148 HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



very young artichokes being here frequently in demand. 

 Many baskets were filled with celery tops and leaves, but 

 no blanched stalks appeared. The quantity of very fine 

 silver-skinned onions was remarkably great. 



Some articles not usually seen in our home markets, 

 were here very common. Among these the navet or French 

 turnip may first be mentioned ; it was indeed the only kind 

 of turnip at this time in the market, and the specimens 

 were large and clean. Kidney-beans or haricots, of seve- 

 ral different varieties not common with us, were in vast 

 profusion : the shelled beans were now most common, but 

 many baskets of the green siliques also appeared. Ham- 

 burgh parsley roots were frequent ; and as much shallot and 

 garlic appeared this morning as MrMacdonald thinks would 

 serve the Edinburgh market for a year. Love-apples or 

 tomatoes were to be seen on every stall. Pompions or po- 

 tirons were numerous, and some of them of large dimensions. 

 Large cucumbers, chiefly of the white variety, were pretty 

 common ; but the gurkins or small cucumbers, here called 

 cornichans, were all of the green sort, forming, perhaps, a 

 distinct variety ; the number of baskets of these brought to 

 market this morning appeared surprising. 



Green purslane, chervil, burnet, and large-leaved lambV 

 lettuce, here called mache ronde or doucette, seemed to be 

 the favourite salad herbs ; with flowers of the Indian-cress 

 or capucine. 



Vast quantities of melons came to market along with the 

 culinary vegetables, being evidently raised by the same cul- 

 tivators. They were chiefly of the large netted varieties of 

 Nonfleur and Coulommiers, and not of fine quality ; some 

 rock Cantelopes, however, were very good. Baskets of 

 grapefl were numerous enough ; but the bunches were in 

 general small, and only a few of the berries on each bunch 



