240 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 
early vegetables which he saw. He describes some gardens 
where the beds were raised, sloping a little towards the sun, 
and “ most of them were at this time (February) covered with 
glass frames, which could be taken off at will. . . . Russian 
matting over these, and straw over that four inches thick. 
These contained cauliflowers some four inches high. In the 
rest of the field were ‘ bell-glasses/ under which also cauliflower- 
plants were set 3 or 4 under each bell-glass. Besides the 
afore-named beds, there were here long asparagus-beds. Their 
height above the ground was two feet; on the top they were 
similarly covered with glass, matting, and straw, which had 
just been all taken off at midday. The Asparagus under them 
was one inch high and considerably thick/’ 1 Radishes were 
also grown in the same garden, and the beds covered with 
mats. In the month of May, he says, the vegetables which 
were most numerous round London were beans, peas, cab¬ 
bages of different sorts, leeks, chives, radishes, lettuce (salad), 
asparagus, and spinach. He writes of Chelsea: “ There is 
scarcely anything else than either orchards or vegetable market 
gardens, and large fields all planted full of all kinds of small 
trees for sale.” 
Thus it will be seen that great strides had been made in 
vegetable culture. In some things, however, gardeners still 
had very primitive ideas. When, in 1729, an aloe (Agave) 
flowered in “ Mr. Cowell’s garden at Hoxton,” there was great 
excitement as to how it should be kept through the winter. 2 
The plant was then 20 feet high, and an erection of wood 
and glass was built over it, and stoves placed outside with 
pipes to “ convey a due proportion of heat,” and it was so 
arranged that the structure could be heightened, if necessary, 
to suit the “ unexpected growth of this famous plant.” They 
must have been much distressed to find all this care and 
expense of little use, as not only the flower, but most of the 
plant itself, was bound to perish after flowering. 
A great many of the vegetables grown in these market 
1 Kaim's Visit to England, translated by Joseph Lucas, 1892. 
2 A True Account of the Aloe Americana or Africana now in Flower in 
Mr. CowelVs Garden at Hoxton. ... The like wherof has never been seen 
in England before. 1729. 
