CHAPTER IXMARKET GARDENING
This is a branch of horticulture which requires great consideration and careful reflection, before a lady undertakes it. It needs both brains and capital. Market gardening resembles that larger sphere of jobbing combined with nursery gardening which is described towards the end of Chapter IV. Possibly less artistic sense is necessary, but far larger business capacity is essential. To succeed at all everything grown must be of the best quality, and suit the prevailing demand. There are fashions in flowers and vegetables, and these have to be studied and responded to. Then, too, in order to sell to London or other big markets, advance must be kept of others. It well repays to have green peas a fortnight before your neighbour, and more money is made if the supply of choice vegetables can be prolonged throughout the winter months. Then, again, white flowers sell better than others. These and many other tricks of the trade are not learned in an amateurway. They have to be studied under a competent master. Flowers have to be picked before the sun has opened them; they have to be packed with skill, and only certain kinds will travel well. Experience is necessary in order to know the right kind of foliage to send away with flowers.
So much, indeed, has to be learnt which cannot well be acquired at a college, that I strongly advise apprenticeship for a year or two to a nursery gardener. If it is preferred to study first at a school where surplus flowers and vegetables are sold, a good foundation of knowledge can be laid, which is considerably added to later in a market garden. I would suggest at least four years’ training for this particular branch of Horticulture.
An apprentice might well suppose that many secrets of the trade would be revealed to her. But this may prove to be a mistake. Business people are cautious as to what information they impart, and possibly more is to be acquired by keeping eyes and ears well open. Constant and careful inquiries should be made as to the price obtained for various vegetable produce, and the most likely quarters where there is a demand for it in that particular part of the country.
I am inclined to think, however, that the most useful business information is to be gained during the first year or two’s work in one’s owngarden. It is gloomy to foretell such things, but mistakes are sure to happen, and from experience comes knowledge. To lose one’s own money hurts more than to see others lose.
Should the intending market gardener be a free agent, and able to select any part of England for her garden, there are two important matters for her to weigh. Where will be the best market, and what land has the most plentiful supply of water? Probably for the first venture the neighbourhood of a large seaside town, a watering-place or golf links, will be a safer market than London, which is so large and well supplied. It should be ascertained who the most likely customers will be—schools, boarding-houses, private families, etc., and the garden should be adapted to supply their wants.
Many are the ways of arranging work in a market garden. A lady of ample means can afford to keep an experienced foreman, a large staff, and horses and vans. By paying the head man so much per cent. upon the sale of produce, his interest in the concern will be kept alive. In this case a thoroughly dependable and honest man is necessary. Should more scope for energy be needed it will be advisable for the principal to do the secretarial work, decide the rotation of crops, conduct the sale transactions, as well as attend to the socialpart of the business. She should also supervise most of the operations and have good skilled labour to carry out all manual work.
If it can be avoided a field should not be converted into a market garden. The money that necessarily has to be spent at the start will more quickly be repaid if land is worked which has been used as a garden before. However good the soil, climate, and situation may be, a garden can only barely pay its way during the first two years on account of the many expenses that have to be met.
As opinions can best be formed by hearing real experiences, I propose inserting the following letter, written by one who has known what it is to overcome obstacles, and finally reach well-earned success. This interesting letter and several detailed accounts of market gardens given on p. 253 show what a suitable career this is for a woman. One, too, which will bring not only health and happiness from work in the open, but considerable remuneration, if it be carefully and well conducted.
Bashley Nursery,New-Milton, Hampshire,October 11th, 1907.Dear Madam,—In answer to your request for information about my market garden here, I think it will be best if I give youa short history of the undertaking. I bought six acres of land here fifteen years ago, with a view to start a garden on a more or less remunerative footing. I had been brought up in a town, but had always been fond of botany—of plants as individuals—and as years went on, felt drawn to a country life. I got to know something of cultivated plants by studying in the Botanic Gardens at Cambridge, where I lived. I hired a quarter-acre allotment in a field let out in that way. I got very much interested in it, and decided to go in for a country life with a garden, which I hoped to make pay its way, if not more. I studied gardening for two years with a family who had taken up market gardening in Wales, and proceeded to buy a small plot of land to begin upon. I had enough capital to start a place and build a small house for myself, and, fortunately enough, means to live upon in a somewhat bare way. I did not feel the least sanguine of making ends more than meet, and this was fortunate, as for many years it was a most unpromising and expensive undertaking. I was entirely without business knowledge in general, or of any of the detailed knowledge of the horticultural trade, and also, being town-bred, I was led into many errors. The soil proved poor and sour from lack of draining, and thickly infested with wire-worms, and being far from any town (Bournemouth, nine miles, being the nearest) there was absolutely no local demand for anything. I should say one of the main points in starting any place of the kind is to be near some town. I had not originally intended to go in for market gardening, but circumstances seemed to favour it more than any otherbranch, of gardening, so after many misgivings and qualms at further sinking of capital, I put up a block of five greenhouses, each 100 feet by 12 feet. This necessitated having a skilled man to live on the place, and consequently the building of a cottage, as there was none near. I intended to grow tomatoes for Bournemouth market, followed by chrysanthemums and other winter crops. The first season of tomato growing proved enough of a success to encourage me to persevere, and I bought a horse and van to begin a trade with Bournemouth shops, and engaged a man as salesman. On the whole this proved a success from the first. Our chief crops to start with were tomatoes in the houses, followed by chrysanthemums for cut flowers in the winter, and out of doors a variety of plants for cut flowers, especially early flowering chrysanthemums, also strawberries, rhubarb, and vegetable marrows. After a short time we took up narcissus, forcing for a spring crop, followed by bedding plants in pots and boxes, and a variety of pot-plants, such as genistas, ferns, cyclamen, freesia, and pelargoniums.
