264 ffOUTICUJLTUliAL TOl T R. 



depots of sheik for sale, 

 abound in the littoral species which burrow in the sand. 

 The prevailing shells are those of the common cockle (Car- 

 dium edule), fooiVeockle (Mactra solida), and M. subtrun- 

 cata ; but fragments of other species may occasionally be ob- 

 served. The collecting of these shells is a branch of the fish- 

 erman's business on the sea-coast ; and it has been described 

 to us by a gentleman who witnessed it at Catwyk. When- 

 ever the sea breaks with a heavy surf, it throws up great 

 quantities of dead shells. The fishermen then make use of 

 a kind of net-shovel, in which they dexterously catch the 

 shells while afloat on the surface of the breakers. They 

 thus receive them clean and ready for use; pack them in- 

 stantly into carts, and afterwards send them to the depots, 

 from whence they are transported to all parts of Holland 

 by means of the canals. 



The orchards and the culinary gardens of Holland seem 

 in general to be well managed. In producing vegetables, 

 the Dutch may be regarded as excelling the Flemings ; but 

 they arc inferior to the cultivators for the London market. 

 If therefore Fowler, in his " Worthies," be correct in say- 

 ing, that kitchen-gardening " crept from Holland into 

 Kent," the English, it must be admitted, have greatly im- 

 proved upon the lesson they thus received. 



We would recommend to our Society, as soon as a Hall 

 is prepared, and a Library formed, to procure from Mr 

 M.iaskamp of Amsterdam, or Mr Althcer of Utrecht, the 

 principal Dutch publications on Horticulture; particularly 

 Knoop's " Beschrijving en Afbceldingcn van Appelen, 

 Peeren, en ondere Vrug'blomen, r> published at Dordrecht 

 in 1790; and Munting's " Bcschrijving der Ardgewas- 

 alsBoomen, Heesters, Kruidenen Bloemen,'' 1 also with 



