VEGETABLE CULTIVATION DURING QUEEN VICTORIA'S REIGN. 863 



country for providing such excellent healthy trees at such reason- 

 able prices. In old days people raised their own trees in various 

 ways from seed and by grafting, and they filled the country with 

 a lot of worthless stuff, which was a disgrace to the nation. All 

 that had, however, been altered by the nurserymen of England. 



Feiday, October 1. 



The Chair was taken at 3 p.m. by Philip Crowley, Esq., 

 F.L.S., Treasurer of the Society, who called upon Mr. Arthur 

 Sutton, V.M.H., who read the following paper : — 



PKOGRESS IN VEGETABLE CULTIVATION DURING 

 QUEEN VICTORIA'S REIGN. 



By Mr. Arthur W. Sutton, V.M.H. 



Probably no more fitting subject could be chosen for one of 

 the papers to be read at a Conference of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society in the sixtieth year of Her Majesty's reign. And yet, 

 though the subject is so appropriate, I cannot but think that a 

 happier choice might have been made when selecting a speaker. 

 It is manifestly impossible for anyone of my age to tell you from 

 personal knowledge what the condition of the Vegetable garden 

 was in 1837, and consequently it is impossible for me to say 

 from my own observation what progress has been made. 



My father (now in his eighty-third year) was in the first 

 instance invited to contribute a paper on this subject, but, like 

 many others whose memory carries them back over the past 

 sixty years, his physical powers are not equal to his mental 

 activity, and he was compelled to decline. And although 

 yielding to the request that I would prepare a paper instead, I 

 feel I owe an apology for attempting what others could do so 

 much better. It was only possible for me to glean the necessary 

 information from those who were actively engaged in horti- 

 cultural pursuits at the time when our Gracious Sovereign came 

 to the throne ; and though I have met with the greatest willing- 

 ness to impart knowledge, it is a somewhat remarkable fact that 

 my correspondents have a far clearer recollection of fruits, 

 methods of culture, and even the scale of garden wages than 

 they have of the vegetables grown in 1837. I can only conclude 

 that, as was no doubt the case, there was nothing very note- 



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