170 Gleanings in Old Garden Liter attire. 



being well understood; he expresses his 

 surprise that it was not cultivated to a 

 greater extent, since an acre of asparagus 

 would, in a short time, yield more profit 

 than ten acres sown with corn. Artichokes 

 in England, he observes, lasted the greatest 

 part of the year, much longer than in Italy. 

 Cucumbers were then eaten when they were 

 big and yellow, in England ; in Italy they 

 ate them when small and green. The 

 English had two plentiful crops of straw- 

 berries, the first in the middle of June, 

 the second in October. 



As regards asparagus, the English did not 

 neglect the suggestion that it might be 

 advantageously grown in the vicinity of a 

 profitable market. A fair quantity is still 

 cultivated at Mortlake. Since Bacon's time, 

 the strain of the strawberry had no doubt 

 improved; but I hardly understand what 

 Castelvetri intends by a second crop in 

 October. The first is now seldom ready in 

 the open air before July, except in very 

 sheltered localities ; but October sorts are 

 unknown. 



