6 INTRODUCTION. 



On the arrival of the " Arabella " at Salem, the 12th of June, 

 1630, " the common people immediately went ashore, and regaled 

 themselves with strawberries, which are very fine in America, and 

 were then in perfection." 1 Roger Williams saj's, "The straw- 

 berry is the wonder of all the fruits growing naturally in these 

 parts. In some places where the natives have planted, I have 

 many times seen as many as would fill a good ship within a few 

 miles' compass." 2 



The earliest agricultural account of Massachusetts is New- 

 England's Prospect, by William Wood, who came to this coun- 

 try in 1629, and returned to England August 15, 1633. He 

 says : 8 " The ground affoards very good kitchin gardens, for Tur- 

 neps, Parsnips, Carrots, Radishes, and Pompions, Muskmillions, 

 Isquouter-squashes, Coucumbers, On} r ons, and whatever growes 

 well in England grows as well there, many things being better and 

 larger : there is likewise growing all manner of Hearbes for meate 

 and medicine, and that not onely in planted Gardens but in the 

 Woods, without either the art or helpe of man as sweet Marjoran, 

 Purselane, Sorrell, Peneriall, Yarrow, Mirtle, Saxifarilla, Bayes, 

 &c. There is likewise Strawberries in abundance, verie large ones, 

 some being two inches about ; one may gather halfe a bushell in a 

 forenoone. In other seasons there be Gooseberries, Bilberries, 

 Resberries, Treackleberries, Hurtleberries, Currants ; which being 

 dried in the Sunne are little inferior to those that our Grocers sell 

 in England." * 



Other natural productions are thus described : 



" The Hornebound tree growing with broad spread Armes, the 

 vines winde their curling branches about them ; which vines afford 

 great store of grapes, which are very bigge, both for the grape and 

 Cluster, sweet and good ; These be of two sorts, red and white, 

 there is likewise a smaller kinde of grape which groweth in the Isl- 

 ands, which is sooner ripe and more delectable ; so that there is no 

 knowne reason why as good wine may not be made in those parts as 

 well as in Burdenaux in France being under the same degree. . . . 



" The Cherrie trees yeeld great store of Cherries which grow on 

 clusters like grapes ; they be much smaller than our English cherry, 

 nothing neare so good if they be not fully ripe, they so furre the 

 mouth that the tongue will cleave to the roofe, and the throat wax 



i Hutchinson's History of Mass., Vol. I. p. 25, ed. 1795. First ed., p. 11. 



* Mass. Hist. Coll., First Series, Vol. HI. p. 221. Ibid., pp. 11, 12. 



