32 HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES “PART I. 
British tree culture, began to be introduced into our gardens, as 
objects of rarity and value. 
The ornamental trees, or the trees of curiosity, that would first 
be introduced into any country after those that recommended 
themselves by their fruit or their medicinal virtues, would be 
such as were generally planted about houses and in gardens, 
or such as bore conspicuous seeds. Hence the cypress, the bay, 
the box, the elm, the lime, and the plane, as being domestic 
shrubs and trees; and the chestnut, the ‘ilex, the walnut, and the 
pine, as being trees with conspicuous seeds, would, we may sup- 
pose, be those that were first brought over by the Romans, or 
by the heads of religious houses, ambassadors, or travellers, 
In tracing the introduction of foreign trees into this country, 
from the earliest ages to the present time, we shall first collect 
such notices as we have been able to obtain of the period from 
the invasion of the country by the Romans, to the end of the 
15th century; and, next, take in succession the 16th, 17th, 
18th, and 19th centuries. 
Sussect. 1. Ofthe Foreign Trees and Shrubs introduced into Britain 
by the Romans, and during the Middle Ages, to the End of the 15th 
Century. 
TuHERE.can be ‘no doubt whatever that the Romans introduced 
most of our cultivated vegetables and fruits. Some curious 
proofs of this are occasionally found in the springing up of 
Italian plants in the neighbourhood of the ruins of Roman villas, 
where ground, which had long remained in a state of rest, had 
been turned over in‘search of antiquities. Though, as far as we 
know, no trees or shrubs of Italy have sprung up in this manner 
from dormant seeds; yet there cannot be a doubt but that some 
of the trees and shrubs of the Romans would be cultivated in 
the gardens of their governors and generals, most of whom, it is 
understeod, must have been practically acquainted with hus- 
bandry. .Such trees would not only be interesting to them as 
reminding them of their native country, but they would serve 
to decorate and distinguish their residences, and command the 
admiration of the Roman army and of the natives. 
' We have seen, in the preceding chapter (p. 22.), that most of 
our fruit trees, and in all probability the plane, chestnut, walnut, 
lime, elm, and box, were introduced by the Romans. Many trees 
and shrubs introduced by the Romans, or by the monks of the 
middle ages, may have been afterwards lost; because this is, 
sooner or later, the case with all neglected plants that are placed 
in a.climate which will not enable them to ripen their seeds. 
In the 9th century, during the reign of Charlemagne, some 
exertions appear to have been made in France for the extension 
