124 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 



beyond them, the mellons will grow exceeding great." He 

 also gives a direction learned from " Mr. Nicholson Gardiner." 

 " Lay your young Mellons upon Ridge-tiles to keep them from 

 the ground, and for reflection," and he suggests that the seed 

 should be steeped in milk for twenty-four hours before sowing. 

 Parkinson says the best seed came from Spain, and not from 

 France, but some seed was saved in England. Gerard saw 

 some good melons at the " Queene's House at St. James," 

 grown by Master Fowle, and also " great plenty " at Lord 

 Sussex's at " Bermondsey by London." It was usual to eat 

 them with pepper and salt, and " to droun them in wine for 

 feare of doing more harme."^ These " musk-melons " are 

 Cucumis melo, the same as are now termed melons, and they 

 were " of a russet colour and green underneath . . . deep- 

 furrowed and ribbed . . . the inward substance is yellow, which 

 only is eaten. ^ " Melons or pompions," include pumpkins and 

 gourds of all kinds. These were eaten especially by the poorer 

 classes, cooked in various ways. Parkinson says they eat as 

 " a dainty dish " pompions, the seeds taken out and filled with 

 pippins, and baked altogether. 



Vegetables then did not have at all the same relative value as 

 nowadays ; some which are now scarcely grown, such as skirrets, 

 holding a prominent place, while others were not so much 

 valued. The heading of a chapter in Hill's Gardener's Laby- 

 rinth will illustrate this fact. " What care and skill is required 

 in the sowing and ordering of the Buckshorne, Strawberrie 

 and Mustarde Seede." Buckshorne is Plantago coronopus, and 

 was largely used in salads, " especially in sallets in the sommer 

 time, although the same have no apt succour nor taste." 

 The strawberry, Hill continues, " requires small labour, but 

 by diligence of the Gardener, becommeth so great, that the 

 same yeeldeth faire and big Beries as the Beries of the Bramble 

 in the hedge. . . . The Berries in sommer time, eaten with 

 creame and sugar, is accounted a great refreshing to men, but 

 more commended, being eaten with wine and sugar." Mustard 

 was grown only for the seeds, not for the use of the seedlings 

 in salad. The seed pounded with vinegar was eaten " with 

 any grosse meates, either fish or flesh. "^ Hill gives a long 

 * Parkinson. ^ /^^-^ 3 Gerard. 



