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VEGETABLES. 
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We are sure that all our customers, whom we have endeavoured to serve so faithfully, 
will be pleased to hear that we supply everything for the garden with that certainty of both 
prices and quality being correct which has brought our business to its present, and, perhaps, 
unprecedented extent. 
In Seeds and Nursery Stock we have attained great magnitude, and hope to become 
the largest and the most complete horticultural supply establishment in Europe. 
The situation for seed-growing and sowing is beyond all doubt the best in England, and 
our Seeds saved confirm this fact. 
Like in flower-growing, we invite all to come and see our crops or roots, and our method, 
and also try our Vegetables and test our Seeds. 
The uncertainty, when seeds are bought and sold half a dozen times (as they nearly all 
are) before the grower gets them, need no longer exist ; we offer them direct from the fields, 
and with the utmost certainty of strains and quality. 
The people say that meat — doctors say, vegetables, good vegetables — is the food for man. 
Statistics show that clergymen and gardeners attain the greatest age and enjoy the best 
health — undoubtedly the longevity in these two classes is greatly due to gardening and its 
productions; and the effects of these are doing wonders for the proper enjoyment of mankind. 
Good vegetables, fruit, pure water and air are of the most vital importance ; and, in fact, with 
these alone, it would be difficult to destroy life. Allotment kitchen gardening is the very 
sustenance of life and happiness. We have shown as briefly as possible how good vegetables 
can be had by all at any season (those with means, in particular). Half the people very 
rarely get good vegetables. (See Catalogue.) First, many go in for cheapness— often this 
cheapness means staleness and toughness— many are not properly washed and boiled, 
often not eaten, and are thrown, in many cases, outside the back door to ferment and 
create fever and other ills— this cheapness is the worst possible false economy. Our 
object is to point out clearly which are the most serviceable varieties to grow, and have 
them good, so that with proper cooking they may be eaten and enjoyed, and afford nourish- 
ment to the system. It is not the big advertisements, gaudy catalogues, or exaggerated 
engravings that will make people value vegetables, it is how they prepare the ground, sowing 
the seeds, and, above all, to be sure the seeds are fresh and from a totally different soil, and 
more particularly from the real growers of the seed ; situation of garden should be clear, 
open, free, and, if possible, sheltered from cutting winds; the soil must be loosened, 
pulverised, and exposed to frost and (if very foul or weedy) dry weather, and well enriched 
with well-made fresh manure — this done, then comes the practical parts (see cultural remarks 
throughout the Catalogue) ; this carried out. nature will do most of the remainder, but 
man must do a little regularly, and this in the right way and at the right time. It is an easy 
matter to get the seeds up, chickens will do this ; what is wanted is to get them up strong 
and to grow away quickly and with vigour. Never wait for rain. If it fails to come, 
administer water as near like rain as possible before it is actually wanted. Always avoid the 
great enemies to successful kitchen gardening — that is, the devouring roots of trees and their 
great shady tops, together with lightly or shallow dug ground with little or no manure. 
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