TioMvx iJ.vnDEXs.] I'UACrU'H OF 1 1 o KT U" T l/iriv E. [kitcuejj OAnDENS. 



deny an energetic activity to the faculties of 

 the niiiid. The Athenians, however, etijined 

 both the j)hilo30j)hy and the llowers, nuionji; 

 which were the narcissus, the violet, and the 

 rose. "The rich and polished Atlienians," 

 observes Gilbert Laini:; ^leason, "preferred 

 n residence in the country, that they might 

 withdraw theraselves from the jealousy of 

 envious citizens. In villa gardening they 

 borrowed from Asia IVlinor. They had myrtles 

 and roses ; the box and the lime tree were 

 planted for topiary works : and Theophrastus 

 rells us that flowers and fruits were cultivated 

 in the winter ; and that the violet was in 

 profusion in the market of Athens while 

 enow was on the ground." The cemeteries 

 of the Greeks may be included in their 

 public gardens ; and groves, and even the 

 waysides, were sometimes chosen for the 

 burial-places of public men. 



ROMAN GARDENS. 

 The gardens of the Romans were similar to 

 those of the Greeks, the one being a copy 

 of the other. Those of the Emperor Xero 

 partook of the appearance of one of our 

 modern parks. Tacitus says — " Moreover, 

 Nero turned the ruins of bis country to his 

 private advantage, and built a house, the 

 ornaments of which were not miracles of 

 gems and gold, now usual in vulgar luxuries ; 

 but lawns and lakes, and after the manner of 

 a desert ; here groves, and there open spaces 

 aud prospects ; the masters and centurions 

 being Severus aud Celer, whose genius and 

 boldness could attempt by art, what nature 

 bad denied, aud deceive with princely force." 

 The city gardens of the Eomans seem to 

 Lave been nothing more than small square 

 plots in the fronts of their bouses, enclosed 

 with trellis- work, planted with espaliers, and 

 ornamented with fountains, urns, and other 

 sculptural works of art. Plants in boxes and 

 pots appear, sometimes on the walks and 

 window-sills; and over the doors there appear 



ciimberB, resembling lioneyBuckles. The size 

 of the plots would Heem to liavo varied, aa 

 they do with us, from a few Bijuare yanb up 

 to, perhaps, a (juarter of an acre. 



V i£ ( ; i:r A n l i-: r. a r d f: n s. 



In the laws of the Bicinnviri, among the 

 Koinans the word hortus originally meant 

 both a garden and a country-house ; but, in 

 the course of time, the word pinguis was 

 added to it, when the conjunction of the two 

 words signified a kitchen garden. AVe aro 

 informed by Cato, that the principal citizens 

 had their liortiy or garden-farms, in which 

 they reared their vegetables, close to the city. 

 In the earlier ages these farms were cultivated 

 by the hands of their proprietors, as was the 

 case with Cincinnatus ; and the success of 

 some of these dignifled growers, in the culture 

 of certain plants, suggested family names, not 

 only for themselves, but for future genera- 

 tions. Thus we have Piso, from the pea , 

 Cicero, from the vetch ; Tabius, from the 

 bean ; Lentulus from the lentil ; and otliera. 

 If the owner had reared too large a crop of 

 vegetables for his own use, the remainder 

 was taken to the Fora Olitarum, and there 

 exposed to sale. The principal culinary pro- 

 ducts cultivated by the liomans were cab- 

 bages, which were esteemed alike by the 

 sovereign and the slave ; turnips, carrots, 

 beet, parsnip, radish, skirret, asparagus, 

 sorrel, onions, and several kinds of garlic. 

 Of leguminous plants, the pea, and the com- 

 mon, as well as the kidney bean, were cul- 

 tivated. Of salads, endive, mustard, lettuce, 

 succory, and others. Of pot and siccet herbs, 

 dittander, alisanders, orache, parsley, fennel, 

 elecampane, chervil, and a variety of others. 

 Mushrooms were in repute ; and although not 

 vegetables, wo may here observe, that bees, 

 snails, and dormice bad appropriate places 

 assigned them, as necessary additions to the 

 kitchen garden. 



Gc 



929 



