243 



try bordering on the upper parts of the Mohawk 

 River ; and I believe it might be cultivated to ad- 

 vantage. 



The opinion on this subject of such an eminent 

 botanist as yourself will be very acceptable. 



Yours most respectfully, 



De Witt Clinton. 



P.S. To hear from you will always be acceptable. 

 Nothing would give me more gratification than to 

 see the distinguished proprietor of Holkham, whose 

 name, as well as that of Sir J. E. Smith, is highly 

 appreciated in this country. But I am unfortunately 

 denied this pleasure at present. 



From the Rev. R. IValpole. 



My dear Sir, Aylsham, Dec. 8, 1817. 



Can you give me any information from your own 

 or Sibthorp's sources respecting Greek melons? I 

 find in a work I have been lately reading, that our 

 melons were known to the Greeks and Romans : 

 2i/o»oc, it appears, was the genus, the species being 

 Melo, Melopepon, and our cucumber. The Melo- 

 pepon is what the French call Sucrin : what is our 

 word corresponding to Sucrin} There is a passage 

 in Galen which clearly distinguishes the Melopepon 

 and the Pepon ; after citing it, my author says, "ex 

 hoc loco patet pepones Galeni esse nostros ?nelones, 

 8fc." Aristotle, he adds, knew them well ; for he 

 asks (Prol. 1. 20), Start oi o'ikvoi ireirovea apiaroi yiy- 

 vovrai ev to7q eXwSem 7re8totc ovaiv evvypoic, oiov irepi 



R 2 



