DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49977#0174
152
A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND.
rarest fruits he can hear of” ; and also “ Master John Millen,
dwelling in Old Street, who from John Tradescant and all others
that have good fruit hath stored himself with the best only, and
he can sufficiently furnish any.” Gerard says that the greatest
variety of plums was to be found in the garden of Mr. Vincent
Pointer, at Twickenham, but he adds that “ my selfe is not
without some, and those rare and delicate.” Mirabelle, or
“ Myrabolane,” were grown. Parkinson gives sixty-one varieties
by name, but he does not recommend them all; some are only
“reasonable good rellished,” others “ waterish,” and “The
Margate plum the worst of an hundred.” The list includes some
“ Mussell ” plums, the same as the modern “muscle,” so much
used for grafting, and Damsons, also “ The perdigon, a dainty
good plum, early, blackish, and well rellished,” doubtless the
parent of the Perdrigon violet Hatif, and others.
The Apricot, which we have seen was introduced in the Tudor
period, was grown “in many gentlemen’s gardens throughout
all England.” The “ great apricock,” and the two Mascolines of
Parkinson are types still well known. He distinguishes six
varieties in all. The Argier apricock seems rather of the “ Musch
Musch” type. It was brought by John Tradescant “returning
from the Argier voyage, whither he went voluntarily with the Fleet
that went against the Pirates in the year 1620.” * Sir Hugh Platt
gives many hints on the culture of this fruit. He writes, “ A
grafted Apricot is best, yet from the stone you shall have a fair
Apricot.” Again: “ Mix cow-dung and horse-dung well rotted with
fine earth and claret wine lees of each a like quantity, baring the
roots of your trees in January, February, and March; and then
apply of this mixture to the roots of your Apricot trees, and
cover them with common earth. By this means Apricot trees as
never bare before, have brought forth great store of fruit. . . .
This of Mr. Andr. Hill.” Another of his observations on Apricots
is worth recording. “ Plant an Apricot in the midst of other
plumme-trees round about it . . . then in an apt season bore
through your plum-trees, and let in to every one of them one or
two of the branches of your Apricot tree . . . and lute the holes
up with tempered loame ; . . and the next year cut off the branch
* Parkinson. “ Argier” = Algiers.
A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND.
rarest fruits he can hear of” ; and also “ Master John Millen,
dwelling in Old Street, who from John Tradescant and all others
that have good fruit hath stored himself with the best only, and
he can sufficiently furnish any.” Gerard says that the greatest
variety of plums was to be found in the garden of Mr. Vincent
Pointer, at Twickenham, but he adds that “ my selfe is not
without some, and those rare and delicate.” Mirabelle, or
“ Myrabolane,” were grown. Parkinson gives sixty-one varieties
by name, but he does not recommend them all; some are only
“reasonable good rellished,” others “ waterish,” and “The
Margate plum the worst of an hundred.” The list includes some
“ Mussell ” plums, the same as the modern “muscle,” so much
used for grafting, and Damsons, also “ The perdigon, a dainty
good plum, early, blackish, and well rellished,” doubtless the
parent of the Perdrigon violet Hatif, and others.
The Apricot, which we have seen was introduced in the Tudor
period, was grown “in many gentlemen’s gardens throughout
all England.” The “ great apricock,” and the two Mascolines of
Parkinson are types still well known. He distinguishes six
varieties in all. The Argier apricock seems rather of the “ Musch
Musch” type. It was brought by John Tradescant “returning
from the Argier voyage, whither he went voluntarily with the Fleet
that went against the Pirates in the year 1620.” * Sir Hugh Platt
gives many hints on the culture of this fruit. He writes, “ A
grafted Apricot is best, yet from the stone you shall have a fair
Apricot.” Again: “ Mix cow-dung and horse-dung well rotted with
fine earth and claret wine lees of each a like quantity, baring the
roots of your trees in January, February, and March; and then
apply of this mixture to the roots of your Apricot trees, and
cover them with common earth. By this means Apricot trees as
never bare before, have brought forth great store of fruit. . . .
This of Mr. Andr. Hill.” Another of his observations on Apricots
is worth recording. “ Plant an Apricot in the midst of other
plumme-trees round about it . . . then in an apt season bore
through your plum-trees, and let in to every one of them one or
two of the branches of your Apricot tree . . . and lute the holes
up with tempered loame ; . . and the next year cut off the branch
* Parkinson. “ Argier” = Algiers.