ORIGIN OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 829 



Both were cultivated in Peru in the time of the Incas, and in 

 the districts where no Maize grew, the crop of these tubers 

 was of much importance (Garcillaso, Comment., b. v. c. 1 ; 

 b. viii. c. 10). J. de Acosta, 1588-90, says "there are an 

 infinite number " of roots used for food in the Indies, " but 

 the Papas (Potatoes) and Ocas be the chief for nourishment 

 and substance " (Nat. and Moral Hist, of the Indies, lib. 

 iv. c. 18). 



Our notes upon plants cultivated for their herbage, tubers, 

 roots, etc., have run to such a length that the remainder, con- 

 cerning some plants cultivated for their fruits and seeds, must 

 be left for another article. 



PART II. 



The fourth chapter relates to plants cultivated for their 

 fruits ; the fifth, to those cultivated for their seeds. Our 

 present annotations concern a few species or forms of Cucur- 

 bitacece, the history of which has been involved in some ob- 

 scurity and confusion. 



A word, in passing, upon the Peach, upon the history of 

 which this volume throws some new light. De Candolle had 

 formerly suggested China as its home, and he has brought 

 together additional evidence in favor of that view. He 

 shows how this conclusion goes against an old idea that the 

 Peach is a derivative of the Almond, which is indigenous to 

 western Asia, and was unknown to the Chinese anterior to the 

 Christian era, while they had peaches of various sorts long 

 before. Upon Pyrus there is a note relating to botanical 

 orthography, p. 183, which we append, as it has an applica- 

 tion to a few other words.^ 



^ " L'Orthographe Pyrus, adopts par Linnd, se trouve dans Pline, 

 'Historia,' ed. 1631, p. 301. Quelques botanistes ont voulu raffiner en 

 ^crivant Pirus, et il en result, pour une recherche dans un livre moderne, 

 il faut consulter I'index dans deux endrolts, ou risquer de croire que les 

 Poiriers ne sont pas dans I'ouvrage. En tous cas le nom des anciens est 

 un nom vulgaire, mais le nom vraiment botanique est celui de Linn^, 

 fondateur de la nomenclature adoptee, et Linn^ a ecrit Pyrus." 



Pears and apples were prehistoric in Europe, both wild and cultivated. 



