687. Tree-nurseries were first established during the seventeenth century. Young trees, the early authors inform us, were procured from the natural forests and copses, where they were self-sown; but about the beginning of the seventeenth century, public nursery-gardens were formed, originally for fruit trees; but towards the end, nurserymen, as we learn from Switzer and Cook, began to raise forest trees and hedge-plants from seeds. The first nursery we hear of was that of Corbett, at Twickenham, mentioned by Ben Jonson; and the next of consequence that of London and Wise, at Brompton Park, already mentioned, and still continued as a nursery. Corbett, under the name of Pointer, is mentioned by Sir Hugh Platt, and also by Gerard. He was the father of Richard Corbett the poet, and Bishop of Norwich, who also inhabited a house at Twickenham.
