460 THE PAllKS AND GARDENS OF PAWS. [Chap. XXVI. 



being forcibly taught how advantageous would be a good supply 

 of water in our gardens. It is the custom to grumble about our 

 climate — the " dull," " cloudy," " changeable " climate of Britain ; 

 to speak of that of other countries as paradisaical, and to attribute 

 all our failures to " want of sun," but if we have a warm and 

 sunny season our market-supplies immediately run short, owing 

 to the absence of any preparation for watering garden-crops. In 

 some dry seasons market-gardeners who are accustomed to realise 

 hundreds of pounds for a crop, gather barely as much of it as 

 would make it worth while sending to the market ; while the 

 private growers are quite as badly off. Often in hot summer 

 when Cauliflowers in British gardens have almost disappeared 

 owing to the drought, they may be measured in the market- 

 gardens of Paris a foot in diameter and of the finest quality. We 

 have vegetables, salads and the like when the weather is dewy 

 and favourable, and where the climate is moist ; but a few weeks 

 of drought puts an end to their goodness, and should it continue, 

 everything becomes worthless. Are we in a position to boast of 

 our horticulture while this is the case ? Does the routine work, 

 which merely waits upon the seasons thus, deserve the name of 

 skill ? It is instructive to note that the very things which our 

 watery and cloudy clime is supposed to be most favourable to, are 

 to be found in greatest perfection with the French, in the drier 

 and, for vegetables, less favourable climate of Paris ! The secret 

 of it all is that the French market-gardener, in addition to tilling 

 and enriching his ground in the best manner, waters thoroughly 

 and repeatedly every crop requiring water for its perfect develop- 

 ment. Few need be reminded of the many things of which water 

 is almost the life. Extract the water from a juicy Lettuce, or 

 any other garden vegetable, and what remains ? Our soils are 

 of course saturated with water in winter, while in summer the 

 need of it leaves the vegetables mere accumulations of tough fibre. 

 I am not sanguine enough to hope that any words of mine can 

 induce cultivators to adopt plans for watering gardens effectively ; 

 but there can be no doubt whatever that it would be a decided 

 advantage to mark off in every large kitchen-garden a portion of 

 ground near the best supply of water, to make it rich and light, 

 and keep it thoroughly moist during the dry warm months ; so that 

 a few crisp delicate salads and vegetables may not during a dry 



