FRENCH GARDENING. 



7 



It is astonishing that there are 2,160,000 cloches used in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of Paris, and that there are also 1,000,000 lights devoted to 

 the same purpose. The vegetable produce from these lights fetches the 

 enormous sum of £500,000. 



The straw mats which are used for this kind of gardening, or any 

 other if necessary, do not absorb the wet like an ordinary Archangel 

 mat, but allow the water to run off, and they quickly dry and are easily 

 rolled up. 



Cos lettuce, which is, if anything, more easily grown than the cabbage 

 variety, is a splendid crop for paying when got into the market before 

 our English outdoor ones are ready. They have to be raised at the same 

 time as the cabbage lettuce, and pricked out in cloches, 25 to the cloche, 

 but instead of being put under lights as the cabbage lettuce is, they 

 must be planted out in small beds under cloches. Under each cloche 

 one cos and three cabbage lettuce are planted, and over the whole of the 

 ground carrots, such as have been sown in the frames, are sown. 



On the outside of the cloches small-sized plants of another variety of 

 cos lettuce, grown especially for the purpose, are planted to be coming 

 on, and as soon as those under the cloches are cut, those outside are ready 

 to have the cloches moved on to them to get a second crop. 



Of course it would be absurd for everyone to start a French garden, 

 either small or large, but it will be a long time before enough gardens are 

 in working order to supply our wants. I most strongly urge those who 

 wish to go in for French gardening to have a French expert. It is the 

 cheapest in the end, as he can make his wages with extra crops at times 

 when an English gardener would not dream of trying to get them. 



I am no advocate of market gardeners rushing to invest large sums 

 of money before they have gained the requisite knowledge, but they can 

 start in a small way, and whatever money they expend will not be lost, 

 as both the cloches and the frames are admirably adapted for other 

 methods of cultivation, and I had this class of men in view when I 

 mentioned an outlay of £200 as being all that was required for starting a 

 French garden. 



It is a pity that those interested in this or any other particular kind 

 of gardening do not go and see the methods of our French, Dutch and 

 German friends for themselves. None is so perfect that he cannot learn 

 something, and if we go with unprejudiced minds we shall pick up ideas 

 which may lead to the improvement of their own system. 



Now the Dutch are if anything slower than we are in taking up new 

 ideas, but they have started growing early vegetables and salads round 

 the Hague, and they do it extremely well. 



In our own country we have an enormous population, and a 

 population who can afford to go to Paris for these delicious early 

 vegetables. It is only necessary to educate people up to the fact that 

 they can obtain them in England, and, moreover, that they can have 

 them fresh either at lunch or dinner cut the same morning, instead of 

 being sweated in boxes coming from France, taking three or four 

 days over the journey, then possibly lying in a shop window for two 

 more days until sold. 



In advocating the growing of early vegetables in England please do 



