94 A HISTORY OF GARDEXIXG IN ENGLAND. 



the Eighth's gardens in 1516. Turner calls it "a groser bushe, 



a goosebery bushe," and says of it " It groweth only that I 



have sene in England, in gardines, but I have sene it in Germany 



abrode in the fieldes amonge other bushes." This passage is 



curious, as the subject has frequently been discussed, whether 



the gooseberry is an indigenous plant in this country. Tusser 



tells us that they are to be planted in September : — 



"The Barbery, Respis, and Gooseberry too 

 Looke now to be planted as other things doo. 

 The Goosebery, Respis, and Roses, al three 

 With strawberies vnder them trimly agree." 



The greatest addition to the number of cultivated fruits was 

 the apricot, which was certainly introduced before the middle 

 of the sixteenth century, probably by Henry the Eighth's 

 gardener, Wolf, about 1524. Turner mentions it in both his 

 works under Malus Armeniaca, and gives Abrecok, or Abricok, 

 as the English name, though he maintains that " an hasty 

 peche is a better and a fitter name for it. But so that the 

 tre be well knowen, I pase not gretely what name it is knowen 

 by." The reason he gives for his name, is that the fruit ripens 

 so much earlier than the peach. The word apricot implies 

 the same idea, being derived from the Latin prcecoqua, or 

 prcecocca. He says, in 1548, " We have very fewe of these trees 

 as yet," and in 1551, "^ I have sene many trees of thys kynde 

 in Almany, and som in England." In the beautiful old garden 

 at Littlecote, in Berkshire, there are two apricot trees which 

 still bear fruit, supposed to have been planted when the tree was 

 first introduced into this country. 



Tusser, 1573, gives a list of fruits to be set or removed 

 in January, and it includes Apricots, or Apricocks, as he calls 

 them. 



The following is his list : — 



1. Apple trees of all sorts. 6. Chestnuts. 



2. Apricocks. ■ 7. Cornet plums.'^ 



3. Barberies. 8. Damsens, white and black. 



4. Boollesse, black and white. g. Filbeards, red and white. 



5. Cheries, red and black. 10. Goose beries. 



* — 



coi'iiel pluDi ^cornel clicrrics. 



