No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 627 



from the animal, he considered the life processes of the plant and 

 thus dealt with the problems of the modern scientist; in other 

 words, he concerned himself with pure science. The spirit of inves- 

 tigation thus begun was continued for awhile by a favorite pupil. 

 After the death of the latter, the so-called herbalists contented 

 themselves with the search for plants useful as drugs. They did not 

 even attempt to find new plants and new drugs, but their great aim 

 was to find those mentioned in the works of the older w^'iters, chiefly 

 those of the great physician, Dioscorides, whose book on drugs was 

 used as an authority from his time, the 2nd century of our era 

 until the Middle Ages. 



Meanwhile horticulture was progressing along practical lines. 

 Roses, peonies, lilies and rosemary were cultivated. We hear of the 

 first winter garden in the 12th century. The famous Albertus Mag- 

 nus, a magician of great renown, showed to William, King of Hol- 

 land, a room full of blooming plants in the middle of winter. This 

 was considered on a par with his supposed ability of making gold 

 and the construction of an automatic talking machine, which was 

 supposed to be endowed with the Elixir of Life. To accomplish 

 all these wonders the famous necromancer was accused of having 

 practiced the Black Art and narrowly escaped serious consequences. 

 What would the Dutch Ejng have thought of even the most modest 

 exhibits of a modern horticultural society or the hothouse dainties 

 of apricots, crab apples, strawberries, grapes, pears, cucumbers, 

 asparagus and mushrooms, such as they are to be seen on Chestnut 

 Street every day of this cold and severe winter? Botany and horti- 

 culture certainly continued along different lines. Botany consisted 

 merely in the naming of plants, and even when the great discoveries 

 came to pass the herbalists continued to devote their energies to 

 the finding of the plants of Dioscorides for which they looked indus- 

 triouslv in the countries of the New World. 



From the time when the Arabians overran Europe in the 7th cen- 

 tury until modern times, some of the most important gardens were 

 within the walls of Benedictine monasteries. Here were to be found 

 beds of vegetables, such as radishes, cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, 

 beans and leaks; other beds consisting of medicinal herbs, with the 

 healing qualities of which the monks were well acquainted; other 

 beds consisting of plants used as spices in cooking, but most of 

 which would be offensive to modern palates. Numerous varieties 

 of apples and pears were raised on espaliers, the monks making a 

 great specialty of the fine quality of fruit. Gardens such as those 

 of the 14th century are still in existence. If one visits Florence for 

 ever so short a time he should not miss a trip to Certosa, a famous 

 monastery dating from 1341. Here are to be seen regular beds of 

 roses and all kinds of old-fashioned flowers, kitchen herbs and medi- 

 cinal plants. In early summer there is an overwhelming scent of 

 lavender. On the walls are trained fruit trees and the monks, in 

 their picturesque garbs, glide as silently through the paths as they 

 did centuries ago. 



All plants were cultivated at first primarily for their utility, and 

 it is probable that the rose itself first forced its way into horticul- 

 ture by a false pretence of some medicinal virtue. The flowers 

 which people used for bouquets were gathered from the fields. 



