Septcmlier 2, 1876. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



205 



of about twenty, who cultivated the ground in this district 

 with a view to the maliing of a living by eo doing. In another 

 place the same Gill appears ns the owner of a tenement and 

 garden3 on the east side of Goldins; Lane. Possibly ho did 

 not succeed very well, for, aa I have already hinted, citizens 

 and gentlemen who had gardens and orchards used to allow 

 their servants to dispose of any excess of produce, which was 

 not encouraging to those who had begun to follow gardening 

 as a business. I am inclined to suspect that transactions by 

 way of barter were not uncommon amongst the citizens, and 

 those who didn't cultivate gardens were no doubt glad to get 

 fruit and vegetables from their friends or neighbours who did. 

 The adjuetment would be awkward in some instances, as in a 

 computation as to how many Cabbages must be handed over 

 to pay for a new bow and arrows, or to work out the price of a 

 roll of cloth in Artichokes and Melons might be puzzling. 

 Meanwhile it remains as a singular fact, against which I do 

 not believe that any contradictory evidence can be brought, 

 that the earliest persona who professedly reared plants to make 

 a profit by them were the dealer.? in herbs. Ordinary indi- 

 viduals felt no hesitation about growing vegetables and fruits, 

 but they were afraid to tamper with plants popularly accredited 

 with mysterious virtues, though many of tliese "simples" 

 had very slight efficacy. It is likely, too, that in the more 

 war-like periods of our history the pursuit of gardening was 

 viowed with a degree of contempt; and though servants must 

 necessarily have been thus employed in the establishments of 

 the citizens and others, men quite free to choose may have 

 preferred anything to being a gardener. Hence it ia not until 

 1016 that we have recorded the formation of the Gardeners' 

 Company with these arms, " the field a landscape, the base 

 variegated with flowers, a man as the device vested round the 

 loins with linen digging with a spade. Crest, a basket of fruit. 

 Supporters, two emblematic female figures with cornucopi.T- 

 representing plenty." The motto of the words, " In the sweat 

 of thy face thou ehalt eat bread," is not particularly applic- 

 able, at least in these times there are many employments 

 which excite perspiration far more than the gardener's, unlesp, 

 indeed, you are entirely " amongst the stoves." I don't know 

 whether the Company had its quarters at one time in Gar- 

 deners' Lane, Thames Street, where there was a full-length 

 wall entablature of a gardener with a spade, and the date cf 

 1670. Running northwards from tho Thames out of the same 

 street is GarlickHill; and close to it the church of St. James's, 

 Garlickbithe, also kept in remembrance the fact that on this 

 part of the river's bank Garlic used to be sold, not grown, as 

 some persons have conjectured. Our ancestors were in their 

 love of Garlic notably different from the most of us. 



During the seventeenth century, and even in part of the 

 eighteenth, those who endeavoured to make a profit in the 

 vicinity of London by the culture of gardens and orchards 

 not only sold the bulk of their produce on their premises, but 

 actually saw it consumed there. The worthy cit, with his 

 " better moiety " and the citlings, took his way once or twice 

 a-week to the suburban districts and devoured as much fruit 

 as, by proper allowance, might have sufficed for several days. 

 Many such excursions for fruit-eating and the like are duly set 

 down by the indefatigable Pepya in those memous which have 

 amused the world, and of which, by-the-by, wo are ere long to 

 have a new edition, containing matter hitherto suppressed or 

 undeciphered. At last, however, acting on the proverb that 

 " the traveller spends more than the abider," Londoners 

 found out that vegetables and fruit might very conveniently 

 be brought to their doors, and save them the trouble of going 

 out in order to revel in them. Hence the race of coster, or 

 costardmongers, who supplied the streets at a cheap rate long 

 before shops were opened for the sale of such commodities. 

