KITCHEN GARDENING UNDER JAMES I. 127 



southern counties. Lawson writes that in his county (York- 

 shire) the best fruit to grow was " Apples, Pears, Cherries, 

 Filberds, red and white Plums, Damsons and Bullaces," and he 

 further adds, as a warning, " we do not meddle with apricockes, 

 nor peaches, nor scarcely with quinces, which will not like in 

 our colde parts." Allusions to the fruit trees trained against 

 a wall occur in the poems and plays of the time. Marlowe 

 mentions cherries on a wall, and Ben Jonson, in Every Man 

 in his Own Humour (Act I., Scene 1), makes Wellbred write to 

 Edward Knowell, " Leave thy vigilant father alone to number 

 over his green apricots evening and morning on the north-west 

 wall." The idea of thus growing fruit was of recent date. 

 Sir Hugh Piatt, writing in 1600, says, " Quinces growing against 

 a wall, lying open to the sun, and defended from cold winds, 

 eat most deliciously. This secret the Lord Darcey brought 

 out of Italy, quaere, would this suit of all other fruits ?" 



In front of the trees trained to the wall, or running parallel 

 with the outer hedge, was a path, and this was bordered with a 

 row of low-trained fruit-trees, " Cornelian cherry trees plashed 

 low, or gooseberries, curran trees, or the like," or " pippins, 

 Pomewaters or any other sort of apple, planted " all along the 

 side-walk. There were arbours at the corners of the walks, and 

 banks of camomile or other sweet herbs on which to rest. The 

 paths were well sanded, and under the trees " green grass kept 

 finely shorn." Between the raspberries and currants beside 

 the path, the ground, says Lawson, should be " powdered with 

 strawberries." In fact, all was done that the orchard might 

 be well ordered, and made fit " for refreshing one's spirits." 

 The arbours were much the same as those in the garden, and 

 like them were often raised on mounts. In such an arbour in 

 his orchard in Gloucestershire, Shallow invited Falstaff to 

 "eat a last year's pippin of my own graffing," with a dish of 

 Leathercoates. The Leathercoat was " a good winter apple of 

 no great bignesse, but of a very good and sharp taste." 1 



Much care was taken to preserve pippins for a length of 

 time. Lawson gives directions for gathering and storing them. 

 " You should, have a long ladder of light firre, also a gathering 

 apron like a pocke before you made of purpose, or a wallet hung 



1 Parkinson. 



