for the service of the company. The arrangement will be 

 effectual against the recurrence of blocks, add to the capacity 

 of the company's rolling stock, and enable the factor to take 

 advantage of whatever demand may rule the market. 



The facilities to be afforded to the delivery of the Pota- 

 toes will not be less convenient than those connected with 

 the reception of them. The warehouses will also have a 

 front towards Maiden Lane, but not upon it ; for between 

 them and that thoroughfare the company are constructing, 



parallel to it, a wide and perfectly level road, on which the 

 drays which are to convey the Potatoes from the factor to 

 the dealer can come in, load' at the warehouse door, and 

 thence carry off the goods. The company, in order to guard 

 against anything in the way of irregularity, will have their 

 own constables placed at the gate leading into this private 

 road, and their duty will be to see that each dray takes up 

 its proper position, and does not loiter so as to inconvenience 

 others. — {Railway News.) 



WORK FOE, THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



In dry weather hoe every part of the garden thoroughly, 

 as those seeds that were ripened in summer (where weeds 

 were allowed to perfect seeds and to shed them), have now 

 vegetated and may be destroyed effectually, which is better 

 than allowing them to remain till the spring amongst other 

 crops. When a kitchen garden is at this season well stocked 

 with autumn, winter, and spring crops, all neatly arranged 

 and well cultivated, and the walks in good order, we think 

 this is not at all the least interesting period of the year in 

 this useful department of gardening. Callages, plant out 

 immediately the main crop of spring Cabbages, and after 

 planting them take the first opportunity of a dry day to fork 

 over between the plants. Cauliflowers, prepare ground on a 

 south border or other favourable aspect for planting them' 

 under hand-lights. A quantity may be pricked out of cold, 

 frames to receive protection from severe frost in winter. 

 Endive, plant close under walls where they can be easily 

 secured from frost. Herls, make fresh plantations where 

 required'. Lettuce, prepare ground for plantations of Brown 

 Cos and Hardy Green. A double row of them may be planted 

 at the foot of the south, east, and west walls, the plants to 

 be 4 inches apart in the row ; and. should they all stand over 

 the winter, which is seldom the case, every alternate one 

 can be removed to form other plantations. Potatoes, they 

 may be taken up as soon as the tops are dead, but the late 

 sorts had better remain in the ground for a time to ripen 

 well. Turnips, thin young crops of these and Spinach before- 

 they become weakly and drawn, through standing too closely 

 together. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Apples and Pears that have been gathered during the last 

 fortnight should now be looked over carefully, when it will 

 be found that those that were bruised or in any way in- 

 jured have begun to decay, and unless removed will infect 

 others. Filberts are now ripe in most situations and should 

 be gathered. They keep well in a moderate-sized hamper 

 packed firmly. Put the fruit-room in proper order for the 

 reception of its winter stock. Use no straw or hay about 

 the fruit, as materials of this kind are very liable to spoil 

 the flavour of fruit laid amongst them. Handle the fruit, 

 especially Pears, as little and as lightly as possible. Thin 

 the leaves of early Cherry trees on walls so as to ripen the < 

 wood. Protect Plums from insects, and closely net-up Im- 

 peratrice and other keeping varieties. Expose Raspberry 

 suckers so as to ripen them thoroughly. Make new Straw- 

 berry-beds, clear runners away from the old plants. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The removal and transplanting of evergreens may be 

 undertaken from the present time to November with more 

 chances of success than at any other period of the year, and 

 for large specimens no other season should, if possible, be 

 selected. The natural warmth of the soil about the roots, 

 and the close damp weather generaUy prevailing in the 

 autumn months, are the principal causes operating to insure 

 success. Add to this a principle, well known to those who 

 have planted largely at all seasons* that plants form roots 

 more readily after the season of active growth and during 

 the ripening of the wood than at any other. Whether plant- 

 ing is done in masses or singly, the ground should be well; 

 trenched and drained before attempting to put in a plant ; . 

 for single plants, if they are intended to thrive, a mere round 

 hole just large enough to hold the roots is not sufficient, but. 

 the ground for some space round should be well worked-up 

 to facilitate the progress of the future roots, as well as the 

 escape of water. As each tree or shrub is planted secure it 

 from the action of high winds. Mulch the surface to prevent 



