June 5, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
448 
the county is warmed during winter by a marine current that reaches 
it from the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf Stream, and at that time the sea 
is 4° or 5° warmer than the land. The seasons may be said to be some 
weeks more advanced there than in the north of Italy, but generally 
agreeing with Naples. This advantage lasts until the end of March. 
■From the early part of May onwards Cornwall loses all its premature 
•gains, if compared with those counties which are as cold or colder in 
winter but considerably hotter than this county in summer ; and it is a 
well-known fact that trees are often in leaf in the vicinity of London 
•quite two weeks in advance of those in Cornwall, and other vegetation 
shows a similar precocity. Another distinguishing feature is that we have 
no summer which brings with it a solar heat equal to that of the midland 
counties, and to this very circumstance must be assigned the fact that, 
whereas in the northern counties of England Grapes frequently ripen in 
the open air, they are here rarely found to form any fruit whatsoever. 
In short, from it3 geographical position and physical configuration the 
westernmost part of Cornwall possesses climatally the advantages and 
•drawbacks of a small island. 
Practically speaking, West Cornwall is one vast market garden, the 
two important crops being Potatoes and Broccoli. Early Potatoes were 
first sent out from the Penzance district about the year 1820. On inves¬ 
tigating the subject I find that the first, or nearly the first, lot which 
reached London was in 1828, being conveyed thither via Falmouth by 
the Dublin steamers. Even then the quantity exported was exceedingly 
small. According to Mr. Courtney’s “ Half a Century of Penzance,” “ a 
new business was added about 1838, and it began in this way. Mr. 
DrupeD, the steward of the ‘ Herald,’ and afterwards of the ‘ Cornwall ’ 
steamer, which went from Hayle to Bristol, took up to the latter port 
•some early Broccoli, and they sold so well that he continued his ad¬ 
venture season after season. Of course this did not escape observation, 
and others tried the experiment, so far succeeding that they carried their 
trade to London and far into the midland districts of England. The 
trade in Broccoli and Potatoes gradually increased as facilities for sending 
them away became more fully developed, and now [1878] above 2000 
tons of Broccoli are disposed of yearly.” New Potatoes were first sent 
direct to London about 1838, of course in very small quantity only. 
Where the rateable value of even the largest growers’ produce at that 
time would only be a few pounds, the crops of some of the present-day 
growers are worth at least several thousands of pounds. 
The ground utilised for Potato and Broccoli growing is rarely without 
■either one crop or the other for more than a week or two during the 
whole year, and that short interval is usually immediately after the last 
•cutting of Broccoli is made. In order to manure and otherwise prepare 
for the planting of the Potato crop, the preparation mainly consists in 
Temoving the Broccoli stumps, which are usually carted to aheap to form 
a rich vegetable fertiliser, and in levelling the surface, after which a 
liberal dressing of stable dung is applied. The time of planting Potatoes 
is of course governed greatly by several circumstances, but principally by 
That of the weather. In one or two instances I have known them to be 
planted in a warm sunny situation in November and to produce fair-sized 
tubers in February or March, but such cases are indeed few and far 
between. As a general rule planting commences in February, and is in 
full swing by the middle of March. Alleys of a spade’s width and 
'2 or 3 inches in depth are formed, the sections of the tubers placed at 
-distances of about 1 foot apart and then covered with soil, the excavation 
necessary to the latter process forming the next alley. The whole is 
performed with astonishing rapidity. It may be here remarked that 
rarely is a tuber placed in the soil whole unless very small. It is gene¬ 
rally separated into as many divisions as there are “ eyes,” varying from 
•two to four, or even five. They thus go such a considerable distance in 
excess of those planted whole, and if the results of both methods are 
compared, the former plan will be found by far the most economical and 
the better of the two. Under favourable circumstances drawing or 
digging commences in the latter part of May and continues in full force 
until midsummer. The Potatoes are separated into sizes, the third, or 
very small-sized one=, being usually given to pigs. The large ones and 
the middle-sized tubers are packed and sent to market in baskets, locally 
known as “ half-bushel mawns,” each containing about twelve gallons 
and weighing rather over a hundredweight. A Cornish bushel consists 
of twenty-four gallons, or three times the quantity of an imperial measure. 
The line of carts, waggons, &c., awaiting at the siding near Penzance to 
be unloaded during the height of the season often reaches nearly a mile 
in length. So soon as the Potatoes are dispatched and the haulm cleared 
•off the ground the planting of Broccoli becomes a matter of paramount 
and immediate importance. The operation is, when possible, done during 
•cloudy, damp, and even very wet weather. When the ground is very dry, 
and rain a remote contingency, the roots of the young plants are bodily 
immersed in a pan of water immediately before being placed in the soil. 
Broccoli are obtainable nearly the whole of the year round. 
