CULTIVATED PLANTS. 139 



The seven following are stated to be all spontaneous in Asia, 

 and slightly improved by long cultivation in European fields, 

 being all mentioned by ancient Greek and Roman writers, viz. : 

 the Liipin (Lupinus albus), the ilfoc/a' (Lathyrus cicer, Pois cornu 

 of the French), the Cicerchie (Lathyrus sativus, or Gesse of the 

 French), the Lerl, or Zirli (Vicia ervilia), the Vetch (Vicia sativa), 

 the Cece (Cicer arietinum, or Pois chiche), and the Lentil (Ervum 

 Lens). Several of these are now wild also in Italy, and the two 

 Lathyri, and the common Vetch, may be indigenous ; but they 

 may with equal probability be only naturalised, as they are 

 evidently so little altered by cultivation, that they may readily 

 propagate naturally when they meet with a genial soil and climate. 

 All of these are more or less eaten by the Italians as pulse, but 

 few would be palatable to the English tastes. The Cicer indeed, 

 though rather coarse, is very fair when properly dressed and 

 seasoned, but the only one really deserving importation is the 

 Lentil, which is both wholesome and nuti'itious, and excellent 

 en puree, in various stews and made dishes, &c. It is very much 

 consumed all over Southern Europe, and constitutes, in all 

 probability, that much puffed article, so absurdly disguised for 

 the purpose of sale under the high-sounding name of Revalodit 

 arahica, an evident corruption of Erba lenta. 



Numerous as are the Leguminosce used for forage in Southern 

 Italy and Sicily, four only ai'e mentioned as cultivated for that 

 purpose in Tuscany : the Lucern (Medicago sativa), introduced, 

 according to the ancient writers, from Media into Greece, in the 

 time of Darius, and thence into Italy; the Sainfoin (Onobrychis 

 sativa), the Sulla or Lupinella (Hedysarum coronarium, or French 

 honeysuckle), and the Trafogliolo (Trifolium incarnatum), the 

 three last indigenous to Italy, and of comparatively modern 

 cultivation. Allusion is made to the confusion and frequent 

 interchange of names between the Lucern and the Sainfoin, 

 which appears to be as prevalent in Italy as it is in many parts of 

 Fi-ance, and has often led to error in regai'd to their agricultural 

 statistics. No mention is made of our common red or white 

 clovers, nor of the Medicago lupulina, so much cultivated in 

 Britain and Central Europe. 



Four esculent Solanea; are e.xtensively cultivated in Tuscany: 

 the Potato, the Tomato, the Egg-plant, and the Capsicum, the 

 two first of American origin, the third East Indian, and the fourth 

 either American or African, or both. 



The historv of the introduction of the Potato (Solanuai tube- 



