366 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



grown) being preferred as an early pea. In order to bring peas 

 to early maturity, or rather to a state for sale, a ridge of land or 

 high furrow is thrown up in a direction from east to west, and 

 the peas are planted on the south side of this ridge at the bot 

 tom of the furrow. In this way the young plants are protected 

 from the cold winds on one side, and enjoy the warm rays of the 

 sun reflected on the other. This is a simple and excellent 

 arrangement, especially in a climate where we may say, with 

 some truth, that a handful of sunshine is worth much more than 

 its weight in gold. 



Carrots and turnips are of the finest quality, and always sold 

 in bunches. The orange carrot seems preferred for the table ; 

 the Belgian white for stock. Onions are generally eaten small. 

 They are planted early in the autumn, and gathered in July and 

 August. Spinach, endive, cresses, lettuces, are always in the 

 market, either forced or grown in the open ground. Blood- 

 beets I have scarcely seen, either in the markets or on table, 

 unless pickled in vinegar. The fine egg-plant, so common in the 

 New York and Philadelphia markets, does not appear to be 

 known here. That most luscious vegetable, the sweet potato, 

 of course cannot be grown. I have once seen some for sale at a 

 shop window, and, thinking I would indulge in a reminiscence 

 of home, I found, on weighing, at the price asked, a single potato 

 would be Is. bd. or 37J cents. Of course it ended in inquiry : 

 and I was obliged to be satisfied with other forms of remem 

 brance. Of squashes, they can scarcely be said to have any. 

 They have a very inferior kind, which they dignify with the 

 name of vegetable marrow ; but of our fine crook-neck and 

 Canada squashes, or our autumnal vegetable marrow, nothing 

 is seen, and their excellence cannot be appreciated without being 

 tasted. Of our delicious green Indian corn, of course they have 

 none. Cucumbers are always in the market. In the early part 

 of the season, they are forced ; in the latter part of the season, 

 they grow out of doors. Every possible pains is taken to 

 protect their plants, as may be seen by the hundreds of hand 

 glass frames and bass mattings which are to be found in every 

 extensive vegetable garden. 



There are four species of plants, or edible vegetables, in which, 

 it must be admitted, the English markets cannot be surpassed, 

 at least in the size of their products. They are asparagus, 



