HORTICULTURE. 211 



Our Saxon ancestors certainly had some sort of cabbage, 

 because they call the month of February sprout-cale ; * but 

 long after their days, the cultivation of gardens was little 

 attended to. The religious, being men of leisure, and keeping 

 up a constant correspondence with Italy, were the first people 

 among us who had gardens and fruit trees in any perfection, 

 within the walls of their abbeys f and priories. The barons 

 neglected every pursuit that did not lead to war, or tend to 

 the pleasure of the chase. 



It was not till gentlemen took up the study of horticulture 

 themselves that the knowledge of gardening made such hasty 

 advances. Lord Cobham, Lord Ila, and Mr Waller of Bea- 

 consfield, were some of the first people of rank that promoted 

 the elegant science of ornamenting, without despising the 

 superintendence of the kitchen quarters and fruit walls. J 



A remark made by the excellent Mr Ray, in his Tour of 

 Europe, at once surprises us, and corroborates what has been 

 advanced above; for we find him observing, so late as his days, 

 that " the Italians use several herbs for salads, which are not 

 yet, or have not been but lately, used in England, viz. seller'^ 

 (celery,) which is nothing else but the sweet smallage, the 

 young shoots whereof, with a little of the head of the root cut 

 off, they eat raw with oil and pepper." And farther, he adds, 

 " curled endive, blanched, is much used beyond seas, and, for 

 a raw salad, seemed to excel lettuce itself." Now this journey 

 was undertaken no longer ago than in the year 1663. 



* The Saxons derived the names of their months from similar causes, 

 March was called stormy month ; May, Trimilki, from cows being 

 milked thrice a day in that month ; June was called diet and weed 

 month ; and September barley month. ED. 



f " In monasteries, the lamp of knowledge continued to burn, however 

 dimly. In them, men of business were formed for the state. The art of 

 writing was cultivated by the monks ; they were the only proficients in 

 mechanics, gardening, and architecture." See DALRYMPLE'S Annals 

 of Scotland. 



f Horticulture has made great progress in Britain since our author's 

 time. Societies have been established, experimental gardens formed, 

 premiums awarded for the best vegetables produced, and an excellent 

 magazine, exclusively devoted to horticultural science, has been published 

 for some years, under the able direction of Mr J. C. Loudon. 



