As to the produce of a garden, every middle-aged person of
observation may perceive, within his own memory, both in town
and country, how vastly the consumption of vegetables is
increased. Green-stalls in cities now support multitudes in a
comfortable state, while gardeners get fortunes. Every decent
labourer also has his garden, which is half his support, as well as
his delight; and common farmers provide plenty of beans, peas,
and greens, for their hinds to eat with their bacon; and those few
that do not are despised for their sordid parsimony, and looked
upon as regardless of the welfare of their dependents. Potatoes
have prevailed in this little district, by means of premiums, within
these twenty years only; and are much esteemed here now by the
poor, who would scarce have ventured to taste them in the last
reign.
Our Saxon ancestors certainly had some sort of cabbage, because
they call the month of February sprout-cale; but, long after their
days, the cultivation of gardens was little attended to.
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