November 20, 1897. 
186 THE GARDENING WORLD. 
MARKET HARDENING IN THE QUEEN’S 
REIGN. 
On the third day of the conference (Oct. 2nd) held 
by the Royal Horticultural Society at the Crystal 
Palace, Mr. Assbee, the superintendent of Covent 
Garden, dealt at some length with this phase of the 
subject of horticultural progress during the Queen’s 
reign. Mr. W. Marshall occupied the chair. 
Originally, said Mr. Assbee, every man must have 
been his own gardener, but with the discovery of 
steam as a motive power and its application to the 
service of man the conditions of life were altered 
among the working population. The inventor pro¬ 
duced the manufacturer, and busy towns sprang into 
existence, and each individual was no longer able to 
grow what he wanted for himself, but the task 
devolved upon men who made it their special busi¬ 
ness. The growth of market gardening necessarily 
causes proportional changes in the market grower 
himself who has to adapt himself to his own 
particular times. At one time he was to be found at 
Peckham, Battersea, Camberwell, Fulham, and 
other places now built upon, but he has had to seek 
fresh fields which have been opened up by the same 
motive power that has led to the destruction of the 
old ones, viz., steam. By its agency gardeners far 
and near, and wherever the soil is favourable are 
brought into competition with each other. The 
present age too demands more in quantity, quality, 
and variety from the market gardener than the early 
Victorian era did. 
If we were to take a snapshot at the gardener of 
sixty years ago (a few specimens are still to be seen) 
we should find bim a thrifty and industrious indivi¬ 
dual who made his business a study, had a fair 
amount of humour, but no speculation in his 
character. He would be able to quote prices for 
produce which the public may be glad it will never 
be likely to see again. The new man has had a 
better education, and is characterised by greater 
skill and energy. Mr. Assbee then divided his paper 
into three sections each of which was treated in 
order, viz , vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Each of 
these were sub-divided into material produced out-of- 
doors, and that obtained by indoor culture. 
Vegetables— Outdoor grown. 
With regard to vegetables the cultural details of 
sixty years ago remain the standard of present day 
perfection, with a very few exceptions. It is to 
improved varieties that we must attribute the bulk 
of the progress. The lecturer then took the most 
important market vegetables in their turn. 
Asparagus culture gives an illustration of the 
wondrous progress that has been made. Within the 
last few years many acres have been devoted to it 
in favourable localities. Worcester, Cambridge, and 
Middlesex are the largest producers. Middlesex 
" grass ’’ is still noted for its quality, but Worcester 
" grass ” holds the market. A few years ago the 
cultivation of Asparagus was started in the Evesham 
Valley district, and it is estimated that there 
are now about 4,000 acres utilised thus. Each acre 
produces on the average 40,000 sticks or about 400 
bundles. About 1,000,000 bundles come to London 
each year. Many hundred acres are laid down with 
Asparagus in Lincoln, and in the black soil belt in 
the Trent Valley it is regarded as an alternate crop. 
Celery. —It is estimated that not less than 50,000 
tons of this go to London annually. 
Peas. —The earliest Peas are obtained from Kent, 
and the latest from Yorkshire, the season extending 
from the end of May to the end of August. 
Onions. —The introduction of the Spanish Onions 
has vastly improved our English ones. Some 
6,oco,ooo bushels of Onions, representing a total 
value of of £684,000, were imported in 1896. There 
is also a good demand in the season for young green 
Onions, bunched. 
Potatos are more of a farmer's crop than a 
gardener’s, at least so far as the market goes. The 
total area in Great Britain devoted to Potatos in 
1896 was 563,741 acres, which produced a crop of 
3,562,235 tons weight. Yorkshire alone had 51,495 
acres cropped in this way in that year, this area yield¬ 
ing 326,849tons. Inaddition to thehome grown article 
foreign importations are large, and last year repre¬ 
sented a value of £1,000,000. The earliest ones 
come from the Canaries, Jersey, and the Mediter¬ 
ranean region. The chief qualities necessary for a 
market Potato to possess are good cropping, good 
cooking, and disease-resisting abilities. Spraying 
has been largely practised lately, and generally with 
beneficial results in enabling the plants to resist 
disease. 
