Marcli 1895.] 



MARKET-GABDENING. 



287 



VI.— MAEKET-GARDENING. 



The area of market-gardens in Great Britain has been largely 

 extended during the last 20 years. In 1875 there were 

 38,957 acres of market-gardens in Great Britain ; in 1885 there 

 were 59,473 acres, and the returDS for 1894 show in that year 

 88,210 acres under this heading. This, of course, applies only 

 to market-gardens proper, and is exclusive of the large acreage 

 cropped with vegetables on farms, which fluctuates with seasons 

 and prices. 



The industry of market-gardening has suffered from adverse 

 climatic influences during the last two years. In 1893, the 

 excessive drought materially- affected the growth and develop- 

 ment of succulent vegetables ; while the abnormal spring- 

 frosts and deluges of rain in 1894 were prejudicial to the 

 production of the more delicate market-garden crops, such as 

 peas, French beans, onions, lettuces, and other " salads," though 

 in this last year cabbages, greens, sprouts, and all vegetables of 

 the Brassica tribe were m.ost abundant, and, in many cases, were 

 produced at a loss. It may be said of the past season that it 

 was the worst that market-gardeners have experienced for 

 many years. 



In recent years, farmers in many parts of the country have 

 been keen competitors with market-gardeners in growing the 

 more easily raised vegetables, especially greens and cabbages of 

 all kinds. In respect of these, farmers have the advantage of 

 being able to utilise such vegetables for feeding to stock if the 

 markets are at any time glutted. Before this competition had 

 set in, it frequently happened that market-gardeners made large 

 profits in the spring from coleworts," which are very young 

 cabbages, and from cabbages with forme<i hearts somewhat later 

 on. But in these days, the farmers are alive to the importance 

 of this trade. Cauliflowers and other green-stuff " come also 

 from abroad before coleworts and cabbages are ready in our 

 ijiarket-gardens. 



Farmers, especially those near railway s in direct communication 

 with good markets, also grow, to a considerable extent, peas for 

 podding, broad beans, turnips and turnip-greens, and early 

 potatoes. They have not yet cultivated, at least in any important 

 degree, those vegetables which require a great deal of labour, 

 such as onions, carrots, parsnips, cucumbers, French beans, 

 radishes, &c. : with respect to these, however, the market- 

 gardeners are more or less severely interfered with by foreign 

 supplies, which grow larger year by year. 



Foreign competition has also made itself felt in respect of 

 early vegetables and salads, which are imported some weeks 

 before those grown in England are ready for market. Early 



