EARLY TUDOR GARDENS. 101 



The work in gardens of all sizes seems to have been 

 superintended by one head-gardener, wlio had the charge of 

 the bu3'ing and selling and planting of the garden stuff; but 

 the actual manual cultivation was done by labourers hired by 

 the day, and not b}' a permanent staff. The post of head- 

 gardener in any of the Royal gardens was quite an important 

 position.* The wages were from about £12 per annum, and 

 all the money for the payment of labourers passed through 

 the head-gardener's hands. The labourers received 6d., 4d., 

 or 3d. a day, or even 2d. a day if they were given food. 

 The weeding was usually done by women, and 3d. or 2d. a 

 day was the ordinary wage.t 



Garden tools have not changed much since the earliest 

 times. The spade and rake we now use are much the same 



* 153^. — " Also paid by the hands of the forsaid Edmund Gryff(yn) 

 (head-gardener I , for digging, gathering, and sorting of the said trees, I2d. 

 Also paid to the said Edmund Gryff(yn), for carriage of the forsaid apple 

 trees, i5d." 



1530. — " A gardener at 6d. a day." 



1530. — " To John Hutton, for making and le\'elling of beds in the 

 king's new garden, and raking of the same, by the space (ofj 12 days at 

 4d. a day, 4s." — Hampton Court Accounts. 



May 8th, 1540. — "To Claaston, for mowyng of the garden at Hunstanton, 

 jd." September, 1543. — •" For dyggen in the garden, 4d." 



December loth, 1549 — " 2 ffellowes for helping in the garden for oon 

 week, 2s. 6d." — Le Strange, Household Books. 



1530. — " Paid to four gardeners for four days — March i8th, 2s. 8d." — A 

 Book of Receipts and Expenses of Cardinal's College Oxford. 



t 1530. — "5 labourers and 15 women weeders in the garden and the 

 ■orchard;" again, "20 women weeders, 2 labourers, and 2 mowers" — a list 

 of the names of the weeders follows, and the men received 4d. per dav, the 

 women 3d. — Hampton Court Accounts. 



April 23rd (1530). — "Paid to two women rooting up unprofitable herbs 

 (extirpantibus herbas inutiles) in the garden for three days, i6d." 



June 6th. — " Paid to Margaret Hall, cleansing the garden, 3d." 



June 23rd. — "Joan Fery, working for three days, lod." 



August igth. — " Paid to Agnes Stringer, woiking for two da3-s with a 

 half, 7d." 



Several more entries of women gardeners follow these : " Paid for 

 bread and drink and herrings and other things (for) the gardeners, all 

 women, as appears by the book of expenses of the second term in the 

 seventh week, 2s. lid^'—CaidinaVs College, Oxford. 



"3 whemen for wedyng, 6d." — Le Strange, Household Books. 



