of that miserable sort which used in old days to be 

 made of barley or beans, may contribute not a little 

 to the sweetening their blood and correcting- their 

 juices ; for the inhabitants of mountainous districts, 

 to this day, are still liable to the itch and other cuta- 

 neous disorders, from poverty of diet. 



As to the produce of a garden, every middle-aged 

 person of observation may perceive, within his own 

 memory, both in town and country, how vastly the 

 consumption of vegetables is increased. Green-stalls 

 in cities now support multitudes in a comfortable 

 state, whilst gardeners get fortunes. Every decent 

 labourer has his garden, which is half his support, as 

 well as his delight ; and common farmers provide 

 plenty of beans, peas, and greens, for their hinds to 

 eat with their bacon ; and those few that do not are 

 despised for their sordid parsimony, and looked 

 upon as regardless of the welfare of their depend- 

 ants. Potatoes have prevailed in this little district, 

 by means of premiums, within these twenty years 

 only ; and are much esteemed here now by the poor, 

 who would scarce have ventured to taste them in 

 the last reign. 



Our Saxon ancestors certainly had some sort of 

 cabbage, because they call the month of February 

 sprout-cale ; * but, long after their days, the cultiva- 



* March was the stormy month with our Saxon ancestors ; May, 

 Thromilchi, the cows being then milked three times a-day ; June, dig 

 and weed month ; September, barley month. — Mitford. 



87 



