190 THE POSSIBILITIES 



In the neighbourhoods of Cherbourg it is 

 upon land conquered from the sea that the best 

 vegetables are grown more than 800 acres of that 

 land being given to potatoes expo^ad to London ; 

 another 500 acres are given to cauliflower ; 125 

 acres to Brussels sprouts ; and so on. Potatoes 

 grown under glass are also sent to the London 

 market from the middle of April, and the total 

 export of vegetables from Cherbourg to England 

 attains 300,000 cwts., while from the small port 

 of Barfleur another 100,000 cwts. are sent to this 

 country, and about 60,000 cwts. to Paris. Nay, 

 in a quite small commune, Surtainville, near Cher- 

 bourg, 2,800 are made out of 180 acres of market- 

 gardens, three crops being taken every year : 

 cabbage in February, early potatoes next, and 

 various crops in the autumn to say nothing of 

 the catch crops. 



At Ploustagel one hardly believes that he is 

 in Brittany. Melons used to be grown at that 

 spot, long since, in the open fields, with glass 

 frames to protect them from the spring frost, 

 and green peas were grown under the protection 

 of rows of furze which sheltered them from the 

 northern winds. Now, whole fields are covered 

 with strawberries, roses, violets, cherries and 

 plums, down to the very sea beach.* Even the 

 landes are reclaimed, and we are told that in five 



* Ardouin Dumazet, Voyage en France, vol. v., p. 200. 



