314 
October  1,  19G3. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
bis  van  in  to  take  back  the  produce  that  a  few  hours  previously 
liad  passed  his  own  door.  This  compels  liim  to  be  up  in  the  small 
hours  of  the  morning,  working  in  darkness  or  dim  light,  and  ere 
the  vegetables  are  disposed  of  to  consumers  in  the  outskirts  they 
are  both  deteriorated  through  much  handling  back  and  forward, 
and  dear  in  price.  The  question  is  often  asked,  "Wliy  are 
vegetables  so  dear?”  One  cau.'e  is  the  want  of  means  of 
adequately  gauging  the  market.  It  is  a  fact,  too,  that  the 
scavenger  often  carts  off  many  .surplus  vegetables  that  have  had 
to  be  pitched  upon  the  streets,  just  as  loads  of  flowers  are  de- 
sti'oyed  in  the  .same  manner. 
The, costermonger  does  a  good  service  by  taking  quantities  of 
vegetables  into  densely  populated  quarters.  The  .system  of 
delivery  direct  to  the  retail  dealer  is  .slowly  being  developed.. 
Often,  as  things  are  at  present,  the  stock  offered  by  the  suburban 
greengrocer  is  a  libel  on  the  succulent,  fresh  vegetables  that  one 
may  find  leaving  the  market  gardens.  Then,  again,  local  mar¬ 
kets  must  do  something  to  remedy  e-xisting  evils,  and  Mr.  Lobjoit 
referred  to  the  local  market  at  Brentford,  Middlesex,  whicii 
allows  salesmen  in  the  neighbourhood  to  attend  market  oftener 
than  they  had  done,  and  so  maintain  constant  .supplies  of  fresh 
material.  “What,”  asked  the  lecturer,  “is  the  u.se  of  growing 
vegetables  if  your  market  fails  you  when  you  have  grown  them  ?  ” 
Expenses  are  now  higher,  and  means  of  culture  are  different 
to  what  was  pursued  twenty  or  more  years  ago.  In  Fulham  and 
elsewhere  sixpence  a  rod  used  to  be  paid  for  bastard  trenching, 
and,  while  Badishes  and  Turnips  used  to  be  sown  in  drills  by  hand, 
they  are  now  sown  broadca.st.  Peas  were  trained  to  stakes  twenty 
years  ago  :  now  they  are  never  supported  ;  but,  of  course,  all  this 
is  to  be  allowed  if  good  producei  can  be  grown  at  a  cheaper  rate. 
But  the  chief  banOv d’  one  of  the  leading  points  of  grievance 
Avith  the  market  gardeners  is  that  there  is  so  much  knocking 
about  of  produce.  First  the  C'auliflower.s,  ,say,  from  the  fields  go 
to  the  carts,  then  in  the  markets  they  are  thrown  into  a  heap; 
back  they  go  into  buyers’  baskets,  and  having  arrived  at  the 
shops,  they  are  throAvn  out  upon  benches. 
Nothing  seems  yet  to  be  devised  for  lessening  the  large  ex¬ 
penditure  of  getting  Radishes  to  market,  taking  them  but  as 
one  instance.  The  binding  of  the  bunches  costs  twopence  a 
dozen,  and  tying  another  penny,  and  the  marketmen  only  obtain 
fivepence  a  dozen  bunches.  If  a  machine  could  be  ijatented  to 
grade,  bind,  and  assort  these  and  other  things  a  great  gain  AAould 
be  effected. 
There  are  tAvo  schools  of  market  gardeners — one  that  grows 
produce  that  can  bear  carriage  from  a  distance,  the  other  where 
Aveight  of  produce  necessitates  nearness  to  market,  even  if  the 
land  rent  is  there;  thus  the  couplet  “Land  dearer:  But  market 
nearer.”  Rhubarb  is  never  far  from  market.  Certain  localities, 
of  course,  are  greatly  famed  for  certain  A'egetables,  the  di.strict 
being  specially  suited  for  tbem  ;  and  Mr.  Lobjoit  said  that  the 
tendency  is  for  the  greater  centralisation  of  crops. 
