152 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 
1740, when “ most of their kind were killed.” “ In the 
orchard ” there was “ a tree of Rhamnus Catharticus ” (Buck¬ 
thorn) “ twenty feet high, and near a foot in diameter.” Wat¬ 
son also mentions a deciduous cypress, “ Cupressus americanus 
acacia foliis deciduis ” (Taxodium distichum), a tree which the 
Tradescants introduced. The tulip-tree was also one of their 
importations. Evelyn thus refers to it : “ Poplar of Virginia—I 
conceive it was first brought over by John Tradescant, under the 
name of tulip-tree (from the likeness of its flowers), but is not, 
that I find, taken much notice of in any of our Herbals. I wish 
we had more of them, but they are difficult to elevate at first.” 1 
Some other plants brought over by them have more fortunately 
preserved their memory. Tradescant’s Daffodil, called “ the 
great rose daffodil ” in Parkinson, is Plenissimus, still described 
as “ the largest and richest yellow of all double daffodils.” 2 
Tradescant’s Aster still bears their name, and the Tradescantias, 
or Spiderworts, are a well-known genus. During his travels, 
Tradescant made purchases for his patron, the first Earl of 
Salisbury, and some of his original bills are preserved at 
Hatfield. Many of the items are of interest, showing not only 
the prices paid for known plants, but also for some new ones, 
which he was the first to introduce. 
The following are extracts from this interesting series : 3 
“3 January, 1611—John Tradescant his bill for Routes, flowers, 
seedes, trees and plants by him bought for my Lo : in Holland—Bought 
at Leyden in Holland—For roots of flowers of Roasses and shrubs of 
strang and rare, ^3.—. . . Also bought at Harlem in Holland of Cornellis 
Helin of the Rathe ripe cherry trees 32 at 4s. the peece, £6. 8s.—for 
flowers called anemones, 5s.—for 16 Province Roses, 8s.—for two 
mulbery trees 6s.—for the great red currants 6 plants is.—for two 
arbor vita trees is.—fortye frittelarias at 3 pence the peece 10s. 
5 January 1611—bought at Brussells and in Holland . . . for the rathe 
ripe portingall quince on[e] tree, 6s.—for the lion’s quince tree 3s.—for 
two great medlar trees of Naples 5s.—for tulipes roots at Harlem at 
1 One of the oldest tulip-trees is at Waltham, in Essex. “ The largest 
and biggest that ever was seen, there being but one other in Great 
Britain, and that at Lord Peterborough’s ” (History of Waltham, 
Farmer, 1735). 
2 Barr’s English Daffodil Catalogue, 1893. 
3 From the original MS. in the possession of the Marquess of Salisbury, 
at Hatfield. 
