Subtirbs of Lonaon< 119 



and it is the only species of the latter which 

 is eaten on the hither side of the Tweed. 



The suburbs of London were enjoying in 

 the time of James I., as they probably had 

 under his predecessor, a high character for 

 the vegetables, especially cabbages and 

 lettuces, which they sent to market. Busino 

 the Italian, who was here in 1617 18, and 

 who disparages our wine and our fruit, speaks 

 highly of our cabbages. It is highly curious 

 to find a custom, which I remember still 

 prevalent at Brompton in and about 1840, 

 mentioned by our visitor as coming under 

 his observation more than two centuries 

 before I allude to the practice of partaking 

 of fruit at the nurseries, and gathering it 

 on the spot ; and another odd thing Busino 

 noted, which was the way the people in 

 London had of eating fruit in the streets as 

 they went along, as well as at places of 

 amusement. 



It is incidentally brought to light, at the 

 same time, that in 1619 the prices for some 

 descriptions of vegetables were extravagantly 

 high. Lysons says that " in the bill for 



