158 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 
first gardeners’' to plant cabbages, “ coleflowers,” and to sow 
turnips and carrots : “ they paid 8 pound per acre, yet the 
gentleman was not content, fearing they would spoile his ground 
because they did use and dig it. . . . Many parts of England 
are wholly ignorant . . . where the name of gardening and 
howing is scarcely known. . . . Gardening-ware (unless about 
London) is not plentiful or cheap. ... We have not nurseries 
sufficient in this land of Apples, Pears, Cherries, Vines, Chest¬ 
nuts, Almonds, etc. : but gentlemen are necessitated to send 
to London some hundred miles for them.” Further on, how¬ 
ever, he says that “ there are many gallant orchards ” in Kent, 
about London, in Gloucestershire, Hereford, and Worcester, 
and these are known to have existed a long time previous to the 
fifty years he ascribes to them. In Kent and Surrey, he adds, 
plums usually “ pay no small part of the rent.” 
It was not the Puritan party only who were occupied in 
the improvements of orchards. One of the great Royalist 
families took a prominent part in the work. To this day, at 
Holme Lacy, in Herefordshire, is to be seen the same long green 
walk flanked with yew hedges, down which Charles I. may 
have passed when he stayed with Lord Scudamore, the year 
which is marked in history by his loss of the Battle of Naseby. 
After the death of the King he had served so faithfully, Scuda¬ 
more went with the expedition to the relief of the French 
Huguenots at Rochelle, and, on his return to Holme Lacy, 
occupied himself with planting and grafting apple-trees. He 
introduced the Red Streak Pippin, from which the choicest 
sort of cider was made. Ambrose Philips (1671-1749) com¬ 
memorates this fact in his poem Pomona. He praises the 
Musk apple, and adds : 
“Yet let her to the Red-streak yield, that once 
Was of the sylvan kind, uncivilized, 
Of no regard, ’till Scudamore’s skilful hand 
Improv’d her, and by courtly discipline 
Taught her the savage nature to forget— 
Hence called the Scudamorean plant, whose wine 
Whoever tastes, let him with grateful heart 
Respect that ancient loyal house.” 
The orchard at Holme Lacy still remains, and the garden 
now possesses one of the finest walks of “ cordon ” fruit in 
