HORTICULTURE OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



371 



a tree that is not willing to bear fruit in our 

 cold climate." 



Full descriptions are also given of the 

 Peach, Apricot and other fruits, Goose- 

 berries, Currants, &c., with their different 

 varieties. So that whatever may be our 

 own opinions in relation to the great im- 

 provement, made in these modern days in 

 horticulture, we may not after all, be much 

 in advance of those who lived more than 

 two centuries before us. 



We find the Potato spoken of under the 

 Latin name .of Battata Virginiana sive 

 Virginianorum, Virginian Potatoes, to dis- 

 tinguish them from the sweet Potato {Bat- 

 tata Hispanorum of that time.) 



" From the leaves come forth long round 

 slender foot stalks, whereon do grow very fair 

 and pleasant flowers, made of one entire leaf, 

 which is folded or plaited in such strange 

 sort, that it seemoth to be a flower made of 

 fine sundry small leaves, which cannot 

 easily be perceived except the same be 

 pulled open. The whole flower is of a light 

 purple color, striped down the middle of 

 every fold or welt, with a light show of yel- 

 lowness, as if purple and yellow were mixed 

 together. In the middle of the flower 

 thrusteth forth a thick flat point, all yellow as 

 gold, with a sharp green prick or point in 

 the middle thereof. The fruit succeedeth 

 the flowers, round as a ball, of the bigness 

 of a little bullesse or wild plum, green at the 

 first, and black when it is ripe ; wherein is 

 contained small white seed lesser than those 

 of the mustard. The root is thick, fat and 

 tuberous, not much differing either in shape, 

 color or taste from the common Potato, 

 saving that the roots hereof are not so great 

 nor long ; some of them are round as a ball, 

 some oval or egg fashion, some longer, and 

 others shorter; the which knobby roots are 

 fastened uato the stalks with an infinite 

 number of thready strings." 



"The Place — It groweth naturally in 

 America, where it was first discovered, as 

 reports C. Clusius, since which time I have 

 received roots hereof from Virginia, other- 

 wise ca'.led Novembega, which grow and 



prosper in my garden as in their own na- 

 tive country." 



The Tomato is figured under the name of 

 Poma amoris or Apple of Love, and reported 

 to be eat in Spain when prepared and 

 boiled with pepper, salt and oil. " But they 

 yield very little nourishment to the body, 

 and the same nanght and corrupt." 



" Likewise they do eat the Apples with 

 oil, vinegar and pepper mixed together for 

 sauce to their meat, even as we in these 

 cold countries do mustard." 



Gerarde, after describing the red and 

 white Beet, says " there is likewise another 

 sort hereof, that was brought unto me from 

 beyond the seas, by that courteous merchant 

 Master Lete before remembered, the 

 which hath leaves very great, and red of 

 color, as is all the rest oT the plant, as well 

 root, as stalk and flowers, full of a perfect 

 purple juice tending to redness ; the middle 

 rib of which leaves are for the most part 

 very broad and thick, like the middle part 

 of the cabbage leaf, which is equal in 

 goodness Avith the leaves of cabbage when 

 boiled. It grew with me (in 1596) to the 

 height of 7^ cubits, and did bring forth his 

 roughly and uneven seed very plentifully ; 

 with which plant nature doth seem to play 

 and sport herself; for the seeds taken from 

 that plant which was altogether of one col- 

 or, and sowen, doth bring forth plants of 

 many and variable colors, as the worshipful 

 gentleman Master John Norden can very 

 well testify, unto whom I gave some of the 

 seeds aforesaid, which in his garden brought 

 forth many other beautiful colors." 



A. iaw extracts from the chapter on Roses 

 will close this article- 



" The plant of Roses, though it be a 

 shrub full of prickles, yet it had been more 

 fit and convenient to have placed it with the 

 most glorious flowers of the world, than to 

 insert the same here among base and thorny 

 shrubs ; for the Rose doth deserve the 

 chiefest and most principled place among 

 all flowers whatsoever, being not only es- 

 teemed for its beauty, vertues, and his fra- 

 grant odoriferous smell ; but also because it 

 is the honour and ornament of our English 



