FLORA HISTORICA. 



"When Demetrius besieged Rhodes, he refused 

 to set fire to a part of the city, which might have 

 made him master of the whole, because lie knew 

 that Protogenes was then working in that quarter. 

 When the town was taken, the painter was found 

 closely employed in a garden, finishing a picture ; 

 and upon being asked by the conqueror why he 

 showed not more concern at the general calamity, 

 he replied, that Demetrius made war against the 

 Rhodians, and not against the fine arts. 



The Lupine is a plant that loves a poor light 

 sandy soil, and it was much employed by the Ro- 

 mans as a manure for such situations, being 

 ploughed or dug into the ground just as it began 

 to blossom. It formed the principal manure for 

 many vineyards and orchards where animal dung 

 could not be procured. Cato recommends the 

 haulm of Lupines, amongst other vegetable sub- 

 stances, to form a compost for vines that were 

 decaying. It is remarked by Pliny, that the Lu- 

 pine was sowed with less expense to the husband- 

 man than any other seed, since it was merely scat- 

 tered on the ground amongst the bushes or briers 

 without cither ploughing or digging, and that the 

 seed readily took root without being covered with 

 earth. 



Mr. Swinburn observes, that Lupines are still 

 sown in the neighbourhood of Naples to manure 