Broccoli and Cauliflowers —The chief im¬ 
provement with regard to these is the extension of 
the season. This is largely due to the introduction 
of that popular variety, Veitch’s Autumn Giant, 
which has supplied a long felt want. Cornwall sends 
us a good deal, and Italy sends us large quantities 
annually. 
Vegetables Forced. 
All advanced gardeners have been turning their 
attention of late years to forced goods. In their 
competition with English cultivators French growers 
have great natural advantages. Forcing is, there¬ 
fore, an attempt on the part of the English grower 
to minimise the advantages possessed by his rivals 
in other parts of the world. 
Rhubarb. —A marked advanceupon the old sys¬ 
tem may be seen in the case of this popular esculent. 
The method of forcing is to erect large wooden 
sheds, 8 ft. high in the centre, and 5 ft. high at the 
eaves, and large enough to contain an acre of roots. 
The roots are closely packed together on the floors 
of these, and the structure heated artificially. 
Champagne and Victoria are the chief kinds grown, 
the season lasting from the end of January to May. 
March is the busiest part of the season, and it is 
estimated that thirty tons come to London in one 
day at this time. After the roots have been forced 
they are again planted out to recruit their strength, 
although they are not available for forcing the next 
year. 
Seakale and Asparagus find a ready market and 
are highly esteemed. 
Mushrooms. —The old system of growing in tri¬ 
angular beds out of doors is largely followed. Mush¬ 
room culture in sheds is conducted with varying 
success, and much care and experience is required. 
Salads. —Excepting Mustard and Cress, and a few 
French Beans we are chiefly in the hands of the 
French with regard to salads. He, the lecturer, 
looked forward to the time when glasshouses would 
be so common as to alter this state of affairs. 
Open-air Fruits. 
A common practice in growing fruit for market is to 
adopt the mixed system, having both top and bottom 
fruits, room being given as growth called for it by 
thinning. The acreage laid down in fruits has in¬ 
creased from 36,742 acres to 76,245 acres during the 
Queen's reign. Of this area 32,000 acres are devoted 
to orchards, and the remainder to market work. 
Kent is the greatest fruit county, with 22,362 acres 
of fruits and 12,932 acres devoted to market culture. 
Middlesex, Worcester, Norfolk, York, Hampshire, 
Essex, Cambridge, Surrey, Sussex, Lincoln, Bed¬ 
ford, Gloucester, Devon, and Cornwall are all busy 
counties. In Scotland Lanark is the only county of 
market importance. 
Great advance in the way of improved varieties 
has been made of late years. Foreign competition 
has had a considerable effect upon the public taste. 
The main points in deciding as to the varieties to 
plant for market supply are, quantity, quality, and 
appearance, and time at which the fruit can be 
marketed. 
Apples.— The way in which American Apples 
flood the market makes it necessary for the home 
grower to adopt one of three courses : 1st, he must 
grow early sorts to clear before the American fruit 
comes over ; 2nd, to plant mid-season sorts of high 
quality, such as Cox’s Orange Pippin, or Blenheim, 
which will always fetch a good price; 3rd, to grow 
late varieties, such as Lane’s Prince Albert and 
Northern Greening. In 1896 no less then 61,771,993 
bushels of Apples were imported from abroad, 
representing a value of £1,500,000. 
Pears —These pass through the market to the 
value of £206,674. Williams’ Bon Chretien is a 
great favourite. So also are Hessle, Louise Bonne 
of Jersey, Pitmaston Duchess, Winter Nelis, and 
Catillac for stewing. Mr. Assbee had on view a box of 
Californian Pears which had been sent over on 
triai. The variety was Doyenne du Comice, and 
the fruit could ftllly hold its own with British grown 
samples of that variety. They were picked from 
the trees in California and sold in Covent Garden in 
a fortnight, of which seven days were occupied in 
crossing the American continent, and the remaining 
seven days in the water passage. The cost of 
carriage for a crate containing three dozen fine fruits 
carefully packed, was 4s. ; and each crate would 
fetch in the market frcm 8s. 6d. to 16s., so that there 
was a fair margin of profit left. 
