by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
by Ethelind Fearon
Published by Lutterworth Press, London
First published 1953 (which also appears to be the only time)
Price: 10s. 6d. net
A book full of commonsense as to market gardening and vegetable, etc. gardening in general and not just for youngsters.
The book is written in the first person, as if by a young person, and is very funny at places that will make the reader laugh out loud. I certainly have done so more than once.
The Young Market Gardeners is a book that is easy to read and the gardening advice and truths are easily absorbed.
Obviously, the money terms are something that many today will no longer have any knowledge of, e.g. Pounds, Shillings and Pence, with a Pound Sterling being made up of twenty shillings and a Shilling being made up of 12 pence. Also the compost brands and those of pesticides, etc., are something that, like £, s. and d., are part of history. Some also may have a problem with the measurements of things as Imperial measurements of inches, feet, etc., are also no longer part of most people's knowledge and the same is true for temperatures in Fahrenheit, unless one is in the USA.
Despite those little things, however, this is a book that should be put back into print quickly, in the way that it is written without changes of any sort, as it teaches some rather valuable lessons regarding the growing of vegetables. Alas, presently, this book is very much “out of print” and but a few copies seem to be left and those that do appear for sale seem to be rather costly.
If a copy can be found for a decent price then it is well worth acquiring it and that fast and then holding on to very tightly.
The Young Market Gardeners is a book that will become a much needed resource again in time to come, of that I am sure, and thus it would be good to republish it, even and especially as an E-book.
© 2010