The culture of other vegetables has of late years occupied the atten¬ 
tion of market growers to a very considerable extent, Radish and Aspa¬ 
ragus more especially. Of these two the last-named is the more profit¬ 
able. although a few years since handsome returns were frequently made 
for Radishes. At Scilly the crop is still, I understand, a fairly lucrative 
one. Good crops of both vegetables in the sandy soil of many parts of 
Cornwall can scarcely be surprising. One winter, a few years ago, 
Parsley fetched the most unusual sum of 2s. G d. and more per pound, and 
those who had plenty naturally made a good deal of money out of it. 
The following spring more seed was sold and sown than was ever known 
before ; but the produce brought little or no money, and the experiment 
■was therefore an entire failure. Crops of vegetables sometimes realise 
large and altogether unexpected returns, but the supply almost invariably 
exceeds the demand of the succeeding season. Onions and early produce 
of Dwarf French Beans are at times very saleable, as are also a few of 
the more popular herbs. Cucumbers, when forced early, have realised 
very large sums of money, two or three market gardeners in the district 
of Penzance having each several specially constructed houses for their 
sole culture. 
The importance attached to fruit-culture with a commercial aim has, 
until the last few years, been of a very secondary consideration. Orchards 
were, and are still to a lamentable degree, almost entirely neglected, 
little or no training or pruning being done. There are scores of acres 
of orchard ground which undoubtedly prove a source of income to their 
owners if but a small amount of culture were expended on them. A 
number of the trees are covered with moss and lichen, and many more 
never, under the most favourable circumstances, produce fruit—in short, 
as a whole the Cornish orchards need a thorough and complete renova¬ 
tion. Several exceptions to this general rule could, however, be named. 
In the more highly cultivated orchards Raspberries are almost invariably 
grown, and in a most satisfactory manner both culturally and commer¬ 
cially. One grower—Mr. W. Thomas, Gulval—alone sends to various 
markets several hundredweights daily throughout the season. They are 
packed in a heap in large tubs. This fruit, as well as Gooseberries 
and Currants, are pretty certain to yield a fairly good crop. It is quite 
different with the Apple, which, although it generally flowers freely and 
well enough, the early spring winds do a great amount of damage, and 
short crops are the rule rather than the exception. Much of this mis¬ 
chief, I contend, would he obviated if a certain few precautions were 
taken. Strawberries have for a number of years been grown more or 
less extensively, and are generally a paying crop, particularly the very 
early and the extra'late kinds. Those known as “wall fruits,” such as 
Peaches and Nectarines, are, scarcely ever produce anything. As I have 
previously stated, Grapes cannot be brought to bear in the open air in 
Cornwall, although I have tasted fruit grown against cottages in North 
Norfolk. It is scarcely necessary for me to detail the various cultural 
methods employed for each individual crop.— William Roberts. 
VINES BLEEDING. 
“Justitia” must read my notes again, and then his own. His 
belief, doubts, statements and incredulity, and threat of a visit puzzle 
me. If my short notes on the above to “Journeyman ” puzzle him, surely 
no visit would enlighten him. The Vines were fruited last year, and 
formed a perfect chain from the top to the bottom. Scores of people 
saw them. Those that bled this spring and cast the fruit surely cannot 
be expected to overlap each o her this season. 
I still maintain that water is the chief cause of bleeding, whether the 
roots are deep or not. Debility in the Vines no doubt assists, but is not 
the cause. Let “Justitia” water a Vine when bleeding, and see the 
result. 
Light has no doubt very much to do with the success of the Vine on 
a back wall. One of mine had eleven bunches on one side next the 
south-east end. The front Vines are 5 feet apart, pruned on the short- 
spur principle. Those on the back wall were planted between them, 
and young Vines are now planted between the front ones. 
I give three years’ average of bunches from four Vines on the front. 
One Black Hamburgh, 35, 51, and 36 ; two improved ditto, 43, 42, 
and 28 ; three Mrs. Pince, 36, 22, and 26 ; four Muscat Hamburgh, 
28, 39, and 22. 
“ Justitia ” no doubt was staggered by the number and weight of the 
bunches. I computed the weight ; as we do not use either scale or 
measure here no doubt I might err a little. I have been lifting the 
outside roots, taking out two old rods, and carrying up new canes, and 
this may account for the variation, but I always manage to secure a very 
good crop.—-J. E. Waiting, Grangc-over-Sands. 
Royal Horticultural Society. — Messrs. Kelway & Son, 
Langport, propose making a large display of Double and Single 
Pyrethrums and PiEONlES at the meeting at South Kensington on 
June 10th, remaining on view for a fortnight. 
_ Temperatures. —Could any of the readers of your valuable 
paper kindly give me the mild night temperatures of the following houses 
should be kept at during each month of the year ? Specimen stove, 
East Indian house (Orchid), Dendrobium house, Cattleya house, Odontc- 
glossum house, propagating house, and Eucharis house. G. G. 
_ In our report of the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society on page 430 Mr. Knox was credited with exhibiting 
Pansies. The flowers in question were exhibited by Mrs. Owen Knox, 
