101) A HISTORY OF CARnKXlXC IX EXGLAXD. 



It was only the larf^e landowners who indulged in a garden 

 specially set apart for llowers and pleasure. The garden of every 

 small manor and farm-house in the kingdom was essentially for 

 use. Fitzherbert, in his Hook of Husbandry , 1534, enumerates the 

 general duties of a wife, among which he does not forget the 

 garden : " And in the beginning of March or a lyttel afore, is 

 t\'me for a wife to make her garden, and to gette as many 

 good sedes and herbes as be good for the potte and to eate, and 

 as ofte as nede shall requ}re, it must be weded, for els wedes wyl 

 ouergrowe the herbes." These herbs were much the same as in 

 the previous centur}-, but a few are mentioned in writings of this 

 date, which have not appeared on earlier lists, and some, such as 

 asparagus, melons, taragon, horse-radish, and artichokes were 

 first grown in the ro3'al gardens about this time. Tusser devotes 

 several lines in his poem to beans and peas. In January — 



" Good gardiner mine 

 Make garden fine 

 Set garden pease 



and beans, if ye please." 



And again. 

 Also 



Dig garden, stroy* mallow, now may ye at ease 

 And set (as a dainte) thy runciuall pease." 



" Sowc pease (good truilf) 

 the moone past full 

 Stick bows a rowe 



where runciuals growe." 

 " Set plentie of bows among runciuall pease 



to climber thereon, and to branch al their ease." 



These quotations show that runcival peas were a favourite 



dainty. They were a large kind of pea, and the name is 



supposed to be derived from Roncesvalles, in the Pyrenees. 



Tusser also gives directions for picking beans — 



" Not rent off, but cut off ripe beane with a knife 

 P'or hindering stalke of hir vegetive life 

 So gather the lowest, and Icauing the top 

 Shall teach thee a trick, for to double thy crop." 



* Expression often used probably for the sake of rhythm. =^weed, or 

 destroy, wild mallow, a co»i»ioii weed. 

 j- =^ good girl, or luss. 



