178 Gleanings in Old Garden Literature. 



Fuller, who wrote in the year 1660, speaking of the 

 gardens in Surrey, says, ' Gardening was first brought 

 into England for profit about seventy years ago, before 

 which we fetched most of our cherries from Holland, 

 apples from France, and had hardly a mess of rath 

 (early) ripe peas but from Holland, which were 

 dainties for ladies, they came so far, and cost so dear. 

 Since gardening hath crept out of Holland to Sand- 

 wich, Kent, and thence to Surrey, where, though they 

 have given 6 an acre and upwards, they have made 

 their rent, lived comfortably, and set many people on 

 work. Oh, the incredible profit by digging of ground ! 

 for though it be confessed, that the plough beats the 

 spade out of distance for speed (almost as much as the 

 press beats the pen), yet what the spade wants in 

 the quantity of ground it manureth, it recompenseth 

 with the plenty of the food it yieldeth, that which is 

 set multiplying abundant-fold more than that which 

 is sown. 'Tis incredible how many poor people in 

 London live thereon, so that, in some fashion, the 

 gardens feed more people than the field.' " 



This extract is very pertinent at the 

 present moment, when we are agitating the 

 expediency of reconverting into pasture the 

 unprofitable plough-land. A chronological 

 catalogue of political grievances might prove 

 curious; but it is at any rate remarkable 

 that complaint was formerly made, when 



