276 Observations on the Gardening of Belgium, 



it is, the work is very reasonable in its price; and contains a 

 great deal of information ; chiefly, however, selected from the 

 Gardener^s Magazine and other English books. Many of the 

 articles are by far too scientific for the practical gardener : but 

 its greatest fault, and that which must ultimately prove its ruin, 

 is, its want of punctuality ; as, for instance, a number bearing- 

 date Jan. 1835 will, perhaps, not appear until April, 1835; so 

 that the articles relating to the culture for the month of January 

 are completely lost to the amateur and gardener, by being pub- 

 lished three months too late. 



The Peasantry of Belgium strongly resemble, in their habits 

 and bigotry, the Irish. Their food is generally buttermilk and 

 potatoes ; and, though their cottages are better built, being made, 

 generally of good substantial brick and mortar, and kept clean 

 by a coat of whitewash, the dunghill, pigsty, and cow-stable 

 almost always adorn the entrance to the house. Few peasants 

 are without a pig and cow : the latter is indispensable to those 

 who have land ; because, the soil being sandy to excess, cow- 

 dung is a manure which suits it the best. They are much under 

 the influence of their priests, and lose many a good day's work 

 by the observance of the many holydays of the Catholic church ; 

 besides which, abstaining from animal food so often unfits them 

 for labour; and, though strongly made, yet their feeding upon 

 so much vegetable food renders them unable to support the 

 fatigue an English peasant will endure. In comparison with the 

 English and Dutch, their habits of decency and cleanliness are 

 far behind ; though, I think, they surpass the French. There 

 are but few schools in the villages : and, where there are any, 

 they are under the direction of the priests ; who think they have 

 done their duty by instructing their parishioners in the duties of 

 their religion, without attempting to teach them any of the real 

 advantages of education, such, even, as writing, reading, and 

 arithmetic : in fact, but few peasants in Belgium can read, and 

 scarcely any can write. 



The Cultivation of the Ground is certainly good, and very 

 simple ; and, though the implements of the agricultural labourers 

 are of the roughest and commonest description, and though they 

 have to toil against a very sandy soil, yet, in fair years, they 

 manage to produce good crops; which, from the nature of the 

 climate, are almost always well ripened. Liquid manure may 

 be here named, and very justly so, their summum bonum ; as, if 

 applied when the corn is sprouty, or immediately before rain, it 

 has an effect vyhich no other manure can have. It destroys 

 insects, and throws a surprising degree of vigour into the crops. 

 It is certainly very offensive to the senses, and ought to be applied 

 during the night : why it is not more generally used in England, 

 I cannot imagine ; for nothing is more simple than the way of 



