30 JANUARY 1942, Page 14

Flowers in War-time Is it wrong for us to grow

flowers in war-time? The answer given by some of those who grow them on a considerable scale is that they can hardly help themselves. Their business is enmeshed with flowery cogs. Without going far afield I may quote two examples from my own county. In one establishment the long greenhouses used for the maincrop (of tomatoes) are set on rails, and as soon as the last of the fruit has been picked the whole of the superstructure is slid forward over rose bushes which, of course, are a fixture. In the other example, the alleged sin of flower-growing is practised by the County Station, which is the home of the County Agricultural Committee. There the rotation in the glasshouses always ends with a crop or two of flowers, mostly chrysanthemums and carnations The verdict is that on the land, especially if it is glass-covered. you cannot change systems in a hurry. The flower 2, of course, need much less heat than the fruit or the vegetables. "'We have a less good excuse in our open gardens or anywhere after the warmer weather begins. Where, for example, a wide herbaceous border has not been recently renewed it might be wise, as well as patriotic, to devote the whole 10 vegetables.