The P R E FA C E. 



ing to the correfpondence that the nobili- 

 ty and gentry of Great Britain (that now 

 equal, if not much excel the French and 

 Dutch in their curious collections of feed) 

 have abroad; but the fecond is owing to 

 the induftry and skill of our Kitchen Gar- 

 diners only, who are now behind no coun- 

 try in tieir performances. Heretofore it 

 was counted a rare thing to cut melons 

 by the middle of June^ or perhaps the lat- 

 ter end, tho' now the latter end of Aprils 

 or beginning of Maj'y is the feafon for the 

 fir ft crop. 



And as the fruits that ^row in the 

 Kitchen Garden are fo much more accele- 

 rated now than they VvTue heretofore, fo 

 are the legumes and herbacious rooted plants, 

 the coUyflower in particular, that never 

 fliew'd its beautifiil head above three or 

 four months in the year, appears now above 

 fix or feven, farnifhing the tables of the 

 curious all that while with its wholefome 

 nourifliment ; and by good management 

 mocks the feverity of our unfteady cli- 

 mate. 



The phafeoluSy or kidney bean, that 

 ufed not (but was thought too tender) to 

 be Town till the beginning or middle of 

 Al)nlj is now, by the means of frames and 



glafles. 



