DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49977#0169
KITCHEN GARDENING UNDER ELIZABETH AND JAMES I. 147
•sunne.”* This arrangement of the walls was suited only to
the southern counties. Lawson writes that in his county
(Yorkshire) 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 apricockcs,
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 i) 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 Platt, 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 wms 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.” f
Much care was taken to preserve pippins for a length of
* Lawson, New Orchard, 1618.
f Parkinson.
10 *
•sunne.”* This arrangement of the walls was suited only to
the southern counties. Lawson writes that in his county
(Yorkshire) 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 apricockcs,
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 i) 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 Platt, 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 wms 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.” f
Much care was taken to preserve pippins for a length of
* Lawson, New Orchard, 1618.
f Parkinson.
10 *