JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
March 16, 1882.] 
209 
16th 
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Royal Society at 4.30 P.M. 
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4th Sunday in Lent. 
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Society of Arts at 8 P.M. 
MUSTARD AND CRESS FOR MARKET. 
most English gardens attention is given to 
providing a supply of Mustard and Cress for 
salads ; and being easily and quickly grown, 
and further possessing very wholesome qualities, 
they are within the reach of all, even of those 
with most limited means or accommodation 
for plant or vegetable growing. Still, very few 
residents at a distance from London have any 
idea of the extremely large quantities of this small 
salading grown to supply the demands of the metro¬ 
politan markets. It is only by visiting the gardens where its 
culture is made a speciality, or by an early morning journey 
to Covent Garden Market, that anyone unacquainted with the 
facts would be able to form the slightest conception of the 
extent of the trade in such apparently insignificant productions. 
One reason for this is that Mustard and Cress require to be 
quickly grown, quickly sold, and quickly conveyed to the con¬ 
sumer, as it soon becomes tough and tasteless after cutting ; 
and the consequence is that outside the markets large quan¬ 
tities are seldom seen, as the retailers purchase only what is 
ordered, or as much as they consider will meet the demand 
for the day. The supply is thus very generally distributed ; 
and though few shops have more than a dozen punnets, there 
is scarcely one in a respectable neighbourhood that does 
not require some daily. But for this fact it would seem 
almost incredible that so large a quantity as some growers 
raise could be consumed while fresh. 
The chief season for Mustard and Cress is during the spring 
months, at which time a thousand dozen punnets are brought 
to Covent Garden Market daily by the chief growers, and one 
alone sends from a thousand to fifteen hundred dozen punnets 
per week. The supply is maintained in a varying degree 
throughout the year, reaching its lowest in November, Decem¬ 
ber, and January, especially in severe or very wet seasons. It 
is, however, a constant crop, and one grower informs me that 
his supply would average five hundred dozen punnets per week 
throughout the year ; and judging by the space he devotes to 
its culture the quantity does not seem to be exaggerated, 
though the results are somewhat astonishing when we consider 
the money value that is realised. 
The price per dozen punnets varies from Is. to 2s. ; but as 
less than the first-named price has sometimes to be taken the 
average might be fairly considered to be Is. the dozen. Thus 
five hundred dozen per week would give a total annual amount 
of £1300 ; and taking the profits at the very low estimate of 
10 per cent, we have a yearly income of £130 for Mustard 
and Cress alone. From what I have seen and can judge of 
the labour and expense incurred in the production I should, 
however, think the profits would be nearer 20 than 10 per 
cent. The result appears almost incredible, and considering 
that even those market gardeners who grow the largest quan¬ 
tity of small salad also have several other crops, especial 
attention being paid to Mushrooms, this form of market gar¬ 
dening seems to be a rather satisfactory one. It must be 
remembered that these particulars only refer to those who 
grow the largest quantities, and less than half a dozen almost 
entirely supply the demands of Covent Garden. In small 
quantities it would probably not pay for carriage, and most of 
those mentioned as making a speciality of small salading have 
waggons which convey that and other produce to London and 
return laden with manure. The grower must also be con¬ 
veniently situated as regards distance from the chief markets, 
or the expense would be considerably increased and the quality 
of the salad greatly deteriorated if it remained closely packed 
for too long a time. 
It may be of interest to some readers to know the methods 
of growing this salad adopted by market gardeners around 
London ; and as I have recently had an opportunity of visiting 
several of these establishments a few observations upon the 
subject will give an idea to those who are desirous of com¬ 
mencing the culture on a large scale. It may be premised 
that though some of the best gardening in the kingdom is to 
be seen in market growers’ establishments, yet there is gene¬ 
rally so much trade rivalry and jealousy that a reluctance to 
communicate any details of culture very generally prevails. 
Some who have been successful imagine they possess a secret 
essential to the satisfactory production of any particular crop ; 
yet after all they only act upon general principles, and in half 
a dozen different establishments as many different systems may 
be seen in operation, with results that vary but very slightly, 
and are in a pecuniary point of view equally satisfactory. So 
it is with the crop now under consideration. One man who 
has been very successful in the culture of Mustard and Cress, 
and Avho sends a very large quantity to market, considers that 
his progress is due to certain cultural details which he would 
not communicate on any consideration, and he is under the 
impression that other growers are continually endeavouring to 
ascertain these, even going so far as to offer some of his men 
very high wages to obtain their services ; yet this does not 
appear necessary, for all growers I have seen have equally good 
crops. 
One highly important matter is to obtain good seed, as 
unless this is done the crops will come irregularly, and it will 
be difficult to obtain a constant reliable supply. It may be 
here mentioned that very little of the true Mustard (Sinapis 
alba) is grown, the substitute employed being Rape (Brassica 
Rapa), which is preferred chiefly because it has a milder 
flavour and the young stems blanch very readily, being also 
free from the small hairs which the stems of Mustard bear. 
Cress (Lepidium sativum) is grown in less quantities than the 
Rape, as it is less in demand, and, further, it is rather more 
trouble to raise than the other, as most gardeners know. The 
wholesale prices per bushel average about 12s. for Rape and 
Mustard, and 16s. for Cress, though samples of superior quality 
realise higher prices. Another point that especially needs 
attention is sowing the seed very thickly (in the case of the 
Rape the seeds are placed as closely as possible), as that not 
No. 80.—YoL. IY., Third Sbrihs. 
No. 1746.—Yon. LXVII., Old Series. 
