338 NEW AMERICAN ORCHARDIST* 



tive of Virginia. The stems are jointed and without 

 leaves ; they are broad, flat, thick, with bristling spines, and 

 trail on the ground. The fruit is in form of a fig or pear, 

 with clusters of spines on the skin ; its pulp is of a reddish 

 purple color, and of an agreeable subacid flavor. Loudon 

 enumerates several varieties, as the great Indian fig, or 

 upright prickly pear, (C.funa,) oblong Indian fig, (C.jicus 

 indica,) &c. 



The Virginia prickly pear (C. opuntia) appears hardy, 

 and will endure the hard winters, unprotected, near Boston, 

 and flourishes with great luxuriance in New Jersey. Mr. 

 Braddick, according to Loudon, has tried the plant in open 

 ground, unprotected, during several hard winters. He 

 cultivates them in a composition of half-lime rubbish, or 

 carbonate of lime, and the other half equal parts of clay and 

 bog earth. The plant is raised on a small hillock ; stones 

 and pebbles are laid, to prevent the leaves or fruit touch- 

 ing the ground. Raised from seeds or cuttings. 



POMEGRANATE. (Punica.) 



A low, deciduous tree, rising from fifteen to twenty 

 feet high, armed with thorns ; the leaves are long and nar- 

 row. A native of the south parts of Europe and China. 

 It is used for hedges in Languedoc and Italy. There are 

 several varieties enumerated by Loudon and others. 



1. The Subacid fruited ; 2. Large flowered, single Red 

 and White; 3. The semidouble, and double Red and 

 White; 4. The Yellow flowered ; 5. The Variegated flow- 

 ered; 6. Proliferous. 



POMEGRANATE. (Punica granatum.) 

 Sweet Pomegranate. N. Duh. PI. 22. 

 Grenadier A Fruit Doux. Ib. 



The tree grows of moderate height; the flowers are 

 brilliant red, and appear in succession from June to Sep- 

 tember ; one of the greatest ornaments of the gardens. 

 The fruit is large, compressed at its base and summit ; 

 its diameter three or four inches ; its skin is thick, cori- 

 aceous, of a deep yellow color, spotted with red points, 

 and colored with red next the sun. Its interior is divided 

 into various unequal compartments, in which are contained 

 a great number of angular seeds of the color and size of 

 red currants; the pulp contains a juice, sweet, abundant, 

 and agreeable. 



