WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GARDENING. 77 



to seed. Blessed is that sort which comes to 

 a head, and so remains, like a few people 1 

 know; growing more solid and satisfactory 

 and tender at the same time, and whiter at 

 the centre, and crisp in -tjieir maturity. 

 Lettuce, like conversation, requires a good 

 deal of oil, to avoid friction, and keep the 

 company smooth ; a pinch of attic salt ; a 

 dash of pepper ; a quantity of mustard and 

 vinegar, by all means, but so mixed that you 

 will notice no sharp contrasts ; and a trifle 

 of sugar. You can put anything, and the 

 more things the better, into salad, as into 

 a conversation ; but everything depends upon 

 the skill of mixing. I feel that I am in 

 the best society when I am with lettuce. 

 It is in the select circle of vegetables. | The 

 tomato appears well on the table ; but you 

 do not want to ask its origin. It is a most 

 agreeable parvenu. Of course, I have said 

 nothing about the berries. They live in an- 

 other and more ideal region: except, per- 

 haps, the currant. Here we see that, even 

 among berries, there aredegrees of breed; 



