VEGETABLE CULTIVATION DURING QUEEN VICTORIA'S REIGN. 381 



tinct variety of English origin is White Gem, a small early- 

 Celery of great value. 



Attempts have been made to popularise the Continental self- 

 blanching varieties, but although they may be useful for soups 

 they are practically of no value where tender, fine-flavoured 

 Celery is prized ; for, except in appearance, they differ but little 

 from unblanched English Celeries. 



Carrot. 



In Carrots the progress made has been very marked indeed 

 during the period under review. Although there were several 

 varieties grown in the early years of the Queen's reign, they 

 were either very long, such as Altringham and Surrey, or of the 

 horn section. Improvements on some of these quickly appeared, 

 James's Scarlet Intermediate at once meeting with approval, and 

 for market purposes it will doubtless long continue to be grown. 

 Our French neighbours are adepts at the improvement of the 

 Carrot, and the English trade is indebted to them in this respect 

 to a larger extent perhaps than in any other vegetable. The 

 French Forcing Horn and Nantes have met with warm approval, 

 the finest types of the latter being particularly free from the 

 objectionable yellow core existing in most varieties. It is only 

 necessary to refer to the magnificent specimens of New Inter- 

 mediate and Early Gem, and similar varieties which are so 

 frequently seen on the Exhibition table, for evidence of the great 

 improvement which has been made in this popular vegetable. 



The Cucumber 



was represented by numerous varieties at the time of the 

 accession of the Queen, chief among them being Early Frame 

 and White and Black Spine, besides the so-called Long Prickly 

 and Short Prickly Ridge Cucumbers. Snow, Cuthill, Mills, and 

 Constantine were among the earliest improvers of this popular 

 vegetable, and by 1842 many varieties were available. 



Kelway's Victory and Phenomenon, Sion House and Victory 

 of Bath, appeared during the fifties, and a few years later 

 Berkshire Champion and Manchester Prize. It was then that 

 Thomas Lockie took the Cucumber in hand, and Blue Gown 

 (and its sport Tender and True), Eoyal Windsor, and the 

 deservedly popular Lockie's Perfection were the leading varieties 

 raised by him. Meanwhile others, including Telegraph and 



