Jam Yesterday Jam Tomorrow is a community led project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to uncover and restore the history of market gardening in through research, oral histories and the building of a model market garden to showcase traditional methods of growing and lost varieties. To find out more visit: www.jamyesterdayjamtomorrow.com.

Heritage Varieties Factsheet

1 Historical Context

Throughout the 19th century, the economy of Middlesex was dominated by the need to feed ’s booming population. Parishes along the river, and those within easy walking distance of the hungry markets of London, became centres for commercial agriculture. Over time the rapid expansion of London’s urban area forced out market gardeners from into the southwest suburbs, and a number of Enclosure Acts allowed common grazing land to become market gardens. Farmers became horticulturalists, and farms became market gardens and orchards. The arrival of the railway to , and Whitton in the middle of the-century allowed market gardeners to move away from the river, deeper into Middlesex. In many areas, employment in agriculture exceeded that in trade, manufacturing, and handicrafts. Gradually, however, as London continued to grow, house- building for the new ‘commuter classes’ began, and orchards began to give way to houses. The industry peaked in the 1870s, and then moved to the Hampton area, where large glasshouses allowed growers to Keens Strawberry was produce fruit and vegetables more efficiently. Several of the Hampton a popular local variety nurseries continued to thrive through the Second World War and after, from which the until their land was finally built upon to become Nurserylands housing modern strawberry derives. estate.

2 Varieties grown in the London area Below are some of the produce and heritage varieties grown, which are still available to buy.

CUT FLOWERS – plants grown to be harvested as cut flowers included the following. The variety grown is in brackets.

Anemones, Canterbury Bells, Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Cinerarias, Daffodils, Dalhias (pompom and large flowering varieties), Delphiniums, Eschscholzias, Everlasting Pea, Forget- Me-Not, Heliotropes, Honesty, Ixias, Lavender, Lilies (Lilium candidum, L. longiflorum, L.auratum), Lily of the Valley, Michaelmas Daisies (Astor novae-angliae), Narcissi (Double Roman, N. papyraceus, N. gloriosus, Pheasant Eye), Petunia, Primula’s, Roses (‘Boule de Neige’, ‘General Jacqueminot’, ‘John Hopper’, ‘Alfred Colomb’, ‘Charles Lefebvre’, ‘General Jacqueminot’, ‘Gloire de Dijon’, ‘Moss Roses’, ‘Victor Verdier’); Spiraxis, Stocks, Sweet Peas (white & scarlet popular colours), Tea Roses (Niphetos, Isabella Sprunt, ‘Devoniensis’, ‘Lamarque’), Tulips, Violets, Wallflowers

VEGETABLES (grower’s name in brackets) Asparagus – (A.W. Smith, ). Market gardeners often grew their own favoured variety Broad Beans – ‘Broad Windsor’, ‘Bunyards Exhibition’, ‘Early Mazagan’, ‘Longpod’, ‘The Sutton’; Beetroot – ‘Cheltenham Green Top’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) Brocolli – ‘Purple Sprouting’ (RHS Garden ); Brussel Sprouts – ‘Fillbasket’ Cabbage – ‘Early Offenham’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham); Carrots – ‘Early Scarlet Horn’, ‘Early Nantes’, ‘Long Orange’, ‘Long Red Surrey’; Cauliflour – ‘Snow’s Winter White’, ‘Walcheren’, Celery – ‘Giant Red’ (RHS Chiswick garden) Coleworts - Rosette, Chilies & Capiscums, Chicory & Witloof Cucumber – ‘Pettie’s’,’ Rollisson’s Telegraph’ Improved (bred by William Rollison & Sons, ) Custard Marrows; Corn salad or lamb’s lettuce Curly Kale - grown by A.W. Smith, Feltham Endive – ‘Batavian’, ‘Dwarf Green Curled’ French Beans – Canadian wonder, Newington Wonder, Red Flageolet Garlic & Shallots; Gherkins Herbs - borage, camomile, parsley (A.W. Smith, Feltham), James’ champion moss-curled parsley, liquorice, peppermint, spearmint, thyme, sage; horseradish Jerusalem Artichokes – (A.W. Smith, Feltham) Lettuce - ‘Lobjoit’s Green Cos’ (grown ), ‘Little Gem’, ‘Paris White Cos’, ‘Tom Thumb’ Leek – ‘Musselburgh’ & ‘The Lyon’ (A. W. Smith, Feltham) Marrow – ‘Little Dainty’; Mangold Worzel – (A.W. Smith, Feltham); Mushrooms; Mustard & Cress; Marrow; Onions – ‘Brown Spanish’, ‘James’ Keeping’, ‘Silver Skin’, ‘White Sweet Spanish’, ‘Lisbon’ Peas – ‘Feltham First’, ‘Douce Provence’, ‘Kelvedon Wonder’, ‘Laxton’s Omega’; Parsnips –‘Hollow Crowned’, ‘Tender & True’; Potatoes – ‘Golden Wonder’, ‘Homeguard’, ‘King Edward’, ‘Myatt’s Ashleaf’ Radishes – ‘Long Salmo’; Runner beans – ‘Scarlet Emperor’ Salsify & Scorzonera; Spinach – Prickly Seeded; Savoy Cabbages – Drumhead, Dwarf Green Curled Early Ulm; Scarlet Runners; Seakale; Squirting Cucumbers Tomatoes – ‘Ailsa Craig’, ‘Cream Sausage’, ‘Holmes Supreme’, ‘Mortgage Lifter’, ‘Pink Brandywine’; Turnip – ‘Early Snowball’, ‘White Stone’ Vegetable Marrow – Cream Marrow Watercress