As  in  the  case  of  Mr.  DiA^ers’  essay,  the  one  Ave  summarise 
dealt  hardly  Avith  the  iniquities  (!)  of  the  seedsmen,  the  com¬ 
plaint,  which  Avas  gilded  by  humorous  allu.sions,  being  laid  agaimst 
the  catalogues  Avith  the  novelties,  all  distinct  and  guaranteed, 
like  the  Avine  lists  of  hotels.  Looking  into  one  catalogue  (one 
taken  at  random),  the  lecturer  found  IIG  different  Peas,  29 
varieties  of  Beans,  and  IG  Lettuces. 
In  continuing,  Mr.  Lobjoit  Avanted  to  knoAv  Avhy  there  Avas 
such  an  inordinate  rage  for  size.  Short,  crisp,  nutty  Celery  Avas 
.surely  preferable  to  huge  sticks;  yet  “Best”  is  market  termi¬ 
nology  ahvays  means  largest.  The  rage  for  size  is  most  remark¬ 
able  in  Cos  Lettuces.  If  a  Cos  Lettuce  is  not  large  it  is  not 
Avanted.  A  dozeh  of  “large”  bring  Is.  8d.  ;  of  “small,”  Gd.  for 
22!  Yet,  who  OA'er  saAv  a  Lettuce  .sent  to  table  AA’hole?  The 
.speculation  of  late  years  in  Aubergines  and  other  less  groAvn 
vegetables  has  been  “a  bit  of  a  gamble,”  OAving  to  the  sombre 
seasons. 
Mushroom  groAving,  the  lecturer  said,  was  noAv  reduced  to  an 
exact  science.  At  one  time  it  Avas  common  to  haA^e  excellent 
crops  one  year,  and  the  groAver  could  not  tell  Iioav  he  got  them  : 
and  the  next,  though  every  care  had  been  taken,  the  crop  Avould 
fail.  The  last  Avords  Avere  deAmted  to  cynical  references  to  the 
Board  of  Agriculture,  Avhich  could  not  make  up  its  mind  Iioav  to 
classify  the  market  gardener  and  his  calling.  And,  speaking  of 
encouragement  to  marketmen,  Mr.  Lobjoit  said  the  outlook  Avas 
bad  Avhen  a  certain  society  “  Avhich  shall  be  nameless  hei’e  ”  (the 
R.H.S.)  omitted  even  to  have  one  vegetable  class  set  apart  for 
the  market  gardener  and  his  kin. 
Dr.  Bonavia  and  Mr.  Hudson  were  both  absent,  and  their 
papers  Avere  taken  as  read.  A  paper  by  Mr.  Baker,  of  Koav,  Avas 
sent,  entitled  “The  Productivity  of  Seeds.” 
THE  GARDENERS’  DINNER* 
It  Avas  said  truly  that  no  such  dinner  ,as  that  Avhich  Ave  record 
has  been  held  since  186G.  There  Avere  fully  400  gardeners  and 
lady  friends  present,  the  magnificent  King’s  Hall  at  the  Holborn 
*  This  dinner  was  quite  a  separate  event,  and  not  promoted  by  the  R.II.S.  ; 
luit  coininjr  on  the  tir.st  day  of  the  meeting  it  may  be  allowed  as  part  cf  the 
complete  nrogramme  under  our  title. 
Restaurant  being  packed  to  OA'erfloAving.  Leopold  de  Rothschild, 
E.sq.,  was  unfortunately  prevented  by  illness  from  taking  the 
chair,  but  the  breach  Avas  filled  by  Viscount  Duncannon,  Avho 
most  Avorthily  acquitted  the  duties  pertaining  thereto. 
Having  partaken  cf  the  A’ery  excellent  repast,  the  secretary 
of  the  Dinner  Committee,  Mr.  A.  Dean,  read  a  number  of 
letters  from  absent  gentlemen.  One  Avas  from  the  Very  Rev. 
