242 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 
Here’s fine nosegays ripe strawberries 
With ready pickled salad also 
Here’s collyflowers and asparagus 
New prunes twopence a pound 
Let none despise the merry merry cries 
Of Famous London Town. 
“ Here’s cucumbers spinage and frinch beans 
Come buy my nice sallery 
Here’s parsnips and fine leeks 
Come buy my potatoes ho ! 
Come buy my plumbs and fine ripe plumbs 
A groat a pound ripe filberts ho ! 
Here’s corn-poppies and mulberries 
Goose berries and currants also 
Fine nectarines peaches and apricots 
New rice two pence a pound 
[Let none despise the merry merry cries 
Of Famous London Town.” 
These cries become more rare in London every year, but 
the tune sung by lavender-sellers must be familiar to all who 
are in town at the end of July. The following words I wrote 
down from the dictation of a little boy, who was singing them 
and selling lavender in Eaton Place, July 21, 1900 : 
“ Come buy my blooming lavender, 
Sixteen branches for a penny. 
All around the square I go 
Crying out sixteen branches a penny. 
“ Now’s the time to scent your kerchief 
With my blooming lavender. 
Buy it once, you’ll buy it twice ; 
It makes your clothes smell very nice.” 
