,I«nn»ry 28, 1875. ] 



JOURNAIi OP HOBTIOULTUBB AND COTTAGE GARDKNEB. 



79 



In the library of the British Mnsenm are other editions pub- 

 lished in 1575. 1580, 1582, 1592, 1652, and 165G. In 1640 was 

 published, "The Countryman's Recreation," which contains 

 this book of Maecall's, bound up with Reynold Soot's "Perfect 

 Platforme of a Hoppe Garden," and De Sercy'a " The Expert 

 Gardener." This seems to have been a publisher's compound. 

 " The Art and Manner how to graff and plant," though a 

 translation, has the merit of being largely original, the record 

 of his own practice and observation, and all his works are 

 entitled to the same credit. At the commencement of the 

 volume is an address in rhyme from " The Booke to the 

 Reader," and the following verse extracted from it testifies 

 that Mascall was not a mere copier of other men's experience — 



" Weigh well my wordea, and thou shalt finde 

 All true that I doe tell ; 

 Myne auctbour doeth not write by gesse. 

 Practise made hym eicell." 



One statement he makes either refers to a lost art or is a 

 mere recital of Roman writers' fables. It is that " in the 

 scutcheon ye may graft of divers kinds, as on Peares, Apricocks, 

 and Plums together, and of others also." He writes as if re- 

 lating his own experience, adding, " I have not knowne or 

 found of any others," and rejects others as " but jests." 



This (fig. 24) is 

 one of the illustra- 

 tions of the volnme 

 and if it correctly 

 represents the gar- 

 dener's costume 

 shows that " the 

 blue apron" had 

 not then been in- 

 troduced. The 

 " trauses" (birth- 

 name of our trow- 

 sers) were hose 

 fitting the limbs 

 closely; over these 

 were the trunk- 

 breeches, stuffed 

 with wool or other 

 soft material, and 

 to so ridiculous an 

 excess that in the 

 Parliament - house 

 the members had 

 rails to sit upon ! 

 The sleeved doub- 

 let resembled 

 somewhat the 

 stableman's waist- 

 coat of our time. 

 In the gardener's 

 belt were stuck, as 

 occasion required, the implements for grafting, pruning, or 

 training. 



Mascall was the earliest writer in English on poultry-keeping. 

 His work is entitled :— " The Husbaudye, Ordriug, and Govern- 

 mente of Poultrie. Practised by the learnedste, and suche as 

 have bene knowne skilfuUest in that arte and in our tyme." 

 This Uttle duodecimo volume of about 150 pages was published 

 in 1581, and the dedication is headed, " To Mistresse Katherine 

 Woodforde wife to Maister James Woodtorde Esquier and 

 cheefe clarke of thekitchiug to the Queene's Majestie Leonardo 

 Mastall wisheth a prosperous estate in health long to continue ;" 

 and ho goes on to state that she had " a desired minde how to 

 use and govern Poulterie to profit for maintenance of her 

 honskeeping," and this, and having known her at "Brestall" 

 (Bristol), he dedicates the volume to her. He says it is trans- 

 lated out of Columella and Stephaaus, but that there were added 

 many practices known to " all good householders." I have not 

 examined what are these additions, but was disappointed by not 

 finding any description of the fowls then cultivated, for as he 

 lived in the Sussex district, now celebrated for poultry-breed- 

 ing, I hoped to find some particulars to prove or disprove that 

 the Sussex variety of the Dorking are descendants from those 

 bred in the sixteenth century. 



In 1600 Mascall published " The Government of Cattel, 

 Divided into three Books. First of Oxen, Kine, and Calves, 

 and how to use Bulls and other cattle to the yoke or fell. Se- 

 cond, government of Horses with approved Medioenes. Third, 

 Sheep, Goats, Hogs, and Dogs with remedies. Also perfect 



instructions for taking of Moals; monthly husbanding of 

 Grounds." Other editions were published in 1605, 1620, 

 1G33, and 1C62. " The Countryman's Jewel, or the Govern- 

 ment of Cattel. lularged by Richard Ruscam," which came 

 out in 1680, is an edition of Mascall's work. Mascall at the 

 begirmlng of his volume says — 



" For want of knowledge and good skill, 

 Oftimcs it may so fall, 

 A man that is full rich in beasts. 

 He may soon lose them all." 



And the volume certainly comprises a large amount of the 

 practical knowledge of the author's period. It evidently 

 attracted the attention of Government, for within three years 

 he was appointed to an appropriate office, a later edition 

 stating it was " Gathered by Leonard Mascal, Chief Farrier to 

 King James." The farrier of the Stuart period was in social 

 position on a level with the veterinary surgeon of the present 

 day, and the chief farrier of the Boyal establishment was a 

 man of education and acquainted with the relative sciences aa 

 then known. Thus Snape, Charles II.'s farrier, pubUshed a 

 volnme on the anatomy of the horse. 



Aided courteously by the Rev. Mr. Woodward, Rector of 

 Plumpton, its registers have been searched for some record of 



Leonard Mascall, 

 but in vain ; and 

 similarly fruitless 

 has been a search 

 obligingly made 

 by E. C. Currey, 

 Esq., of the wUla 

 in the registry of 

 Eastern Sussex. 



The registers in 

 Somerset House 

 have been equally 

 unproductive. We 

 can therefore only 

 surmise approxi- 

 mations to the 

 dates of Mascall's 

 birth and death. 

 His portrait pre- 

 fixed to these 

 notes, published 

 in 1596, represents 

 him as abont fifty 

 years of age, and 

 therefore his birth 

 at about 1546. 

 This is not incon- 

 sistent with the 

 pubUcation of his 

 first work in 1572, 

 for he would then 

 be twenty-six. His death may be fairly concluded to have oc- 

 curred between the years 1605 and 1620. The first-named year 

 is the date of the last edition of his " Government of Cattle," 

 which has stated on its title-page, " Gathered and set forth by 

 Leonard Mascall." On all subsequent editions it is merely 

 stated to have been "gathered" by him. In " The Countrey- 

 man's Jewel, or the Government of Cattel," published in 1680 

 — on the title-page it is stated, " Gathered at first by Leonard 

 Mascal, but much inlarged by Rich. Euscam, gent." Rusoam 

 speaks of him as " that judicious and fortunate Mascal, chief 

 farrier to King James." 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND PEESENT WEEKS. 



H.IRDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



Last week it was stated that our nailing was nearly finished. 

 We do not have much to do, as the orchard house supplies us 

 with all the ifiner fruits required ; but the greatest number of 

 gardens are not furnished with orchard houses, and, as a rule, in 

 the United Kingdom the finer fruits must be grown on walls. 

 There should be no delay in finishing oS all pruning, and tying, 

 or nailing the trees. In our apprentice days it was the rule not 

 to nail or even prune Apricot and Peach trees uutil the blossoms 

 were very nearly at the point of opening, and this was just at 

 the time that the greatest pressure required to be put upon the 

 men in every department; whereas, if the nailing had been at- 

 tended to in favourable weather during the winter months, it 

 could have been done in a less hurried manner. Where well- 

 trained wall trees are a prominent feature much time is taken 