(To be continued.) 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
WEST OF ENGLAND .—November 2nd and yd. 
The West of England Chrysanthemum Sociely has 
enjoyed an unbroken record of successes in Us 
annual shows, but this year the display has been 
both in quality and quantity a great improvement 
upon other years; so numerous, indeed, were the 
exhibits that the space devoted to them in the 
Plymouth Guildhall was not large enough, and 
additional accommodation had to be provided in the 
shape of a long marquee. The ceremony of opening 
was performed by the Mayor of Plymouth (Mr. C. 
H. Radford). 
The cut Chrysanthemums were exceedingly well 
represented, and the competition was keen through¬ 
out. 
In the open classes the first prize for forty-eight 
Japanese, consisting of not less than twenty-four 
varieties, fell to the lot of Hammond Spencer, Esq 
(gardener, Mr. G. Foster), Glendaragb, Teignmouth, 
with a grand lot. The Rev. J. Hutchins, Teignmouth, 
was second. Mr. H. Spencer was likewise first for 
twenty-four Japanese in eighteen varieties, six white 
Japanese, six incurved Japanese, twenty-four incurves 
in eighteen varieties, and twelve incurves, distinct. 
Mr. F. Bradshaw, Lifton Park, sent the best stand 
of twelve large-flowered Anemones in nine varieties; 
and Messrs. E. Foot & Son contributed the first- 
prize lot of twelve Japanese, distinct. 
Four of the arches in the southern arcade of the 
building were filled with the groups, which were 
eloquent witnesses of the care and skill employed in 
their construction. Mr. C. Watts, of Plymouth, 
was first, and Mr. J. Webber was second. ftjessrs. 
Perkins & Son, of Coventry, demonstrated their 
taste in handling cut flowers by winning the first 
prizes for three bouquets and a wreath, 
The local classes were exceedingly well patronised. 
Sir Jas. Jenkins secured the first award for twenty- 
four and twelve blooms of Japanese, and likewise for 
twelve incurves. Mr. G. Hoskin contributed the 
prettiest basket of Chrysanthemums arranged with 
foliage and grasses 
Amateur growers were well represented both for 
Chrysanthemums and miscellaneous plants. 
The open classes for fruit and vegetables were 
another centre of interest. Admiral Parker received 
a first prize for a collection of Apples and Pears. 
The Earl of Mount Edgecumbe secured first awards 
for dishes of the following varieties of Apples:— 
Blenheim Orange, Bramley’s Seedling, Cox’s Orange 
Pippin, Ribston Pippin, King of the Pippins, and 
Cornish Gilliflower. Mr. C.has. Watts had a first- 
prize collection of vegetables. 
Messrs. R. Veitch & Son, of Exeter, made a 
notable miscellaneous display, which included a 
number of good Chrysanthemums and a collection 
of Apples. Mr. Hodgess, of Plymouth, set up a 
handsome group of Orchids and foliage plants. Mr. 
W. B. Smale, of Torquay, sent cut Chrysanthemums 
and new Cactus Dahlias. Mr. H. Hodge, of St. 
Austell, exhibited a collection of a hundred varieties 
of double and single- flowered tuberous Begonias. 
COVENTRY .—November 2nd and yd. 
The officers and committee of the Coventry and 
District Chrysanthemum and Floricultural Society 
have to congratulate themselves on a most successful 
exhibition. In opening the show an effective speech 
was delivered by Mr. Gulson, who took " flowers," 
especially the Chrysanthemum, as his theme. 
In the open classes there was some capital material 
displayed. Much interest attached to the class for 
a group of Chrysanthemums arranged in a space of 
fifty square feet. Quality of bloom as well as general 
effect was taken into consideration in awarding the 
prizes. Sir R. Moon, Bart, (gardener, Mr. J. 
Morris), was placed first, followed by G. Singer, 
Esq. (gardener, Mr. Collier), and T. Browett, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. E. Carter). Sir R. Moon was also 
first for twenty-four blooms of Japanese Chrysan¬ 
themums, with T. Browett, Esq, for second. 
Twenty-four blooms of incurves were best shown by 
S. Loder, Esq. (gardener, Mr. W. Pearce). The 
