470 



THE MARKET GARDENS OF PARIS. 



Cantaloupe Melon, and he also first grew tlie Spanisli or 

 Sweet Potato. The first who forced white Asparagus was 

 one Quentien, about the year 1792; the green Asparagus 

 was also first forced by the same about 1800. One Bas- 

 nard first forced the Cauliflower about the year 1811. The 

 first forced Cos lettuces ajopeared about 1812^ and the 

 Endive about the same time by Baptiste Quentien. The 

 Carrot was first forced in 1826 by M. Gros. 



The workmen employed in these market gardens work^ 

 like their masters^ very hard_, but are pretty well paid. 

 From inquiries made from difi'erent cultivators^ the wages 

 are from fifty to seventy-five francs per month with 

 board and lodging. They have no fixed hours for work as 

 with us^ but in summer begin with the dawn and in winter 

 hours before it. They often commence work at three in 

 the mornings and continue it till eight in the evening in 

 summer. In the dark winter mornings they cannot of 

 course work in the gardens^ but they can take the produce 

 to market and go for the ever necessary manure. After 

 a visit to one of these places I was invited by the pro- 

 prietor to take a glass of wine with him. Hardly were we 

 seated to this before he spoke some words from the door^ 

 and presently in came his two workmen^ sunburnt^ strong 

 men^ working barefooted in the soft moist soil of the garden^ 

 and they also had their glass of Bordeaux^ touched our 

 glasses^ and again went out to work. I afterwards learnt 

 that this was the rule with them — anything the master has 

 the workmen partake of. Under these circumstances the gulf 

 of distrust, and consequently other evils that exist where 

 the workman is treated as a far inferior being, cannot be. 

 M. Courtois Gerard says that to cultivate a garden of two 

 and a half acres devoted to forcing in frames, and open air 

 culture, it is necessary to have five or six persons — that is 

 to say, the master and mistress, two men, a girl and a boy. 



As to the masters, I was informed that many of them 

 could not read or write ; but noticed notwithstanding a good 

 barometer in each house. They well know the value of this 

 instrument, and I was told by one of the very best of them 

 that it was of the greatest use to him in his cultivation, by 

 helping him to take precautionary measuj'es and adapt his 



