42 OLD-FASHIONED GARDENING 
these were all jumbled in with the “lettice and sor¬ 
rel, Marygold, parsley, chervel, burnet, savory, time 
(thyme), sage, spear mint, penny royal, smalledge, 
fennel,” and what-not of pot herbs and sweet herbs,, 
for kitchen, linen chest and still. 
Garden material was constantly being sent from 
the mother country. A letter of Col. William Byrd 
to his brother, in 1684, expresses his thanks for goose¬ 
berry and currant bushes just received. He writes to 
someone else, in the same year, his appreciation of 
seed and roots sent him, which had been planted 
and flowered. These were iris, crocus, tulips and 
anemone. 
Cabins for the negroes were near by the dwelling— 
the “quarters” of all plantations—and kitchen, milk- 
house, wash-house, barns, hen-house, carriage-house, 
the shop and the overseer’s office formed quite a 
group of little buildings, usually arranged to flank 
the big house on either side, in an orderly fashion. 
And many yards had a tall pole with a toy house 
atop it, for the bee martin to live in; for the bee 
martin hates the hawk and the crow, and gives battle 
to both these raiders upon the poultry yard. Hence 
his presence was highly desirable. Always there were 
honey bees, too—many of them—the hives standing 
under the eaves of the lesser buildings. And as time 
went on, some planters fenced in the entire area about 
