VEGETABLES FOR MARKET. 



365 



market they are torn out of their tiers, thrown into a porter's basket 

 or barrow, drawn out to the buyer's van, thrown into it, and stacked 

 amongst a miscellaneous collection of barrels of Apples and Potatos, 

 cases of Bananas, bunches of Turnips and Carrots, &c, finally arriving 

 at the shop and being thrown out again. No wonder the article which 

 finally reaches the consumer bears but a distant likeness to the Cabbage 

 you saw growing in the field. 



Nothing seems yet to have been devised to lessen the large proportion 

 of expenditure upon labour necessary to get a crop of Radishes to market. 

 Binding them costs 2d. a dozen, washing and packing another penny. 

 The average price this season for weeks hardly reached 5d. a dozen. 

 The crop is in favour with market-gardeners near London because, on 

 rich land, it takes so little time to come on — often only six weeks between 

 sowing and clearing — that by good management several crops can be 

 grown in a summer. The genius who could invent a machine for washing 

 which would reduce the cost by a fraction of a penny would deserve 

 honour if he did not make money. 



Setting aside the distinguished practitioners who carry on their 

 operations under glass, and who may be styled the aristocracy of the 

 profession, the growers of market vegetables may be divided into two 

 classes : those who alternate vegetable crops with corn and agricultural 

 roots, and those who practise intensive cultivation and devote themselves 

 exclusively to market-garden crops. As a rule the latter will be found in 

 the zone near to the great centres of population, where land is dearer but 

 markets nearer ; and the former further out. 



The crops grown by these will generally be those which require less 

 cultivation, and can be handled easier in large quantities, such as Cabbage 

 of different varieties, Peas, Beans, Marrows, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, 

 Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, and sometimes a few Lettuce and Onions ; 

 while the others will be found devoting their attention more to Lettuce 

 and Cauliflowers that have been wintered under glass, Seakale and 

 Asparagus both for forcing and not, Parsley, Mint, Onions for keeping, 

 Spinach, Tomatos, and Marrows in frames. Natural Rhubarb, because of 

 its weight, will not often be found growing at great distance from market. 

 Celery requires peculiar facilities for irrigation, and its locality is regulated 

 by the presence of these. 



Asparagus, too, is a vegetable which flourishes most in certain favoured 

 localities where soil or climate, or both, are specially suitable, as at 

 Colchester, Wisbech, or Evesham, although a good deal is handled success- 

 fully in Surrey and Middlesex. 



The long forced Rhubarb that came upon the market some few years 

 ago and is now such a feature all the winter, and of which the legend was 

 told that it was grown in disused coalmines, is now being grown round 

 London in sheds specially constructed for it, and the London market for 

 the Leeds grower is consequently becoming restricted. 



The tendency of certain crops to become the speciality of particularly 

 suitable localities is well instanced by the Onions and Parsley of Bedford- 

 shire. Probably as much Parsley is grown in the neighbourhood of 

 Sandy and Biggleswade as in the rest of England put together. I have 

 met a grower near Sandy who claimed to have put 50 tons of Parsley on 