 The Cherry gardens at Clerkenwell, situate near Bowling-green 

 Lane, took their name from the fruit that was most in request 

 there ; and exactly two hundred years ago a chronicler reports 

 that there were only six houses in the locality, and a great ex- 

 tent of orchards and gardens. For a good while this place 

 retained its fame as a tea garden after the encroachments of 

 houses and the springing-up of larger market gardens in 

 better situations north and west had rendered the Cherry 

 gardens of small importance otherwise. Then there was a 

 Mulberry garden at Clerkenwell aa well aa at Pimlico, the site 

 of which is now occupied by the House of Detention ; and 

 though it took ita name from the Mulberry there was a great 

 variety of trees planted in the extensive garden grounds 

 situate here in the eighteenth century. No doubt the Mul- 

 berries had an earlier date ; we may reaaonably anppose that 



these were planted in tho reign of .Tames I., when that saga- 

 cious monarch offered packets of Mulberry seed to all persona 

 who would undertake to .=ow them, hoping to see himself, or 

 to prepare the way for, an extensive production of English 

 silk. Also wo are informed that in ICOO a French gentleman 

 distributed about a hundred thousand young treea in England 

 of the common or black Mulberry. These must have been in 

 good bearing condition in 1712, when the Mulberry gardens 

 were opened as a public resort, and the land was uniler culti- 

 vation for about fifty years more, when it waa cleared for the 

 builder. These gardens did not occupy an elevated position 

 in Clerkenwell, but laid rather in a hollow far below the level 

 of Pentonville. On ground decidedly higher — so much ele- 

 vated, indeed, aa to be called the " Mount "—was once a vine- 

 yard, even yet connecting itself with tho present hour by the 

 locality that bears the name of Vineyard Walk. It was then 

 surrounded by gardens, and on tho western slope of this hill 

 or mount the Vines were trained row above row, and on the 

 top of the ascent was a cottage occupied by the individual 

 who had the Vines in charge. From an old advertisement it 

 would appear that there was a fishpond on these premises 

 which waa visited by the curious. The Clerkenwell Vines were 

 probably in their most flourishing state during the sixteenth 

 century. 



At the corner of Ashby Street, Clerkenwell, stood the old 

 Manor House, from tho history of which it is worth our while 

 to extract this fact, that in the eighteenth century, between 

 the years 1730-50 or some part of that time, it waa in the 

 occupation of an eccentric herbalist. Dr. Newton. He prided 

 himself upon his knowledge of botany, and kept a private 

 asylum for lunatics ! There were several acres of land 

 attached to the house (which was also called " Wood's Close "), 

 and these the doctor laid out rather elaborately as a botanic 

 garden. He had tho honour of a paragraph in the Daily Post 

 of Aug. 2.5th, 1730 (just in the dull period when newspapers 

 are still glad to record enormous Gooseberries and the like), 

 mentioning a curious Lily grown in this garden at Clerkenwell, 

 having a cluster of roots proceeding from the top of the stalk. 

 The book on which Dr. Newton had worked for some time, but 

 died ere he completed it, was published by his son in 1752, 

 containing with plate.? medico- botanical information " of the 

 period."— J. E. S. C. 



CLEVELAND HOUSE, CLAPHAM PABK.— No. 1. 



TEE EESIDENCE OF S. EALLI, ESQ. 



Some time ago " Wiltshiee Eectok" in recording a visit 

 to Balham spoke of it as " treey " Balham. A more truth- 

 fully descriptive term could not have been selected, for although 

 almost within cannon-shot of Westminster Abbey treea abound 

 everywhere. 



Balham is the nearest railway station to Cleveland House, 

 therefore at Balham station I found myself on a sultry day in 

 August. On descending from the platform a word of the 

 Rector's advice recurred to me, and which I turned to useful 

 account. "If you desire," said he, "intelligible directions 

 appeal to a butcher's boy." I did so, who in response to my 

 inquiry for Cleveland House stated, " Go straight a-hoad, sir, 

 until you come to the second turning on the right — a butcher's 

 shop is at the corner — follow the turning as straight as you 

 can ; you will come to two or three branch roads, but follow 

 the straightest, which will take you to Thornton Road ; then 

 turn again to the right, and the second gate on your right 

 leads to Mr. Ralli's. If you keep in mind these three ' rights' 

 sir, you cannot get ' wrong.'" That was the butcher's boy's 

 direction, which cannot be improved on, and which is there- 

 fore given for the benefit of any who may be bound on the 

 same pilgrimage as myself. 



I trust the number of such pilgrims may be great, for a 

 floral feast is spread at Cleveland House which, though on a 

 small scale, is probably not to bo aurpassed in the three king- 

 doma in the perfectness of the style known aa carpet bedding. 

 All who admire this mode of garden decoration should see this 

 admirable example of Mr. Legg's skill, and they will be con- 

 firmed in the correctness of their taste in pronouncing it 

 beautiful. All who do not so readily appreciate this style of 

 gardening ahould see it also, when, if they are not at once con- 

 verted to the mode, must admit itj effectiveness, or, at any 

 rate, they will not be able to speak slightingly of its decorative 

 force. Mr. Peach may come all the way from Yorkshire, and 

 wUl not consider his time wasted in an inspection of these 

 finished beds ; Mr. Luokhurst, with his high ideals of garden 



