AUSTERE PURITAN GARDENS 97 



"found its way into the trimmest gardens; the green- 

 swards and arbours were 'powdered' with daises.'* 

 And Chaucer wrote of it in superlatives: 



"The daysie or elles the eye of day 

 The emperise and flour of flowres alle." 



It is not native to England either, however, but came 

 from the Continent, or perhaps by way of the Con- 

 tinent from an original home still further east, in 

 northern Asia. 



The last "Will and Tes^m* of John Endecott 

 Senior late of Salem now of Boston, made the second 

 day of the third moneth called May 1659" gives to 

 his wife, "all that my ffarme called Orchard lying 

 wi th in the bound of Salem together with the Dwell- 

 ing House, outhouses, Barnes, stables, Cowhouses, & 

 all other building & appurtenances thereunto belong- 

 ing & appertayning and all the Orchards, nurseries of 

 fruit trees, gardens, fences, meadows and salt marsh." 

 Evidently the "ffarme called' Orchard" was a very 

 complete establishment, run on the highest efficiency 

 basis. The nursery of fruit trees would prove this, 

 if the other features enumerated left any room for 

 doubt; but even to the salt marsh it is all just what 

 it should be. The latter was an important part of 

 the farm in the early days, the hay from it being 

 highly prized. 



