in the North-west of France. 
93 
lowed by early cauliflowers and cos-lettuces, and again by late 
cauliflowers and cos-lettuces. 
On one of the courses in each year the latest kind of celery is 
grown instead of cauliflowers. The crop is pulled up in 
November, and put in trenches to preserve the plants until 
March, when celery is both scarce and dear. As a rule the 
course of cropping of each piece of land is changed every year. 
Men begin work during the season at three o'clock in the 
morning, and they receive 3/. per month wages in addition to 
board and lodging. M. Laurent keeps three labourers, and 
he and his wife also do their part in this hard business. If 
we reckon rent, rates, and taxes, expenditure on manure and 
labour, including keep and the wages of himself and wife, keep 
of horse, cost of seed, repairs, and interest on capital, it seems 
to me that the outgoings on this garden of 2\ acres cannot be 
much less than 800/. per annum, and the marvel is that, even 
with such a succession of crops as I have indicated, it can be 
made to pay. 
At St. Denis, one of the gardens which I visited w as managed 
on the same system as those just described. It was remarkably 
well done, and when I saw it was more than half covered with 
a luxuriant crop of celery, which was then receiving a copious 
watering, and would soon be blanched by being covered with 
straw. The celery had been preceded by melons, and these by 
various salads, again preceded by carrots. On one plot there had 
been six crops in the year up to the date of my visit, Sept. 14. 
This garden contained a trifle under two acres, and the rent 
was 80/. per annum, including, as in the preceding cases, the 
house and other " etceteras." The gardener informed me that 
his total expenses of all kinds amounted to 28^. (35 francs') per 
diem, money paid out of pocket, or 511/. per annum. 
The other garden was two miles farther north of Paris, and 
although not so well managed the system was the same, with the 
exception that very early vegetables could not be grown, I was 
told, as they are at Vaugirard, this being a much later district. 
The garden was 2 acres 16 perches in extent, the rent was 5G/. 
per annum, or the same as M. Lecomte's at Vaugirard for half 
the area, and the expenditure on manure did not exceed 80/. per 
annum, being much less than M. Lecomte's. This latter differ- 
ence doubtless has much to answer for, and I quote it chiefly 
to show that the enormous expenditure on the other gardens is 
not reckless or wasteful, but is deliberately adopted as the result 
of the experience of generations as the best means of obtaining 
small vegetables and delicate salads, when those luxuries 
command the high price which the Parisian gourmet is willing 
to pay. 
