CHAP. XLIV. GRANATA‘CER®. PU‘NICA. 941 
he was that king’s gardener. It seems to have been first tried in the open 
air by Miller, at Chelsea; and, at the suggestion of Bradley, in the garden of 
Cambden House, and in other gardens about Kensington; as the oldest 
specimens in the neighbourhood of London are at these places. At present, 
it is in most collections as an ornamental wall tree, and it ripens its fruit, or, 
at least, produces them of the full size, frequently, in the neighbourhood-of 
London in fine seasons ; but the varieties most generally cultivated are those 
with double flowers. The largest double-flowered pomegranate in England is 
supposed to be that trained against the walls of Fulham Palace, which is at 
Jeast 40 ft. high, and 50 ft. broad. 
Properties and Uses. In the south of Europe, the pomegranate is cultivated 
for its fruit; and, in some places, as a hedge plant. It is also grown as an 
ornamental tree ; the stem being trained to the height of 6 ft. or 8 ft., and the 
head afterwards allowed.to spread, and droop down on every side. In the con- 
servatories in the neighbourhood of Paris, and in France generally, the double- 
flowered variety is planted in large boxes, and treated like the orange tree. For 
this purpose, young plants are grown in the orange nurseries about Nice and 
Genoa, and exported to different parts of the world. Both the single and the 
double-flowered varieties are very frequently trained against walls, both in 
France and Italy ; and the more ingenious cultivators intermingle the branches 
of the one sort with those of the other, so as to make a display of both double 
flowers and fruit, apparently on the same tree. The pulp which encloses the 
seeds is sometimes acid, sometimes sweet ; and, in other cases, vinous, astrin- 
gent, and refreshing. A syrup is made from this pulp by the druggists, which 
is employed as an astringent and detergent ; the dried flowers are likewise kept 
in shops, for making infusions for the same purpose. Lord Bacon recommends 
the juice of pomegranates as good for liver complaints ; and Woodville says 
that it is preferable to that of oranges, in cases of fever. The rind of the 
fruit, on account of its astringent properties, has been used as a substitute 
for galls, in making ink; and is said to be still employed, in some parts of 
Germany, in dyeing leather red, in imitation of morocco. In the Himalayas, 
Mr. Royle informs us, the rind of the fruit, called naspal, “ being very astrin- 
gent, is used in medicine, as well as in dyeing. The employment, by the 
natives of India, of the bark of the root for the expulsion of the tape-worm, 
being now well known, since the subject was communicated by Drs. Hamilton 
and Fleming, is a remarkable instance of the oblivion into which even a 
valuable medicine may fall, as this property was well known to Dioscorides ; 
i. c. 154.” (Iillust., p. 208.) 
Poetical, mythological, and legendary Allusions. The pomegranate is men- 
tioned by the earliest poets. Ovid tells us that, when Ceres discovered that 
Pluto had stolen her daughter Proserpine, she implored Jupiter so earnestly 
to restore her, that he consented, provided she had eaten nothing during her 
residence in the infernal regions. Unfortunately, while walking in the Elysian 
Fields, Proserpine had gathered a pomegranate, and eaten seven grains of it ; 
and had been observed by Ascalaphus; who, informing Pluto of the fact, was 
turned by Ceres into an owl for his interference. (Ovid. Met., v. f. 6.; Fast. iv. 
v.417.) Nicholas Rapin, in his poem entitled Les Plaisirs du Gentilhomme 
Champetre, published in 1583, gives the following origin to the pomegranate: — 
A young girl of Scythia having consulted the diviners to know her fortune, 
was told by them that she was destined one day to wear a crown. This 
rendered her so proud and vain, that she was easily seduced by Bacchus, on 
his promising to give hera crown. He soon grew tired, and abandoned her ; 
and, when she afterwards died of grief, he metamorphosed her into a pome- 
granate tree, on the fruit of which he affixed a crown (alluding to the shape 
of the calyx); thus tardily and ambiguously redeeming his promise. Many 
other poets have mentioned the pomegranate; among whom may be enu- 
merated Chaucer, in his Romance of the Rose ; Andrew Marvell ; Thompson, 
in his Seasons ; Moore; and Byron. This shrub is considered the emblem of 
democracy; probably from its fruit consisting of numerous seeds, which form 
