AMSTERDAM. 223 



The only vegetable which had, to us, any appearance of 

 novelty, was the Hamburgh parsley root ; not that this is 

 unknown in Scottish gardens, or in Covcnt-Garden mar- 

 ket ; but it is little attended to in Britain ; whereas, in 

 Holland, it is in high esteem, and is seen plentifully on the 

 green-stalls, — being constantly eaten along with perch and 

 carp, in the national dish of waterzootje. 



It was not the season for seeing in the market several of 

 the most common and useful vegetables, such as borecoles^ 

 Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and asparagus. For the culti- 

 vation of this last, the Dutch are celebrated ; and we had 

 even heard that it was supplied by the gardeners till Au- 

 gust or September : this, however, is a mistake, for we are ' 

 assured that there has been none in the Amsterdam market 

 for more than two months past. No doubt, if the young 

 shoots be regularly cut over, as they appear on the stools, 

 new shoots will of course be put forth during the greater 

 part of the summer, though at the expence of the plants, 

 which are likely to become exhausted and useless. This 

 experiment may be tried, and will succeed equally well in 

 Britain as in Holland. Sea-cale, which is so deservedly a 

 favourite with us, does not seem to be known to Dutch hor- 

 ticulturists ; at least, the blanching of it is not understood 

 nor practised. 



As far as we could learn, all sorts of culinary vegetables 

 are comparatively cheap in Amsterdam ; and the supply is 

 copious and regular. Those brought from a great distance 

 and kept crowded in almost promiscuous heaps for a length 

 of time, are not perhaps so delicate in flavour as might be 

 wished; — but the Diemer-mere moestuins, situate only a 

 short way to the southward of the city, furnish vegetables 

 not liable to such contamination or injury. The Diemer- 

 mere was, as the name implies, formerly a lake. It now ap~ 



