191.The culinary vegetables of Holland are brought to great perfection. All the plants of culture, and especially the cabbage tribe, turnip, onion, carrot, &c., are grown to a large size, and are very succulent. Of plants edible in their natural state, as the parsley and other herbs, and the fungi, they have excellent varieties. For leguminous crops the climate is sometimes too moist in the early part of the season; nevertheless the Dutch grow in perfection the Dutch runner kidney-bean, and the scarlet runner. Brussels is noted for the greens or sprouts, which bear the name of that town; and Van Mons informs us (Hort. Trans. vol. iii. p. 197.) that they are, mentioned in the market regulations of that city so early as 1213. Dr. Neill and his companions, in 1817, found the markets of Ghent and Amsterdam better supplied with culinary vegetables than any others in the Low Countries. The cauliflower was excellent. The Dutch also excel in asparagus, carrots, and purslane.
