Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/322

 302 Hiftory of Domejiic Ma?2ners planting different herbs and trees, and of the aftrological circumftances under which thefe proceires could be performed moll: advantageoufly. The great ambition of the mediaeval horticulturift was to excel in the various myfteries of grafting, and he entertained theories on this fubje6t of the moil vifionary charafter, many of which were founded oii the writings of the ancients J for the mediaeval theorifts were accuftomed to fele6t from the do6trines of antiquity that which was moft vilionary, and it ufually became ftill more vifionary in their hands. Two Englifli treatifes on gardening w ere current in the fifteenth century, one founded upon the Latin treatife of Palladius, and entitled " Godfrey upon Palladie de Agricultura," the other by Nicholas Bollarde, a monk of Weftminlter — the monks were great gardeners. Thefe treatifes occur not unfrequently in manufcripts, and both are found in the Britifli Mufeum, in the Sloane MS., No. 7. An abridgment of them was edited by Mr. Halliwell, from the Porkington manufcript, in a colle6tion of " Early Englilh Mif- cellanies," printed for the Warton Club. In thefe treatifes, cherry-trees appear to have been more than any others the fubjetts of experiment, and to have been favourite flocks for grafting. Among the receipts given in thefe treatifes we may mention thofe for making cherries grow without ftones, and other fruit without cores ; for making the fruit of trees bear any colour you like ; for making old trees young ; for making four fruit fweet ; and " to have grapes ripe as foon as pears or cherries." This was to be brought about by grafting the vine on a cherry-tree, accord- ing to the following dirediions, the fpelling of which I modernife : — " Set a vine by a cherry till it grow, and at the beginning of February when time is, make a hole through the cherry-tree at what height thou wilt, and draw through the vine branch fo that it fill the hole, and lliave away- the old bark of the vine as much as fhall be in the hole, and put it in fo that the part fhaven fill the hole full, and let it Hand a year till they be Mbuded' together, then cut away the root end of the vine, and lap it with clay round about, and keep it fo after other graftings aforefaid." This is from Nicholas Bollarde. Godfrey upon Palladius tells us how " to have many rofes. Take the hard pepins that be right ripe, and fow them in February or March, and when they fpring, water them well, and after