The times., 1901-06-02
VEGETABLESINEARLYDAYO
Appear to Have Been Scarce Prior
to the Thirteenth Century.

History Records Only "a Few varie-
/. ties In the English Gardens and
orchRrds--The Orange introduced
by the Arab COnquerors of Spain.
The enthusiastic vegetarian OF the pres
ent day seldom thinks how his ancestors
of similar tastes to his own Jared in the
thirteenth century. Should curiosity on
this point be aroused in anyone he can
consult the list of the household ex-
penses Of Eleanor. Countess OF Leicester
third daughter of King John. and wife OF
the celebrated Simon de Montfort. From
this. the earliest known account OF the ex-
penditures of an English subject. some
curious details are gathered
Very few esculent plants are mentioned.
Dried peas and beans. parsley. fennel.
onions. green peas. and new beans are
the only species named. Pot herbs. OF
which the names are not specified, cost
pence. but it may be mentioned that 1
shilling then would purchase as much as
10 now, If any other vegetables were in
general use at the time they were, per-
Naps. comprised under the term pCtagium.
There exists however much uncertainty
upon the subject of the cultivation of
vegetables, in England at least. during
the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
Crosses, endive, lettuce, beets, parsnips,
carrots, cabbages. leeks. radishes. and
cardoons were grown in France during
the reign OF Charlemagne, but it is doubt
full whether many OF these varieties were
cultivated in England at an early period.
The most skilifuI norticulturists of the
Middle Ages were ecelesiastics. and it is
thought that in the gardens of monas-
terles many vegetables were raised
which were not in common use
among the lalty. Even in the If
teenth century. the general produce Of
the English kitchen garden was limited.
when compared with that of the Low
countries. France and Italy.
An English author of the period, Gil
bert kymer, can enumerate only, besides
a few wild and forgotten sorts. cabbage,
lettuce spinach beetrOot, trefoil, brig
Iors, borage, celery. purslaine. fennel.
smallage, thyme, hysop, parsley, mint,
species of turnip. and small white onions.
According to the writer. all these vege-
tables were boiled with meats. He OBJ
serves that some were eaten raw, in
spring and summer, with olive oil and
spices, but questions the propriety Of the
custom This. is. perhaps. the earliest no.
tice extant of the use of salads in Eng
land
The list of Eleanor furnishes but little
information respecting fruits. The only
kinds named are apples and pears. Three
hundred of the latter were purchased at
Canterbury, probably from the gardens
of the monks 1t is, however. believed
that few other sorts were generally grown
in England before the latter end of the
fifteenth century; although Matthew
Paris, describing the bad season of l29i,
observes that ''apples were scarce aud
plums scarcer while ounces. vegetables.
cherries. plunns. and all shell fruits were
entirely destroyed"
These shell fruits were probably the
common hazel nut, walnuts. and, perhaps
chestnuts.
In 1856 the sheriffs Of London were or
dered to buy two thousand chestnuts for
the Kings own use In the Wardrobe
Book of the fourteenth year of the reign
of Edward l is found the bill of Nicholas,
the royal fruiterer, in which the only
fruits mentioned are pears, apples.
ounces, medlars, and nuts. The supply
of these from Whitsuntide to November
cost e21 14s I'D.
This apparent scarcity of indigenous
fruits naturally leads to the enquiry what
foreign kinds, besides those included in
the term spicery. such as almonds, dates.
figs, and raisins. were imported into Eng
land in this and the following century?
In the time of John. and of Henry III.
Rochelle was celebrated for its pears and
cOnger ee1s. The sheriffs of London pur-
chased a hundred of the former for Henry
in 1223.
In the eighteenth year of the reign of
Edward 1. = large Spanish ship came to
Portsmouth. out of the cargo of which
-
figs, one frafl of raisins or grapes. one
bale of dates and two hundred and thirty
fifteen citrons, and seven
oranges. The last item is important. as
lie Grand d Aussy could not trace the
orange in France to an earlier date than
1888; here it is found to have been known
n England in 1880, and ii may be sur
nised that this was not its first appear
ince there.
The marriage of Edward with Eleanor
1f CASTLE naturally led TO a closer re-
between England and Spain,
md, consequently, to the introduction of
1the- articles of Spanish produce than
he leather of Cordova, olive Gil, and
ice. which had previously been the prin-
,ipal imports from that fertile country
through the medium of the merchants of
3ayonne and Bordeaux.
II is regretted by those who have studied
ne subject that the series of Wardrobe
Socks is incomplete as much additional
Information on this point might have been
derived from them. 1t appears at all
vents, certain that Europe is indebted
o the Arab cOnQuerors of Spain for the
of the orange, and not to
he Portuguese, who have been errO-
leously said to have brought it from
,hina
An English dessert in the thirteenth
entury must. II is clear. have been COM
osed chiefly of dried and preserved fruits,
ates, figs. apples. pears, nuts, and the
till common dish OF almonds and raisins
The arrival Of ship laden with spices
yas an event of such Importance that the
ling usually fastened to satisfy his wants
,efore the cargo was landed. Thus. in
he reign Of Henry III, the bailiffs OF
were commanded to detain, upon
heir coming into port two great ships
adeu with spices and precious merchan-
ise which were exported from BayOnne:
nd not to allow anything 10 be sold until
ne King had his choice of their contents.
To return To the Eleanor roll cider is
Mentioned only once. and that in such
manner as to convey the impression that
was not in high estimation. the countess
avng distributed one tun among 800 pau