146 Horticulture of the Past 



so many books in his Natural History, especially lib. 17, 18, 

 &c., you'll soon be judge what it was. They took great care, 

 indeed, of their vines and olives, stercorations, ingraftings, and 

 were diligent in observing seasons, the course of the stars, &c.; 

 and doubtless were very industrious ; but when you shall have 

 read over Cato, Varro, Columella, Paladio, with the Greek 

 Geoponicks, I do not think you will have cause to prefer them 

 before the modern agriculture, so exceedingly of late improved, 

 for w^hich you may consult and compare our old Tusser, 

 Markham, the Maison Rustic, Hartlib, Walter Blith, the 

 Philosophical Transactions, and other books, which you know 

 better than myself." 



If all this might well be said by Evelyn in his day, with 

 how much more propriety now, by us in ours ; and with 

 how much greater justice might we not also include his cat- 

 alogue of the then Moderns. If we examine, however, more 

 critically his remarks, so as to take in the whole scope of the 

 premises he lays down, may we not doubt if his be not too 

 severe a judgment ? In what consists the mighty difference? 

 Evelyn goes into particulars ; and it cannot be doubted that, 

 of many things, now the rarest and most admired ornaments 

 of our gardens, and the most exquisite delicacies upon our ta- 

 bles, they were entirely destitute ; of others, they possessed 

 not the same nor the abundance of excellent varieties that we 

 do : but our author is careful further to note, that " they took 

 great care indeed of their vines and olives, stercorations, in- 

 graftings, and were diligent," &c. : and Solomon, had he con- 

 sulted him, would have refuted much that he advances about 

 gardens ; and Virgil, had he borne him in mind, would have 

 put to flight much more in reference to horticultural skill. 



Having mentioned Solomon, however familiar he may be to 

 most readers, I must be indulged in one quotation from him 

 — but one, out of many beautiful passages that occur in his 

 Song. " A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse ; a spring 

 shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of pome- 

 granates, with pleasant fruits ; camphire with spikenard, spike- 

 nard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frank- 

 incense, myrrh and aloes, Avith all the chief spices. A foun- 

 tain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from 

 Lebanon. Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon ; he let 



