THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN 163 



or nineteen years later than this — that is, in 1629, the 

 year in which we learn that Governor Endicott was 

 raising some excellent peas at Salem, and that he had 

 planted a vineyard. The next year William Black- 

 stone emerges from the obscurity of the wilderness to 

 demonstrate to Governor Winthrop the advantages 

 of the peninsula of Shawmut, where his garden is 

 flourishing. 



This garden of Blackstone's was almost certainly 

 older than Endicott's garden at Salem, for Black- 

 stone had retired to Shawmut soon after his arrival in 

 1626, while Endicott did not come to America for an- 

 other two years. So his garden could hardly have 

 been started until later than Blackstone's. Neither of 

 them, however, is likely to have been the first garden 

 made here, for the Virginia Colony had declared for 

 private ownership of land in 1619 — always the first 

 step toward the making of real gardens — and had is- 

 sued its decree against the too general fencing in of 

 land in 1626, by which time great numbers of its 

 planters had acquired and cleared large tracts. New 

 Amsterdam can hardly claim anything earlier than 

 this, although her demure and orderly little garden 

 patches were beginning to set a style in town garden- 

 ing about this time. 



But there was no garden anywhere here as yet, of 

 the nature we are seeking; one could hardly suppose 



