DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49977#0175
KITCHEN GARDENING UNDER ELIZABETH AND JAMES I. 153
from the Apricot tree. . . . Take away in time all the head
of your plum tree and so you have gotten many
Apricot trees out of one.” Later on “ And. Hill ” is quoted
again, and his advice is to plant the trees against an east wall,
and to protect them with a “course cloth ... in the night or
in cold weather.” Platt also mentions, as rather an unusual
thing, that “ Sir P'rancis Walsingham caused divers Apricock
trees to be planted against a south Wall, and their Branches to be
born up also against the wall, according to the manner of vines,
whereby his plumbs did ripen three or four weeks before any
other.” In 1611, “ £100 was paid to William Hogan, keeper of
His Magesties still-house and garden at Hampton Court, for
planting the walls of the said garden with apricot trees, peach
trees, plum trees, and vines of choice fruits.” *
Gerard figures four varieties of peach. “The white peach
with meate about the stone of a white colour; the red peach
with meate of a gallant red colour, like wine in taste and
therefore marvellous pleasant; the D’auant peach with meate of
a golden colour ; and the yellow peach, of a yellow colour on
the outside, and likewise on the inside ... of the greatest
pleasure and best taste of all the other of his kinds.” He
makes no mention of the nectarine, which, however, by
Parkinson’s time had become well known. Six varieties are
described in a chapter to themselves, although he says “ they
have been with us not many years.” He gives twenty
varieties of peach, and a woodcut illustrates six of these;
two of them are considerably smaller than the apricot on the
same plate. Although Platt tells us that a peach grafted on a
nut will have no kernel, he cannot quite believe—although he
gives the recipe—that a peach tree watered three days running
with goat’s milk, when beginning to flower, will produce pome-
granates. Most of his other observations on their culture are
practical and correct. They like, he says, a clay soil, and to
be water-logged at the roots destroys them. They will grow
from stones, and bring forth a “ kindly peach,” but they thrive
best when grafted on a plum stock. Bacon mentions nectarines
* Issue Rolls of the Exchequer, James I. By F. Devon, 1836.
from the Apricot tree. . . . Take away in time all the head
of your plum tree and so you have gotten many
Apricot trees out of one.” Later on “ And. Hill ” is quoted
again, and his advice is to plant the trees against an east wall,
and to protect them with a “course cloth ... in the night or
in cold weather.” Platt also mentions, as rather an unusual
thing, that “ Sir P'rancis Walsingham caused divers Apricock
trees to be planted against a south Wall, and their Branches to be
born up also against the wall, according to the manner of vines,
whereby his plumbs did ripen three or four weeks before any
other.” In 1611, “ £100 was paid to William Hogan, keeper of
His Magesties still-house and garden at Hampton Court, for
planting the walls of the said garden with apricot trees, peach
trees, plum trees, and vines of choice fruits.” *
Gerard figures four varieties of peach. “The white peach
with meate about the stone of a white colour; the red peach
with meate of a gallant red colour, like wine in taste and
therefore marvellous pleasant; the D’auant peach with meate of
a golden colour ; and the yellow peach, of a yellow colour on
the outside, and likewise on the inside ... of the greatest
pleasure and best taste of all the other of his kinds.” He
makes no mention of the nectarine, which, however, by
Parkinson’s time had become well known. Six varieties are
described in a chapter to themselves, although he says “ they
have been with us not many years.” He gives twenty
varieties of peach, and a woodcut illustrates six of these;
two of them are considerably smaller than the apricot on the
same plate. Although Platt tells us that a peach grafted on a
nut will have no kernel, he cannot quite believe—although he
gives the recipe—that a peach tree watered three days running
with goat’s milk, when beginning to flower, will produce pome-
granates. Most of his other observations on their culture are
practical and correct. They like, he says, a clay soil, and to
be water-logged at the roots destroys them. They will grow
from stones, and bring forth a “ kindly peach,” but they thrive
best when grafted on a plum stock. Bacon mentions nectarines
* Issue Rolls of the Exchequer, James I. By F. Devon, 1836.