FRUIT

APPLES (grower’s name in brackets) ‘Bigg’s Nonsuch’ (Arthur Biggs, Twickenham) ‘Barchard’s Seedling’ (Mr Higgs, )’Cellini’(Leonard Phillips, ) ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham & George Dancer, Chiswick) ‘Early Julyan’ (Hugh Ronalds, & A.W. Smith, Feltham) Fearn’s Pippin (Mr Bagley, ) ‘Grange’s Pearmain’ (Mr James, Kingsland, Middx) ‘Hollandbury’ (Hugh Ronalds, Brentford) ‘ Wonder’ (S.Spooner & Sons) ‘King of the Pippins’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) ‘ Beauty’, ‘Merton Charm’, ‘Merton Delight’, ‘Merton Joy’, ‘Merton Knav’, ‘Merton Pearmain’, ‘Merton Pippin’, ‘Merton Prolific’, ‘Merton Reinette’, ‘Merton Russet & Merton Worcester’ (M.B. Crane, Merton) ‘Minier’s Dumpling’ (Isaac Swainson, Twickenham) ‘Mitchelson’s Seedling’ (Mitchelson, Kingston-upon-Thames) ‘Morris’s Russet’ (Morris, Brentford) ‘Pine Golden Pippin’, ‘Pomme Poire & Prince of Wales’ (Royal Horticultural Society Chiswick garden) ‘Reverend W. Wilks’ (Chelsea) ‘Royal Jubilee’ (John Graham, Brentford) ‘Scarlet Pearmain’ (, ) ‘Stirling Castle’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) ‘Storey’s Seedling’ (R.O.C. Storey, Park) Other varieties of APPLE grown in the London area & still available: Blenheim Orange, Chad’s Favourite, Devonshire Quarenden, Golden Knob, Golden Noble, Kentish Fillbasket; Kerry Pippin, Keswick Codlin, London Pearmain, New Hawthornden, Ribston Pippin, Yorkshire Greening

CHERRIES ‘Black Tartarian Cherry’ (Hugh Ronalds, Brentford) ‘Morello & River’s Early’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) ‘Biggareau’; ‘Knight’s Early Black’; ‘May Duke’

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PEARS ‘Hessle’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) ‘Passe Colmar’ (Chapman, Brentford & R.D. Blackmore, Teddington) ‘Pitmaston Duchess’ (John Wilmot, Isleworth, A.W. Smith, Feltham & R.D. Blackmore, Teddington) ‘Williams bon Chretie’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham, R.D. Blackmore, Teddington & Williams, ). Other varieties of PEARS grown in the London area & still available: Alexandrina Bivot, Autumn Nelis, Beurre Jean van Geert, Beurre Clairgeau, Beurre D’Amanlis, Beurre d’Anjou, Beurre D’Assomption, Beurre Hardy, Beurre Superfin, Bishop’s Thumb, Doyenne Boussoch, Doyenne D’Alencon, Doyenne du Comis, Duchesse D’Angouleme, Durondeau, Easter Beurre, Fondante d’Automne, Fondante du Comice, Huyshe’s Victoria, Jargonelle, Josephine de Malines, Louise Bonne, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Madame Treyve, Marie Louise, Napoleon, Nouveau Poiteau, Olivier de Serris, Seckle, Soldat Laboureur, Suffolk Thorn, Vicar of Winkfield, Winter Nelis

PLUMS ‘Czar’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) ‘Early Orleans’ (Hampton Court & John Wilmot, Isleworth) ‘Fotheringham’ (Sir William Temple, Sheen) ‘Gisborne’s’, ‘Monarch’, ‘Orleans’, ‘Pond’s Seedlin’ & ‘Prince of Wales’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham)

Other varieties of PLUMS grown in the London area & still available -Belle de Septembre, Pershore, Reine- Claude-Violette, Washington

OTHER FRUITS Blackcurrant –‘ Baldwin’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) Gooseberry – ‘Crown bob’, ‘Lancashire Lad’, ‘Whinhams Industry’ & ‘White Lion’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) Grape – ‘Black Hamburgh’ Raspberry - ‘Raby Castle’ (A.W. Smith, Feltham) Rhubarb – ‘Daw’s Champion’, ‘Dawe’s Challenge’, ‘Myatt’s Victoria’ (developed by Myatt’s of , Surrey), ‘Myatt’s Linnaeus’, ‘Red Champagne’ Strawberry – ‘Keen’s Seedling’

3 Where can I buy Heritage Variety plants and seeds?

4 Find out more

Please visit our project website to find details: www.jamyesterdayjamtomorrow.com

This factsheet was compiled and written by Carolyn Timms, Research and Oral History Volunteer.

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