Bashley Nursery,
New-Milton, Hampshire,
October 11th, 1907.
Dear Madam,—
In answer to your request for information about my market garden here, I think it will be best if I give youa short history of the undertaking. I bought six acres of land here fifteen years ago, with a view to start a garden on a more or less remunerative footing. I had been brought up in a town, but had always been fond of botany—of plants as individuals—and as years went on, felt drawn to a country life. I got to know something of cultivated plants by studying in the Botanic Gardens at Cambridge, where I lived. I hired a quarter-acre allotment in a field let out in that way. I got very much interested in it, and decided to go in for a country life with a garden, which I hoped to make pay its way, if not more. I studied gardening for two years with a family who had taken up market gardening in Wales, and proceeded to buy a small plot of land to begin upon. I had enough capital to start a place and build a small house for myself, and, fortunately enough, means to live upon in a somewhat bare way. I did not feel the least sanguine of making ends more than meet, and this was fortunate, as for many years it was a most unpromising and expensive undertaking. I was entirely without business knowledge in general, or of any of the detailed knowledge of the horticultural trade, and also, being town-bred, I was led into many errors. The soil proved poor and sour from lack of draining, and thickly infested with wire-worms, and being far from any town (Bournemouth, nine miles, being the nearest) there was absolutely no local demand for anything. I should say one of the main points in starting any place of the kind is to be near some town. I had not originally intended to go in for market gardening, but circumstances seemed to favour it more than any otherbranch, of gardening, so after many misgivings and qualms at further sinking of capital, I put up a block of five greenhouses, each 100 feet by 12 feet. This necessitated having a skilled man to live on the place, and consequently the building of a cottage, as there was none near. I intended to grow tomatoes for Bournemouth market, followed by chrysanthemums and other winter crops. The first season of tomato growing proved enough of a success to encourage me to persevere, and I bought a horse and van to begin a trade with Bournemouth shops, and engaged a man as salesman. On the whole this proved a success from the first. Our chief crops to start with were tomatoes in the houses, followed by chrysanthemums for cut flowers in the winter, and out of doors a variety of plants for cut flowers, especially early flowering chrysanthemums, also strawberries, rhubarb, and vegetable marrows. After a short time we took up narcissus, forcing for a spring crop, followed by bedding plants in pots and boxes, and a variety of pot-plants, such as genistas, ferns, cyclamen, freesia, and pelargoniums.
BOXING BULBS FOR FORCING AT MISS BATEMAN’S MARKET GARDEN, BASHLEY NURSERY, NEW MILTON, HANTS.
BOXING BULBS FOR FORCING AT MISS BATEMAN’S MARKET GARDEN, BASHLEY NURSERY, NEW MILTON, HANTS.
After a few years I bought nine acres more, adjoining the first field, and two years ago I bought another small field of four acres. A few years ago I was able greatly to improve our water supply, and to put up an engine for pumping all water used in the houses, and to build a second cottage for workmen. My original staff consisted of one labourer; it is now about nine men and boys. Last year I was able to add a large tomato house 100 feet by 30 feet, and a small fernery.Whilst living here the neighbourhood has become aresidential one, and consequently a good deal of trade has come from the immediate locality.A good many people are glad to have their gardens superintended, or to have suggestions about the laying out of their borders.I cannot say I have ever found it a very remunerative undertaking; it has certainly been a laborious one, but to me it has been immensely enjoyable.Other crops we grow out of doors are gooseberries, raspberries and currants, and large quantities of roots, such as pansies, polyanthus, wallflower, forget-me-not, for spring bedding. Among the out-of-door flowers for cutting the chief are: narcissi, chrysanthemums, roses, carnations, violets, gypsophila, sweet-peas, marguerites, dahlias, astors, coreopsis, mignonette, gladioli, Spanish iris, pæonies, scabious, alstromœria, daisies, and many others. We also have a number of herbaceous plants and a good many shrubs to supply retail customers.I am, yours faithfully,A. Bateson.
After a few years I bought nine acres more, adjoining the first field, and two years ago I bought another small field of four acres. A few years ago I was able greatly to improve our water supply, and to put up an engine for pumping all water used in the houses, and to build a second cottage for workmen. My original staff consisted of one labourer; it is now about nine men and boys. Last year I was able to add a large tomato house 100 feet by 30 feet, and a small fernery.
Whilst living here the neighbourhood has become aresidential one, and consequently a good deal of trade has come from the immediate locality.
A good many people are glad to have their gardens superintended, or to have suggestions about the laying out of their borders.
I cannot say I have ever found it a very remunerative undertaking; it has certainly been a laborious one, but to me it has been immensely enjoyable.
Other crops we grow out of doors are gooseberries, raspberries and currants, and large quantities of roots, such as pansies, polyanthus, wallflower, forget-me-not, for spring bedding. Among the out-of-door flowers for cutting the chief are: narcissi, chrysanthemums, roses, carnations, violets, gypsophila, sweet-peas, marguerites, dahlias, astors, coreopsis, mignonette, gladioli, Spanish iris, pæonies, scabious, alstromœria, daisies, and many others. We also have a number of herbaceous plants and a good many shrubs to supply retail customers.
I am, yours faithfully,
A. Bateson.