June 29, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
516 
V ERY few readers of this Journal are in a position to know 
what an extraordinary amount of glass is devoted to the 
cultivation of plants, flowers, fruit, and vegetables for the markets. 
It is not merely round London where so many fresh ventures are 
being started, but rather in the provinces. At present many of 
the provincial towns are largely supplied with early vegetables. 
Cucumbers, Tomatoes, choice fruit generally, and cut flowers by 
Covent Garden salesmen ; but the latter will soon find that not 
a few of their best customers will be heard from less often than 
formerly, owing to their being able to procure much that they want 
locally. That the metropolis will always be better supplied with 
choice and, more especially, early garden produce goes without 
saying, for the reason that better prices are nearly always obtained 
for it in Co vent Garden than elsewhere. The more northern 
growers may have reason to think differently, Liverpool, Man¬ 
chester, Sheffield, and the Scotch towns—notably Edinburgh and 
Glasgow—all being good markets for the best of everything. 
As I pointed out in a previous communication the days for 
fanciful prices are over, and each market grower that starts in the 
neighbourhood of a country town or in easy distance of several, will 
do well to study the wants of these rather than look much farther 
beyond. He can at the same time keep in touch with a Covent 
Garden salesman, and if at any time he has anything good to 
dispose of that is really needed in London let him send it quickly, 
or before the high prices ruling suddenly drop to figures not any 
better or so good as might be obtained locally without the assist¬ 
ance of a middleman other than a fruiterer or grocer. These 
remarks apply to Tomatoes in particular, as well as early fine and 
highly coloured Peaches and Nectarines, early Melons during such 
a season as we are now passing through, Muscat Grapes, and the 
very best Apples and Pears. Cut flowers sometimes sell well in 
Covent Garden ; but it is not to that quarter that I advise their 
being Irrgely sent other than at special times. There is nothing 
disheartening about the fact of London being very well supplied 
with much that is required of a perishable nature, and I hold that 
it is greatly to the advantage of the provincial towns and even 
villages, for many of the latter are becoming good customers to 
market growers, that such should be the case. The requirements 
of those are now studied, and this is leading to such a consumption 
of fruit and choice vegetables, and demand for pot plants and 
cut flowers, that is most encouraging. This only needs to be 
properly fostered to be further increased to the advantage of all 
concerned. 
Cucumbers and Tomatoes are undoubtedly among if not the 
most profitable things to cultivate extensively, but ought not to be 
solely relied upon to make a venture remunerative. That they can 
be made to give good and early returns, the latter more than meeting 
current expenses, there is no disputing ; indeed, it is possible to 
very profitably devote a number of houses solely to their cultiva¬ 
tion, but all the same I think that this partakes somewhat of the 
character of putting all the eggs in one basket, and displays a want 
of resource that does not augur well for future success. The 
houses ought, therefore, to be so constructed as to admit of 
their being turned to account for the growth of either Grapes, 
Peaches, Nectarines, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, a variety of vegetables 
and pot plants. None of the houses need be large and expensive 
No. 679. —VoL. XXVI., Third Series. 
as far as width and height are concerned, the length being optional, 
or anything say from 50 feet to 200 feet in length. Span-roofed 
houses are the most popular, and for obvious reason. If it is intended 
to devote one or more to Grape culture then these may well he 
about 24 feet wide, 12 feet high at the ridge, and 5^ feet high at 
the sides or fronts, hinged lights for the latter 21 feet in depth, 
and the rest wall or boards being preferable to no glass at all at the 
sides, and only wooden shutters for ventilators. Such houses can 
have Tomatoes planted all over the floors during the first season, 
all being trained up to the roof with the aid of strings or stakes, 
the Vines being planted close to front. The following season 
the latter must be studied. Tomatoes occupying not more than two- 
thirds of the border, while during the third year two rows near or 
trained over the central path would most probably be as many of 
ought to be grown. In this manner Tomatoes can be made to nearly 
or quite pay for the cost of constructing and heating the vinery, 
there being no waiting for two or three seasons before anything 
can be made out of the speculation. In the autumn, the Tomatoes 
being cleared out and the Vines resting, the house can be filled 
with Chrysanthemums, these latter being either kept in pots (the 
best if most expensive plan) or prepared in the open ground and 
transplanted to the border. Early Potatoes and Radishes can also 
be had easily enough from these inside borders without greatly 
delaying the planting of Tomatoes and Vines. 
Prices obtained for early black Grapes are scarcely remunerative, 
but those who wish to keep the local trade as much as possible in 
their own hands ought certainly to force a few black Grapes, while 
if they can colour Muscats fairly well by May or June they will 
have no difficulty in selling these to the leading fruiterers and sales¬ 
men in London and other towns at good prices. Showy late black 
Grapes, such as Gros Maroc, Gros Colman, and Alicantes, pay very 
well after October at 2s. per pound, and fine Muscats will always 
sell better than any other class of Grapes. Even the latter must 
not be cut and sent to the markets recklessly, the better plan being 
to let the principal salesmen know they can have superior Mdscats 
whenever they are wanted, special orders always, as they should do, 
meaning the best prices. Private gardeners who send their sur¬ 
plus produce to market should adopt similar tactics with superior 
Grapes that will keep, while as regards soft or quickly perishable 
fruit generally, they must despatch these as soon as fit and take 
their chance with the rest. 
Cheap and serviceable houses, or such as could first be cropped 
with Potatoes, salading, and Kidney Beans, and then with 
Tomatoes, are those about 14 feet wide, 9 feet high in the centre, 
and 3 feet high at the sides, the latter being boarded. If these 
are constructed on the ridge and furrow system in blocks of three 
houses two sides will be saved, but it is doubtful economy having 
a clear current of air right through the whole block, as there may 
be times when it will be desirable to keep some of the houses 
hotter than the others. Nor is it wise to dispense with hot-water 
pipes. Heating is a serious item of expenditure, but it is false 
economy trying to do without it even for a single season. Tomatoes 
growing very slowly, failing to set good crops, and are most liable 
to disease in unheated houses. Such structures would hold at 
least five rows of Tomatoes, two rows being trained up the roof 
and the rest either obliquely to the centre or uprightly. With 
a flow and return pipe on each side of the house, or, if preferred, 
a flow and a return down each side of a central path, and 
sufficient boiler power, these houses would grow winter Tomatoes 
well. These latter, whether grown singly in 10-inch pots or planted 
out, should pay well. If strong plants are ready for their 
fruiting quarters by the first or second week in August fairly 
heavy crops might be set in time to ripen in November and 
December, and more fruit could be set in January or early in 
February, this ripening in time to realise 23. per lb. in Covent 
Garden. 
It is not large consignments of Tomatoes that are wanted 
No. 2335.—VoL. LXXXVIIl., Old Series. 
