GARDEN IIL.SBANDRY. 



constant manuring it has been con- 

 verted into a very ricli mould, abound- 

 ing in humus. From its porous nature 

 and the frecjucnt recurrence of dry 

 summers, it would jjroduce little with- 

 out constant and abundant watering. 

 The raising of water from numerous 

 wells dispersed through the grounds, 

 and conveying it to the growing plants, 

 is the most laborious part of the 

 work : during the whole summer this 

 labour is incessant. There are large 

 stone cisterns in which the water is 

 allowed to remain, that it may ac- 

 quire the temperature of the air ; and 

 from these it is carried by pipes into 

 various channels which intersect the 

 garden in every direction. These 

 gardeners divide the season into 

 three periods. The first begins in 

 October, when they sow lettuces in 

 a hot-bed, which are pricked out a 

 month after, and planted finally in a 

 sheltered border about the end of 

 January, the ground having been 

 well dug and abundantly manured 

 with very rotten dung taken from the 

 hot-beds. At the same time, they sow 

 radishes and leeks among the lettuces. 

 The radishes are sold by the end of 

 March, the lettuces in May, and the 

 leeks in June. This completes the 

 first season. The ground is now 

 dug again, and manured with fresh 

 long stable-dung, mixed with the 

 earth of which the hot-beds were 

 formed ; in this they plant alternate 

 rows of endive or scarolles (both va- 

 rieties of chicory), and of cucumbers, 

 which produce gherkins for pickling 

 and sauces. The endive is sold in 

 July, and the small cucumbers con- 

 tinue to be gathered till September. 

 In the third season, which is the 

 shortest, another digging and dung- 

 ing is given, after which they sow- 

 radishes and small winter-salad, of 

 which the French have a great vari- 

 ety. Winter endive is also planted 

 for blanching. From this statement 

 it appears that the ground produces 

 a constant succession of culinary 

 vegetables, and that it is manured 

 thrice in the year. The great object 

 is to have a rapid succession, and to 

 allow no plant to occupy the ground 

 316 



long. Cabbages, cauliflowers, aspar- 

 agus, artichokes, and other vegeta- 

 bles which remain a long time on tlie 

 ground, are cultivated at a greater 

 distance from Paris, where the land 

 lets at a lower rate. These plants 

 will bear to be carried to a greater 

 distance than the delicate vegetables 

 which are used chiefly in a raw state 

 as salads. The only perennial plant 

 in the gardens of the Maraichers is 

 sorrel, of which there is a great con- 

 sumption. This is continually dung- 

 ed and watered to accelerate its 

 growth, and is cut many times in the 

 season. It must, however, be allowed 

 that this forcing with manure and 

 water, although it produces large and 

 delicate fibres, does not give the fla- 

 vour which belongs to vegetables 

 grown in common earth, and which 

 have had a more natural growth. 



"The market-gardens near London 

 are on a larger scale, and if they pro- 

 duce fewer salads and pot-herbs, they 

 produce better and more substantial 

 vegetables, and likewise a consider- 

 able quantity of fruit. 



" The best soil is a moist alluvial 

 loam deposited from repeated over- 

 flowings of the Thames, which are 

 now prevented by banks or dikes ; 

 but an increased demand for vegeta- 

 bles has caused much inferior soils 

 to be cultivated as gardens, and in- 

 creased labour and manure have sup- 

 plied the deficiency in natural fertil- 

 ity. The gardeners' year properly 

 begins in autumn, when the land is 

 dug, or, rather, trenched, and well 

 manured. Various vegetables which 

 will be required in winter are now 

 sown, and especially those which are 

 to produce plants to be set out in 

 spring ; spinach, onions, radishes, and 

 winter salads are sown, and when the 

 weather is severe, are protected by 

 a slight covering of straw or mats. 

 In February, the cauliflowers which 

 have been raised in frames or under 

 hand-glasses are planted out. The 

 cabbage plants are pricked out. The 

 radishes, onions, and salads go to 

 market as soon as they are of suffi- 

 cient size, and sugar-loaf cabbages 

 succeed them. As the cauliflowers 



