18t A IflSTORV OF GARDES I. \'G /.V EXGLAXP. 



roots of roses set among broom, will bring forth yellow Roses." 

 He suggests that sow thistles should be planted, as " they 

 will maintain " " calves, lambs, pigs . . . and millions of 

 rabbits," and Jerusalem Artichokes, because they would " feed 

 poultry and swine." Some of his remarks, however, are more 

 sensible ; for instance, he observes, of potatoes, " they will 

 make very good bread, cakes, paste, and pyes . . . increase 

 of themselves in a very plentiful manner, with very little 

 labour ; they will likewise grow and thrive very well, being 

 cut in slices, and so put into the earth." 



Vegetable pies and tarts seem not to have been unusual : 

 Markham, in The English Housewife, 1637, gives several recipe?, 

 one for "spinage tart " flavoured with cinnamon, rose water and 

 sugar ; another of spinach, sorell, parsley, and eggs. He gives 

 also long lists of varieties of salads, " Cookery sallats," such as 

 " boyled carrets," radishes skirrets ; — "simple sallats, onions, 

 lettuce, samphire, Beanecods, sparagus or cucumbers," served 

 with oil, vinegar, and sugar; and "compound sallats," which 

 "are usuall at great feasts and upon Princes^ tables;" 

 these consist of, " first the young Buds and knots of herbs," 

 such as " Red sage, mints, lettice, violets, marigolds, spinage" 

 . . . also " cabbage done with cucumber, currants, orange, 

 lemons, olives, figs, and almonds." Carrots were used for 

 adorning dishes, cut into " scutchions, arms, birds or beasts," 

 Lamb and mutton should be garnished, he says, with prunes 

 or currants, and fish with barberries."^ 



Among the quantities of varieties of fruits of which we have 

 given some examples in a former chapter, Austen gives a selection 

 of the best. He commends among apples, the summer and 

 winter Pearmain, the small })ippin, the Harvey, the Oueene and 

 the Gilloflour. Out of the four to five hundred sorts of pears, 

 he selects the " Winsor " and " Sommer Bergamot." "But for 

 a constant bearing kind I know none better than the Catherine 

 peare" ; — " Greenefield excellent . . . will last indifferent well, 

 a j^reat bearer;" — "Choke peare, accounted a speciall kind, for 



* The price paid for one pound ot BarbcriMcs in i(ni>, was ,^.s.— Lc Slrani>c, 

 Jlouseliohi Aicoiiiits. 



