V 335 Philip Miller's Biografin THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR: CONTAINING A PLAIN AND ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF ALL THE DIFFERENT SPECIES AND VARIETIES OF CULINARY VEGETABLES; WITH THE MOST APPROVED METHOD OF CULTIVATING THEM AND THE BEST MODE OF COOKING THEM; Alphabetically Arranged. TOGETHER WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE PHYSICAL HERBS IN GENERAL USE, &c. ALSO, SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LIFE OF PHILIP MILLER, F.R.S. Chelsea. BY JOHN ROGERS, AUTHOR OF "THE FRUIT CULTIVATOR." SECOND EDITION. LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS, PATERNOSTER-Row. INTRODUCTION. 513322 R58 1843 FEW will deny how essentially necessary the kitchen-garden is to the comforts and conveniences of civilised life; indeed, scarcely a day in the course of the year passes away without our being reminded of its utility by the many varieties of nutritious and wholesome vegetables with which our tables are supplied. This being the case, it cannot be disputed that next in importance to the actual possession of such a garden must be the knowledge of its most profitable management, for it is notoriously the fact, that for want of possessing this knowledge many gardens are quite unworthy of the name, and prove rather a source of vexation and loss to their possessors, than a means of pleasure and advantage. To supply this, desideratum to the young horticulturist or amateur gardener, the present work is intended; its particular objects being to furnish the best information on the most approved methods of M749402 cultivating the various vegetables by natural and artificial means (to which pursuit the author has been devoted for upwards of half a century), and to supply what further information on the subject he conceives likely to prove interesting and useful. For these latter purposes he has been induced to follow the products of the garden beyond their cultivation, and after treating of their nutritious qualities, he has added, in many instances, the best modes of cooking them. If in so doing any one should be disposed to remark that the author has gone away from his proper subject, he has only to reply, that in thus digressing he has not lost sight of the cui bono; and if this utility, which has been his object, shall be attained by the information thus afforded, he shall not regret the time and labour expended on his task. It will be unnecessary for the writer to speak of the many advantages attending the cultivation of the garden, and more particularly as this work is not intended to instil a taste for the pursuit, so much as to direct that taste (previously acquired) into the best and most advantageous channels. That gardening is a healthy occupation no one will deny; and that, while it bestows health on the body, it is calculated to give serenity to the mind, will be equally undisputed. It has afforded in all ages a pleasing relief from the troubles and anxieties of the world to some of the busiest actors on the stage of life; and when ambition and its objects have lost their zest, and wealth has ceased to please, or disappointment has produced disgust, the pursuit of gardening has become the chief attraction of retirement, and in numerous instances has gilded the evening of life with the blessings of health and contentment. Among its lovers and practical admirers it can boast of many of the most honoured names in the departments of literature and science. In all ages, indeed, the successful cultivation of the garden has been coeval with a nation's greatest prosperity; and in the present day, the country in which it is most perfectly managed, is that most highly distinguished for its wealth and science. The British nation is indeed pre-eminent in this respect, and the British garden is superior to all others. This, however, was not always the case; for not only are we indebted to the Continent for the first introduction of the greater number of our culinary vegetables, but down to the reign of Queen Elizabeth it was cus |