304 The Natural History of Se I borne 



contribute not a little to the sweetening their blood and 

 correcting their juices; for the inhabitants of mountainous 

 districts to this day are still liable to the itch and other cuta- 

 neous disorders, from a wretchedness and poverty of diet. 



As to the produce of a garden, every middle-aged person 

 of observation may perceive, within his own memory, both in 

 town and country, how vastly the consumption of vegetables is 

 increased. Green-stalls in cities now support multitudes in a 

 comfortable state, while gardeners get fortunes. Every decent 

 labourer also has his garden, which is half his support, as well 

 as his delight ; and common farmers provide plenty of beans, 

 peas, and greens, for their hinds to eat with their bacon ; and 

 those few that do not are despised for their sordid parsimony, 

 and looked upon as regardless of the welfare of their depen- 

 dents. Potatoes have prevailed in this little district by means 

 of premiums within these twenty years only; and are much 

 esteemed here now by the poor, who would scarce have ven- 

 tured to taste them in the last reign. 



Our Saxon ancestors certainly had some sort of cabbage, 

 because they call the month of February " sprout cale " ; but 

 long after their days the cultivation of gardens was little at- 

 tended to. The religious, being men of leisure, and keeping 

 up a constant correspondence with Italy, were the first people 

 among us that had gardens and fruit-trees in any perfection 

 within the wall of their abbeys * and priories. The barons 

 neglected every pursuit that did not lead to war or tend to 

 the pleasure of the chase. 



It was not till gentlemen took up the study of horticulture 

 themselves that the knowledge of gardening made such hasty 

 advances. Lord Cobham, Lord Ila, and Mr. Waller, of 

 Beaconsfield, were some of the first people of rank that pro- 

 moted the elegant science of ornamenting without despising 

 the superintendence of the kitchen quarters and fruit walls. 



* " In monasteries the lamp of knowledge continued to burn, however 

 dimly. In them men of business were formed for the state : the art of 

 writing was cultivated by the monks ; they were the only proficients in 

 mechanics, gardening, and architecture." See DALRYMPLE'S "ANNALS 

 OF SCOTLAND." 



