Market Gardening in the Vale of Evesham. 
98 
are obtained for transplanting in breadths under the shelter 
of plum trees from which, at that time, the fruit has been 
gathered. The soil must be fertile and clean ; the lettuce 
plants are placed 6 in. or 8 in. apart, and beyond a little 
watchfulness for slugs, sparrows, and larks, little more attention 
is given to the crop. 
Radishes — especially the earliest crops— are not so easily 
obtained as the general public would think. Tender and juicy 
radishes can only be obtained from rich soil — soil rich in plant 
food and humus. The earliest crops are sowed in December 
on borders sloping to the south, and these are sheltered from 
the north either naturally or artificially — often both. The 
seedlings are very tender in January and February, and easily 
destroyed ; hence it is not uncommon to have to sow twice, 
and even thrice, to obtain a crop of early radishes. After the 
seed is sowed and lightly raked in, the whole border is covered 
with clean, new straw. When the seed has germinated and 
the seedlings appear, this protective covering of straw has to 
be carefully reilioved on favourable days by a very long- 
handled rake, and be again returned over the seedling radishes 
in the evening ; since, if they are not exposed to light they 
will perish, and if they be exposed to frost they will likewise 
perish. So the lot of the radish grower can hardly be 
described as “ a happy one.” Birds are troublesome to the 
later crops grown on the open plots, and these are scared by 
boys armed with various, and more or less harmless, weapons. 
Tomatoes also must be considered as a special crop in and 
around the Vale of Evesham, and it has come into favour 
within the last twenty years. They go to supply the English 
and Scottish markets with cheap fruit during the months of 
September and October ; and if the grower can obtain five or 
six farthings per pound clear he is amply repaid by a good 
crop. All are grown in the open, “ glass ” being conspicuous 
by its absence from such an important horticultural centre. 
The few gardeners who have one or two warm greenhouses 
supply their neighbours with young tomato plants at a cheap 
rate per thousand during the latter half of May. These 
are planted in rows about 4 ft. apart, and 30 in. or 
3 ft. apart in the rows, and tied and trained to a stout 
stick about 3 ft. high. As previously stated, one man has 
grown 30 acres of tomatoes in 1908, but usually the area 
devoted to them by individual growers varies from half an 
acre to 4 acres. 
French Gardening. 
So much attention has been given to this subject in 1908 
that it may be well to refer to it here. 
