ARBUTUS; 35 



ARBUTUS. 



ERICINK^E. DECANDKIA MONOGYN1A. 



Strawberry-tree. French, le fraisier en arbre, 1'arbre a fraises, both 

 similar to the common English name : the fruit is called arbouse, ar- 

 boise, or arboust. Italian, arbuto, albatro, albaro, corbezzolo, from 

 the fruit called corbezzola. By Pliny the fruit is called unedo ; be- 

 cause it is so bitter that one only can be eaten at a time. 



THIS is called the strawberry-tree, from the resem- 

 blance of its fruit to a strawberry. Although it attains a 

 considerable size, it is frequently grown in pots, and will 

 bear transplanting very well. For this operation, April is 

 the most favourable time ; the cultivator taking care to 

 preserve the earth about the roots, and to shade them 

 from the mid-day sun, when newly planted. 



As the leaves of the Arbutus remain all the winter, and 

 in spring are pushed off by the shooting of new ones, the 

 tree is always clothed. In June the young leaves are ex- 

 tremely beautiful ; in October and November it is one of 

 the most ornamental trees we have; the blossoms of the 

 present, and the ripe fruit of the former year, both adorn- 

 ing it at the same time. There is an Arbutus now in the 

 garden (in October) before my window, more lovely than 

 I can find language to express. When other trees are 

 losing their beauty, this is in its fullest perfection ; and 

 realises the exuberant fiction of the poets, bearing at 

 once flowers and fruit : 



" Co' fiori eterni eterno il frutto dura 

 E mentre spunta Fun, Taltro matura. 



' ' Nel tronco istesso, e tra 1'istessa foglia 

 Sovra il nascente fico invecchia il fico : 

 Pendono a un ramo, un con dorata spoglia, 

 L'altro con verde, il nuovo e'l porno antico. 

 Lussureggiante serpe alto, e germoglia 

 La torta vite, ov' fe piu 1'orto aprico ; 



D 2 



