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A General

TREATISE

OF

Husbandry and Gardening.

PART. III.

INTRODUCTION.

Concerning the native Places of the feve ral Tribes of Fruit Trees: With an Etymological Account of their Names and of the Latitudes of the Countries which each kind of Fruit was brought from: With Directions for Ripening of Winter Fruits; and of the Culture of Fig Trees.

Shall begin with Cherries, which were not known in Europe, till Lucullus had overcome Mithridates, King of Pontus, Anno Romæ 683. At which time Lucullus firft brought them from Pontus into Italy; but

they were not till an hundred Years after,

VOL. II.

B

brought

brought into Britain; as the ingenious Sir Willi am Temple obferves in his Writings. This Pontus is a Province in Afia Minor, between Bithynia and Paphlagonia, thus called because it lies along the Euxine Sea, whofe Capital City was Heraclea. The late Mr. Vernon, a Perfon of extraordinary Curiofity in these Matters, has given an Account in a Letter which he fent from that Part of the World, that near the Black Sea, there was a Town named Cherefium or Chirefium, about which Cherry Trees grew wild, and he fuppofes they might take their Name from thence; its Latitude is about forty three Degrees North, which is about eight Degrees and an half more South than London, where Cherries grow very well without Shelter; or even as far as Edinburgh they are cultivated with good Success. Now the Latitude of Edinburgh is fifty fix Degrees five Minutes; fo that here is one Inftance of Plants which will bear with Change of Climate about thirteen Degrees.

In the next Place it is obferved by Sir William Temple, that after the Conqueft of Africk, Greece, the Leffer Afia and Syria, were brought into Italy all the forts of Mala, which we interpret Apples, and might fignifie no more at firft.

The Abricots coming from Epirus were called Mala Epirotica. Their Peaches from Perfia, Mala Perfica. Citrons from Media, Mala Medica. Pomgranates from Carthage, Mala Punica. Quinces from a little Ifland in the Grecian Sea, Mala Cathonea. And their beft Pears were brought from Alexandria, Numidia, Greece and Numantia, as appears by their feveral Appellations. Their Plumbs from Armenia, Syria, but chiefly from Damafcus.

We

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