20 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND. 



But to return to the consideration of the department of the 

 gardinarius. He had more than the garden under his care, for 

 his jurisdiction extended over both the orchard and vineyard. 



The orchard, or " pomerium," suppHed not onl}- apples and 

 pears for eating and cooking, but apples for cider also. Large 

 quantities of cider were made each year, except when in an 

 unusually bad season the apple crop failed. This was the case 

 in 1352, when the Almoner at Winchester made the following 

 note in his accounts, " Et de ciserat nihil quia non fuerunt 

 poma hoc anno." 1412 was another bad apple year, and na 

 cider was made at Abingdon, and the not unfrequent purchase of 

 apples and pears for the use of some of the monasteries, shows 

 they did not always grow sufficient for their consumption, 

 although in some years there was enough and to spare.^ The 

 Wardon pear, which was such a favourite for many centuries^, 

 originated at the Cistercian monastery of that name in Bedford- 

 shire, and they bore three Wardon pears for the arms of the 

 house. t It was a kind of cooking pear, and every early cookery- 

 book contains recipes for "Wardon pies," or pasties. The\' 

 are usually mentioned quite as a distinct fruit, as " apples, pears. 

 Wardens, and quinces," because the}^ were the best known 

 variety. 



Some of the orchards must have been of considerable size^ 

 In the time of King John the grant of land to Llanthony Priory 

 included twelve acres of orchard. An oft-quoted example to 

 prove the early existence of orchards is a Bull of Pope 

 Alexander III., dated 1175, confiscating the property of the 

 monks of Winchenley, in Gloucestershire, with the " town of 

 Swiring and all its orchards." 



The cherry was, from the date of its introduction by the 

 Romans, a popular fruit in this country. The " ciris beam," or 

 cherry-tree, continued to be grown in early Saxon times. In 



* Gardener's Accounts, Abingdon, 1388, " Et de xiii s. iiii d. de cicera vendita 

 per estimacione et de xxxii s. vi d. ob. de fructibus venditis, viz. : pomis wardon 

 et nucibus." 



f Dugdale, Moiiast., Vol. V., p. 371, says they were also called Abbot's- 

 pears, but assigns no authority. 



