158 



for their mlmbers and the increase of their size. 

 la the southern provinces are forests of apple and 

 quince trees from three to four leagues in extent, 

 from whence proceeds that great variety of 

 apples, the fruit of many of which is excellent. 

 Among these, however, those of Quillota are the 

 most in estimation. The quinces are remarkable 

 for their size and goodness;* like those of 

 Europe they have an acid and astringent taste, 

 hut if suflfered to attain perfect maturity, and 

 not gathered until the end of autumn, they are 

 very sweet, and are called in the country corcia. 



quantity of all kinds of the best European fruit trees which 

 have been transplanted thither. They all produced in abun- 

 dance, particularly the peaches, of which there were large 

 thicktts ; while the only attention paid to their cultivation was 

 by introducing some small streams of water among them, from 

 ihe river Chile, to supply the want of rain during the summer, 

 Frazier's Voyage, vol. i. 



Pears and apples grow so naturally in the bushes, that it is 

 diflicult to couccive, on seeing such quantities of them, how it 

 is possible for these trees to have multiplied since the conquest 

 to such a degree, if it is true, as is said, that they were not iu 

 the countrv before that period. Fraxicr's Foynge, vol. i. 



From tliese wild apples the Indians made a kind of eider for 

 present use, not knowing how to ferment it so as to make it 

 keep. E. E. Falkner. 



* What I most ailniired was the size of the quinces, for 

 tlicy arc larger than a mans head. But what was no Itss au 

 object ol surprise, was tiie little accouni made of them by the 

 iiihabitiinls, \vi)o sulleicd them to rot upon the ground without 

 pri\iiig iujv olttiiliun to collecting \hcnu~~FfuUli', vol. iii. 



