448 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
September 5. 
all of which are sold and cleared away in, perhaps, three or 
four hours. I see I have run from the buyer part of the 
question—to conclude which, let me state, that the servants 
of many respectable persons living adjacent, many of such 
persons themselves, and large numbers of the labouring 
classes living near, are our customers. Orders, too, are 
often received from Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, 
Glasgow, and Edinburgh for our goods. In the course of an 
average season, perhaps 50,000 sacks and 5,000 sieves of 
peas may he sent and brought and sold here.* The quantity 
of potatoes that our growers themselves may sell in the 
I course of the year may be 1,500 tons. Probably from 5,000 
to 0,000 loads, (carts and waggons) of vegetables, principally 1 
cabbages, turnips, greens, and carrots, may be sold in this | 
market in a year. A waggon load of good-sized cabbages is ! 
130 dozen; of small cabbages 200. Good cabbages have 
been sold this season at 2d. per dozen. Little better, last 
season, fetched 15d. and 18d. per dozen. The average 
price is about 9d.; Cd. or 7d. is supposed to pay the grower 
£20 an acre." 
Of the commission salesmen, or potato merchants, in this 
market, there are 25; of another class, who buy of the 
salesmen to supply the retailers, there are 15; and of 
retailers, 27. There are 100 stands for growers, the rents 
of these stands averaging £1 14s. a year. After the whole¬ 
sale business of the growers is over, these stands are hired 
by retailers, at from 3d. to Is. a day. There are 143 houses, 1 
inns, shops, Ac., upon the outer and inner boundaries, and 
in the four short streets leading into the market. The 
houses average £35 a year—the inns more and the shops 
less. 
The following is the business transacted in Spitalfields in 
a year, all home-grown :— 
“ Potatoes—55,000 tons. 
“ Peas—50,000 sacks. 
“ Beans—5,000 sacks. 
“ Cabbages—5,000 loads, 200 dozen to a load, or 12,000,000 
cabbages. 
“ Turnips—2,000 loads, 200 dozen to a load, or 4,800,000 
turnips. 
“ Carrots—1,000 loads, 200 dozen to a load, or 2,400,000 
carrots. 
“ Brocoli—1,200 loads, 200 dozen to a load, or 2.880,000 
heads. 
“ Cherries—15,000 bushels. 
“ Apples—250,000 bushels. 
“ Pears—83,000 bushels. 
“ Plums—45,000 bushels. 
“ Gooseberries—1)1,500 bushels. 
“ Currants—45,000 bushels. 
“ Strawberries—12,000 bushels. 
“ Raspberries—2,500 bushels.” 
It is a curious fact connected with this market, that what¬ 
ever produce is sent to it from Enfield in Middlesex is 
subject to neither turnpike nor market tolls; an exemption 
granted to Enfield because, during the Tlague in 1005, 
vegetables and fruit were sent almost exclusively from 
thence—of course at the risk of the lives of all who ventured 
into the pest-stricken city. 
Spitalfields is the great potato market, but the great 
stores of potatoes are on the river side, in Tooley-street; 
and again, but not exactly, bordering the river, in llother- 
hitlie (for shipping). These stores are brought by sea 
from Yorkshire (the best quality), Scotland, Lincolnshire, 
Guernsey and Jersey. From these places 1,200,000 sacks 
are supplied in an average season. The “ water-side ” pota¬ 
toes are all weighed on delivery, 1681b. constituting a sack. 
“ Dr. Colquhoun,” says Mr. M'Culloch, “ estimated the entire 
value of potatoes annually consumed in Great Britain and 
i Ireland, at the end of the late war, at sixteen millions sterling. 
But it is needless to say that there are no materials by which 
to form an estimate of this sort with any pretensions to 
accuracy. The one in question has been suspected, like 
most of those put forth by the same learned person, of 
exaggeration ; and we incline to think that had he estimated 
the value of the yearly produce of potatoes in the empire at 
twelve millions he would have been nearer the mark. But 
on a point of this sort it is not possible to speak with 
anything like confidence.” 
(To be continued.) 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London." 
Skeleton Leaves (S. HI). —Our correspondent will be obliged by I 
some one sending an approved rec : pe for preparing these. 
Liquid Manure ( A Constant Reader).— You may apply it very diluted 
to the roots of all fruit-trees that are ripening their fruit, if they are not 
already too gross. You will find it of great service, also, applied to your 
Asparagus, Celery, Rhubarb, and Spinach. We should not deodorize it 
I w >th chloride of lime, but by mixing it with a little charcoal. In fact, 
the drainage from a stable requires no deodorizing. The soil purifies it 
1 very rapidly. 
EGG-iiATCniNG Apparatus (J. Wignall).—We cannot describe one; 
they are private inventions. Read Mr. Cantello’s pamphlet. Rabbits j 
j will destroy Strawberries. 
Geranium Seedling {Argentum). —It is impossible to give an opi¬ 
nion of its value without knowing its habit. The leaf is remarkably 1 
regularly and very broadly edged with a pale straw-colour,>nd the petals 
are a very bright scarlet; but the length of stalk, so as to know whether 
the trusses are good, and stand up well above the leaves, must be known 
before we could say what are its merits. 
Boiled Roots (J. IF.).—Potatoes, Swedes, and Mangold, are all more 
rapid in fattening pigs when boiled than when given to them raw. 
Balsams (J. S. K .).—It matters little whether they are seifs, or varie¬ 
gated, provided the colours in the latter case are bright, clear, and dis¬ 
tinct. It is impossible to give any average height for them; compact¬ 
ness of growth, with moderate stature, is most considered. Of course, 
the flowers must be very double. 
Herbs (R. Buchanan). —We know of no modern book with coloured 
plates of native medicinal herbs. 
Mushroom Rings (An Old Subscriber).—We know of no mode of i 
getting rid of these from your lawn, except by cutting out the turf, and j 
replacing it with fresh. You may kill the fungi by a plentiful application | 
of salt, but the grass will come again of a much deeper colour. 
Pansies (An Amateur). —If “the flowers are too heavy for their j 
stalks,” we know of no remedy but giving them some kind of support, j 
Manures to strengthen the plant would enlarge the flowers also. 
Fuchsias, &c. (J. B.). —If we understand you, the Fuchsias and . 
Geraniums will do with the Strawberries in the spring, provided you do 
not increase the heat more than is good for the Fuchsias and Geraniums. 
The latter ought, certainly, to be fresh potted in the autumn. 
Measure Work (T. L.). —“ For an essay on this subject the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England awarded a prize. I wish some of your 
readers w'ould give us some information on this head in horticulture, 
such as the contract prices paid by the market gardeners, including the 
proportion of hands to every 1000 feet of glass; early vineries; Pine 
stoves; ordinary vineries, Ac.; and, where day-work is adopted, the 
number of hands per acre. 
Feeding Bees ( Honey Bee). —“Sweet-wort” will not keep them. 
We know of no better food than that for which Mr. Payne has given a 
recipe in a late number of The Cottage Gardener. 
Names of Fruits (A Young Amateur). — Apple, Summer Golden 
Pippin. Pear, too immature to be identified. Plums— No. 1. Royale 
Hative. No. 2. Washington. Your soil is a very strong and stiff loam, 
abundant in vegetable matter, and .with a good proportion of sand; it 
is, therefore, one of the best soils for all sorts of fruit-trees. 
Name of Plant (W. K. IF.).—Your plant is either Lonicera involu- 
crata, or Lonicera Ledebourii, if there is any difference. 
London : Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County of 
Essex, at the Office, No. 2 , Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ¬ 
church, City of London.—September Stb, 1851. 
