Tumbledown Farm .9 Acres (give or take an acre or two)

CHAPTER I
French Gardening in France and in England

THE system of gardening carried on by maraîchers in villages on the outskirts of Paris, and in other places on the Con­tinent, is unique in that it is applied to commercial purposes. They raise six to ten crops per year from one piece of ground, and send to the English market at a time when there are none to compete, with the result that, in many gardens, the gross returns per acre reach the extraordinary sum of £500 to £700 a year.

Many think these wonderful results are due, for the most part, to climate and the natural fertility of the soil, but this is not so. As a matter of fact, there are in England many places more suitable for this work than the environs of Paris. The soil used by the maraîchers is made by them, and, after the garden is well established, the original soil does not come into use at all.

These marvels are accomplished really by a skill and intelligence which make and turn things to account. They place stone walls

B

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around their gardens to keep off cold winds; they use large quantities of fermenting manure to raise the temperature of the soil; they grow plants under bell-glasses and in frames to retain and foster the warmth; and they use copious supplies of water in the growing season. The spur of keen competition from the south of France and the north of Africa, and the use of special tools and appliances from inventive French and American manufacturers, have further contributed to their success.

In the Paris gardens every detail of work and appliance is specialized; even the workers are specialists (usually an entire family is engaged in the one garden and has probably been so through several generations). They are well fed, of good physique, and appear contented and happy. The maraîchers are a class apart from the ordinary nursery workmen of France. They work different hours, use different appliances, and have their own special strains of seeds, selected for suitability to the particular work. They are very industrious and work long hours, the pro­prietor taking his full share of the work along with those in his employ.

The proprietors expect an average gross return of £500 per acre, though this fluctuates according to the crops, the weather, the state of the markets, and the experience of the grower. After allowing for all outgoings, including their own household expenses, there

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would remain out of this gross amount about £60 per acre net profit.

It has often been said that owing to the greater humidity and rigor of our climate, and an insufficiency of sunshine, it is impossible for English growers to compete successfully with southern France and other localities in the production of early salads and vegetables. This is proved to be not so. During the two seasons of the French garden at Mayland, we have grown early salads, vegetables, and cantaloupe melons of the finest quality, and sold them in Covent Garden market at prices equal to, and frequently higher than, those paid for the imported produce. Salesmen, shopkeepers, and consumers all assure us that our produce is as good, and often better, than the imported.

Culture on lines similar to the French gardening has been carried on for generations in England in many large private gardens, and even to a limited extent by a few growers for market; but such work is exceptional. English growers in many places could grow these things as well as the French, and could themselves supply our markets, and make good profits, instead of handing this business over as a monopoly to the foreigner.

English growers are among those foremost in glass-house work. They produce wonderful crops of grapes, peaches, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cut flowers at all seasons of the year. If glass-houses can be made to yield

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these, why not frames, provided only a sufficiently warm temperature can be maintained? We know this can be done either with the help of fermenting manure or hot water-pipes.

The problem is thus only one of expense of production compared with the returns obtained, and for this we now have reliable data upon which to base calculation.

A garden laid out on a commercial scale of about two acres, and well managed, will probably, when in working order at the end of three years, show a very satisfactory profit. Before that time profits will be meager, or there may be none at all. A large amount of capital must be sunk in equipment, and other large sums annually expended upon labor and manure; so that, after allowing for expense of pro­duction, for railway carriage and salesmen's commissions, for depreciation of plant and for interest on capital, the income during the first three years cannot be much in excess of expenditure. From the end of the third year, expenses will be considerably lightened; less manure will then be needed, labor will be easier, and results better; from that time good profits may be expected.

This culture, under proper conditions, should be also suitable for men in a small way of business who live upon and work their own land. It would be satisfactory in combination with intensive open-air culture

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as carried on in England, taking some of the French methods as they are, modifying others, and producing ultimately a combination of the two systems. Such men could experiment at little cost with a few frames and a few loads of manure. If the garden were situated where there was a local trade, the whole value of the produce would be retained-for there would be neither labor bill nor charges for carriage and commission. In such a case not only would the man's business be increased, but the public would be better served with early produce.

But it should be distinctly understood that for success in this culture, some training in, and knowledge of, gardening are essential. No reasonable person would think of under­taking the management of any other business without a preliminary training; yet it is a fact that many people actually think that by reading a book and getting a few verbal explanations they can forthwith undertake, without further preliminary, this highly­ specialized business, with full expectation of making a living. Such expectation is foolish, and must end in disappointment and disaster. Dealing as it does with living things, gardening requires both training and intelligence, and the branch with which we are dealing needs, in addition, knowledge of a mass of details and accumulated facts, with good faculty for organization. If the proper training is not available, proceed slowly and

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cautiously. The inexperienced person will do well to follow carefully the routine here set forth until he thoroughly understands the work. When that understanding arrives, he may launch into experiments with the possibility of more or less success.