526 The Kitchen Garden. 



CHAP. LV. 

 Pepo. Pompions. 



WE haue but one kinde of Pompion (as I take it) in all our Gardens, not- 

 withftanding the diuerfities of bigneffe and colour. 

 The Pompion or great Melon (or as fome call it Milion) creepeth vp- 

 on the ground (if nothing bee by it whereon it may take hold and climbe) with very 

 great, ribbed, rough, and prickly branches, whereon are fet very large rough leaues, 

 cut in on the edges with deepe gafhes, and dented be/ides, with many clafpers alfo, 

 which winde about euery thing they meete withall : the flowers are great and large, 

 hollow and yellow, diuided at the brims into fiue parts, at the bottome of which, as it 

 is in the reft, groweth the fruit, which is very great, fometimes of the bignefle of a 

 mans body, and oftentimes lefle, in fome ribbed or bunched, in others plaine, and ei- 

 ther long or round, either greene or yellow, or gray, as Nature lifteth to mew her felfe ; 

 for it is but wafte time, to recite all the formes and colours may be obferued in them : 

 the inner rinde next vnto the outer is yellowifh and firme : the feede is great, flat, and 

 white, lying in the middle of the watery pulpe : the roote is of the bignefle of a mans 

 thumbe or greater, difperfed vnder ground with many fmall fibres ioyned thereunto. 

 Gourds are kindes of Melons ; but becaufe wee haue no vfe of them, wee leaue 

 them vnto their fit place. 



The Vfe of Pompions. 



They are boyled in faire water and fait, or in powdered beefe broth, or 

 fometimes in milke, and fo eaten, or elfe buttered. They vfe likewife to take 

 out the inner watery fubftance with the feedes, and fill vp the place with 

 Pippins, and hauing laid on the couer which they cut off" from the toppe, 

 to take out the pulpe, they bake them together, and the poore of the Citie, 

 as well as the Country people, doe eate thereof, as of a dainty dim. 



The feede hereof, as well as of Cowcumbers and Melons, are cooling, 

 and ferue for emulfions in the like manner for Almond milkes, &c. for thofe 

 are troubled with the ftone. 



CHAP. LVI. 

 Fragaria. Strawberries. 



THere be diuers forts of Strawberries, whereof thofe that are nourfed vp in Gar- 

 dens or Orchards I intend to giue you the knowledge in this place, and leaue 

 the other to a fitter ; yet I muft needs mew you of one of the wilde forts, which 

 for his ftrangenefle is worthy of this Garden : And I muft alfo enforme you, that the 

 wilde Strawberry that groweth in the Woods is our Garden Strawberry, but bettered 

 by the foyle and tranf planting. 



The Strawberry hath his leaues clofed together at the firft fpringing vp, which af- 

 terwards fpread themfelues into three diuided parts or leaues, euery one ftanding vpon 

 a fmall long foote-ftalke, greene on the vpperfide, grayifh vnderneath, and fnipped 

 or dented about the edges ; among which rife vp diuers fmall ftalkes, bearing foure or 

 fiue flowers at the tops, confiding of fiue white round pointed leaues, fomewhat yel- 

 lowifh in the bottome, with fome yellow threads therein ; after which come the fruit, 

 made of many fmall graines fet together, like vnto a fmall Mulberry or Rafpis, red- 

 dim when it is ripe, and of a pleafant winy tafte, wherein is enclofed diuers fmall blac- 

 kifh feede : the roote is reddifh and long, with diuers fmall threads at it, and fendeth 



forth 



