842 
Report upon the Market-garden, and 
cabbages had immediately preceded the cucumbers, and onions 
had come before the cabbages. Close by the cucumbers were two 
acres of pretty good East-Ham cabbages, planted in the early 
autumn after onions, before which scarlet-runners had been 
grown. Late spring coleworts, of which only a few stragglers 
not ready for cutting remained, had occupied the adjoining two 
acres, whose antecedent crops were cucumbers and coleworts. 
A forward and good piece of mangel-wurzel was next seen, 
before which cabbage, broccoli and other seeds had been taken, 
for Mr. Gay, like many other market-gardeners, grows much of 
his own seed from carefully chosen plants. He was lucky to 
have near here over half an acre of uncommonly good lettuces, 
well-grown in every way, which had borne the trying season 
unusually well, grown after scarlet-runners and coleworts ; a 
first-rate seed-bed of cabbages and sprouting broccoli, after 
potatoes, one and a half acres in extent ; also a good Tripoli 
onion seed-bed. Patches of spinach, parsley, and other herbs, 
after mangel-wurzel, occupied the remaining portion of this 
market-garden. 
Some idea of the course of cropping will be gathered from 
the above description. It will also be seen that the land has no 
fallow, no rest, and that it is attempted to obtain two crops in 
the year from it. In one or two cases that end will not be 
accomplished this year on account of the weather, which had 
evidently affected the crops upon this land more than those upon 
the land near Barking, either by reason of the somewhat different 
nature of the soil, or to the country round about being more 
wooded. Some of the crops were rather patchy and wanting in 
vigour, which partly may be due to the fact that Corbetstye is 
at least sixteen miles from London — the great source of manure 
supply. This is a great disadvantage, as the waggons that have 
taken up produce are very rarely laden with manure on the 
return journey, on account of the distance, and the manure has 
to be hauled, by traction-engines or horses, from Rainham, to 
which place it is brought by rail or river, and costs 8s. 6fZ. per 
ton. All the buildings appeared commodious, and in ,good 
tenantable repair ; and the gates, fences, and hedges serviceable 
and trim. Four horses are kept, of a useful stamp. The supply 
of labour is not so good, nor of such skilled quality as at 
Barking. Mr. Gay sells his own produce himself in the 
Borough Market, which saves him the high commission charged 
by salesmen. Taking one year with another, the cost of ma- 
nual labour, inclusive of preparing and Avashing the vegetables 
for market, is about 490Z. per annum, or close to IIZ. per acre, 
which, together with 11/. per acre for manure, according to Mr. 
