MUXAST/C GARD/;\IXC. 3 



Roman gardens in Britain were like this — and why shoukl it be 

 doubted when we see the remains of villas, mosaic pavements, 

 baths, roads, and bridges left by that nation ? — it was fully a 

 thousand years before anything as beautiful was again seen in our 

 Island. 



The fall of the Roman Empire, and the invasions of 

 barbarians, struck a death-blow to gardening as well as to all 

 other peaceful arts. During the stormy years which succeeded 

 the Roman rule in Britain, nearly all knowledge of horticulture 

 must have died out. Only such plants as were thoroughly 

 naturalised and acclimatized would be strong enough to continue 

 to grow when not properly cultivated. 



The few Saxon names of plants which can be traced to the 

 Latin seem to identify these hardy survivors, or at any rate sliow 

 that the x\nglo-Saxons were well acquainted with many of the 

 Roman plant-names. The following list, given by Mr. Earle in 

 Ejii^Ush Plant Names, clearly shows their Latin origin : — 



(* Beam = the living tree, as Ger. " Baum.") 