Dean  Hole,  who  is  prostrated  by  illness  in  North  Wales  ;  but  the 
genial  Dean  sent  a  characteristic  letter,  Avith  “  an  old  man’s 
blessing  and  love  for  his  brethren,”  and  he  quoted  the  words  of 
Mr.  Francis  RiA^ers  to  himself  many  years  ago  :  “Your  delight  in 
floAvers  Avill  never  leave  you.” 
'  Leopold  de  Rothschild,  Esq.,  had  Avritten  from  his  sick  bed, 
and  his  most  pleasant  communication  shoAA'ed  Iioav  keen  Avas  his 
sympathj'  Avith  the  gardener  and  the  gardener’s  calling,  and  he 
referred  to  this  meeting,  Avhich  gave  old  bothyites  the  means  of 
meeting  after  long  years  of  separation.  And  ere  the  chairman 
commenced  his  address  under  the  toast  “  The  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  and  all  other  Horticultural  Societies,”  he  read  a  tele¬ 
gram  fi'om  Mr.  Leopold  de  Rothschild,  avIio  Avished  to  add  a 
greeting,  and  hoped  that  a  pleasant  evening  Avould  be  spent. 
The  chairman  Avas  in  his  best  form,  and  for  tAventy  minutes 
held  his  hearers’  keenest  attention.  He  referrecl  to  “the  hearty 
handshake  from  many  an  old  friend  ”  Avhich  the  present  dinner 
Avould  bring  about.  He  took  his  audience  later  to  Ireland, 
Avhere,  though  there  are  many  poor  cottages  and  poor  people, 
there  are  likeAvi.se  many  fine  gardens  and  cottage  fronts.  Lorcl 
Duncannon  thought  Ireland  could  develop  its  fruit  culture  large 
and  small,  and  be  made  profitable.  He  Avas  strong  in  the  praises 
of  his  gardener,  and  of  his  OAvn  gentle  partner  in  married  life, 
aaIio  study  the  garden  they  have.  And  almost  in  his  last  Avords 
the  chairman  said,  and  Avith  all  sincerity:  “If  any  of  you  are 
near  my  oAvn  garden,  give  me  a  call,  and  I  shall  be  delighted 
to  see  you.” 
In  re.sponcling.  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  M.A.,  Secretary  of  the 
R.H.S.,  had  a  stirring  appeal  to  make  on  behalf  of  the  Hall 
Fund  of  the  Society.  He  looked  back  to  1887,  Avhen  the  R.H.S. 
had  only  770  subscribing  FelloAvs,  and  a  debt  of  £1,200.  Noav 
it  has  fully  7,000  FelloAvs,  and  as  many  pounds  sterling  per 
year  of  an  income,  plus  £450  as  revenue  on  surplus  funds.  He 
asked,  “Are  there  not  plenty  of  Avealthy  people  in  this  country 
of  ours,  Avho,  Avithout  an  effort,  could  reduce  the  paltry  debt  of 
the  Hall,  a  matter  of  £20.000?”  Yachting,  hoi’se-racing,  motor¬ 
ing,  A^ersus  gardening.  'Which  ? 
After  several  songs.  Sir  Trevor  LaAvrence,  Bart.,  rose  and 
gave  “  Gardening  and  Gardeners.”  He  alluded  to  his  OAvn 
younger  clays,  Avhen  floAvers  on  dinner  tables  Avere  altogether 
the  exception.  Noav  rich  and  poor  alike  havei  them.  .  Those 
rnttage  fronts,  too,  that  are  bright  Avith  floAvers,  are  these  not 
the  happy  homes  of  England?  “  Hoav  much  Ave  OAve  to  our 
gardeners,  and  Iioav  great  are  their  responsibilities !  ”  Sir 
Trevor  uttered  the  Avords  as  only  a  true  lover  of  floAvers,  gardens, 
and  gardeners  could.  “  The  art  and  craft  of  gardening  is  under- 
Apple,  Lord  Hindlip. 
This  Avas  sent  out  in  1896.  It  is  a  dessert  Apple,  an  excellent 
bearer,  of  Aveeping  groAvth,  the  fruits  of  capital  flavour,  coloured  a  rich 
russet  red.  Its  season  is  from  .January  to  May, 
