SEVENTEEXTH CEXTrRV. 177 



The orchard at Holme Lacy still remains, and the garden 

 now possesses one of the finest walls of "cordon" fruit in 

 the countr}'. Walter Blith, Author of The English Improver, 

 or a New Survey of Husbandry, 1649, ^^'^-S another " Lover of 

 Ingenuity," as he styled himself, and he also impressed upon 

 his countrymen the advantages of planting orchards, and 

 urged those in other parts of England to copy what was done 

 in the West of England, and to plant " the Vine, the Plumb, 

 the Cherry, Pear, and Apple," he advises also " the more 

 planting of cabbage, carrot, onion, parsnip, artichoak and 

 Turnep." 



These led the way, and other Agriculturists followed this 

 good example, and tried by their writings to give a stimulus to 

 the industry of market-gardening. Ralph Austen, in 1653, wrote 

 a Treatise on Fruit Trees, and dedicated it to Hartlib. The first 

 part of his work, full of arguments in favour of gardening and 

 fruit-culture, based on scriptural authority, and interspersed with 

 texts, is typical of the puritanical style of the times. In another 

 of his works, The Spiritual use of an Orchard or Garden of Fruit 

 Trees, this is carried to such excess that there is but little 

 information about gardening, although every process, grafting, 

 transplanting, and so on is compared to some stage in a 

 Christian's life. This puritanical spirit is also apparent in the 

 title of Adolphus Speed's book, in 1659, Adam out of Eden, and 

 the rest of the title-page is indicative of the practical side of 

 these writers. It runs thus : — " Shewing Among very many 

 other things, An Approvement of Ground by Rabbies from 

 j^2oo annual Rent to ;^20oo yearly profit all charges deducted." 

 But how this feat was to be accomplished it is needless to go 

 into ! 



During the Commonwealth, gardening was treated from a 

 more practical point of view ; what would pay best to 

 cultivate, was considered, and how the soil could be most 

 improved, and made more fruitful. Not many gardens were 

 laid out, and many of the existing ones suffered during the 

 wars, especially the Royal Gardens. Nonsuch and Wimbledon 

 were sold, and a survey made of Hampton Court, with a view 

 to selling it, in 1653, but the order was " stayed until 



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