22P, 



HORTICULTURE. 



Fruit 

 Garden. 



Azarele. 



Bullace. 



Slor. 



185. The Azarole-tree ( Cralagiis azarolus, L.; pro- 

 perly a Mespilus) has a still larger fruit, but does not 

 produce it so freely, being a native of the Levant. 

 When fully ripe, the fruit has an agreeably acid taste, 

 for which it is so much esteemed in Italy and the south 

 of France that it is frequently served up in desserts. 

 It is the pommetle of the French. In this country it is 

 seldom used. 



Native Fruits. 



186. Of the genus Prunus, we have several species 

 growing naturally in our woods, and by the banks of 

 rivers. The small black cherry or guigne, (P. cerasus, 

 Eng. Dot. t. 706',) and the red-fruited variety, common- 

 ly distinguished as Prunus avium, have already been 

 mentioned, as well as the common wild plum, (P. do- 

 mestica,) which if not native, is at least completely na- 

 turalized. To these may be added the bullace, the sloe, 

 and the bird-cherry. The Bullace plum (fruit of P. in- 

 sititia, Eng. Bot. t. 841,) when mellowed by frost, is not 

 unpleasant; indeed it is one of the best of our native 

 productions. It may.be made into an excellent con- 

 serve, by mixing the pulp with thrice its weight of su- 

 gar. It varies with dark purple or almost black fruit, 

 and light or wax-coloured fruit. The Sloe (fruit of 



' P. spinosa, Eng. Bot. t. 842.) likewise requires to be 

 mellowed by frost. To home-made wines, it is calcula- 

 ted to communicate the colour and roughness of red 

 Port ; indeed it is said to enter as an ingredient into the 

 manufacture of this wine. The juice of the unripe fruit 

 forms, the German acacia. When the fruit is ripe, the 

 juice affords an almost indelible ink, which is sometimes 

 used for marking linens. Mr Knight (in the London 

 Horticultural Transactions, vol. i.) seems to consider 

 the sloe as the original species from which all our cul- 

 tivated plums have been derived ; but on what grounds 

 he passes over the common wild plum and the bullace, 

 which are more nearly allied, he does not enable us to 

 Bird- cherry, determine. The Bird cherry, (fruit of P. padus, L. Eng. 

 Bot. t. 1383.) in Scotland the Hag-berry, is, to most pa- 

 lates, nauseous. The fruit is scarcely used, unless oc- 

 casionally that in Scotland an infusion of it is made in 

 the favourite liquor of the country, whisky. 



Barberry. 187. The Barberry bush (Berberis vulgaris, L. ; 

 Hexandria Mouogyma ; Berberidew, Juss. ) is a native 

 of various parts of this country ; and is figured in 

 " English Botany," t. 49. The fruit is in consider- 

 able demand for preserving ; and the berries of the va- 

 riety without stones are preferred for this purpose. If 

 planted in good soil, and pruned somewhat in the man- 

 ner of gooseberry-bushes, barberry plants yield both 

 larger bunches and larger berries. In the shrubbery, 

 while in flower, they are ornamental ; and the sensi- 

 tive stamina may afford entertainment ; for when the 

 antheras are ready, if the bottom of the filament be irri- 

 tated with the point of a knife or a straw, the stamen 

 rises with a sudden jerk, and strikes the anthera against 

 the pistillum. In autumn, the scarlet fruit makes a fine 

 appearance. 



j,U cr 188. The Elder (Sambucus nigra, L. ; Pentandria 



berries. Trigynia ; Caprifoliace<e of Ventenat,) is a well-known 

 native tree, figured in English Botany, t. 476. In Scot- 

 land it is called Bourtree. Elder berries may be in- 

 cluded in the list of native fruits ; for they are still 

 sometimes gathered for the making of elder wine. 

 Roan her- 18 9- The Mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia, L. ; Ico- 

 rics. sandria Trigynia ; Rosaceie, Juss.; Eng. Bot. t. 337.) 



is perhaps the most ornamenUl native tree we possess. 



It is deservedly planted in pleasure grounds; its foli- 

 age, flowers, and berries being all beautiful in succes- 

 sion, and the whole tree forming a fine object. Roan- 

 berries are still held in some esteem in the Highlands 

 of Scotland, and in Wales ; and in both countries, the 

 boughs of the tree are used in many superstitious ce- 

 remonies. 



190. Of the genus Rubus, the raspberry has been al- 

 ready mentioned. The Common bramble (li.frulicosus, 

 L. ; Eng. Bot. t. 715.) may be added as one of our na- 

 tive fruits, and not one of the worst. The Stone bramble, 

 (K. saxalilis, F.ng. Bot. t. 2233.) is another: In Scot- 

 land, the fruit has a distinct name, Roebuck-berry. 

 Cloud-berries, or knot-berries, (the fruit of R. chamcx- 

 morus, Eng. Bot. t. 716.) are perhaps the most grateful 

 and useful kind of fruit gathered by the Scots Highland- 

 ers : on the sides and near the bases of the mountains, 

 it may be collected for several months in succession. 

 It is not cultivated without difficulty, and it very seldom 

 yields its fruit in a garden. With this may be coupled 

 the Dwarf crimson bramble, (/. arcticus, Eng. Bot. 

 t. 1585.) This is found only on the highest and wild- 

 est mountains of Scotland. The berry is excellent ; but 

 it is not easily obtained in sufficient quantity; for 

 though the plant grows freely in gardens, and shews its 

 flowers, it rarely produces its fruit in low situations. 



191. Of the cranberry (Vaccinium, L.; OctandriaMo- 

 nogynia; Ericas, Juss.) there are various species, three 

 of them native ; but the most important is a transatlan- 

 tic species, which however we may be excused for in- 

 troducing in this place. It is called the smooth-stem- 

 med American cranberry, (V.macrocarpon). This is an 

 addition made within these few years to our list of cul- 

 tivated fruits. The plant was indeed known ; but the 

 opinion given in Miller's Dictionary was general, that 

 " they can only be cultivated for curiosity in gardens, 

 for they will not thrive much, nor produce fruit, out of 

 their native swamps and bogs." To the indefatigable 

 Sir Joseph Banks, we are indebted for pointing out the 

 practicability of cultivating it for use. Wherever there 

 is a pond, the margin may, at a trifling expence, be 

 fitted for the culture of this plant, and it will continue 

 productive for many years. All that is necessary is to 

 drive in a few stakes, two or three feet within the mar- 

 gin of the pond, and to place some old boards within 

 these, so as to prevent the soil of the cranberry bed from 

 falling into the water: then to lay a parcel of small stones 

 or rubbish in the bottom, and over it peat or bog earth 

 to the depth of about three inches above, and seven 

 inches below the usual surface of the water. In such a 

 situation the plants grow readily ; and if a few be put 

 in, they entirely cover the bed in the course of a year or 

 two, by means of their long runners, which take root at 

 different points. From a very small space, a very large 

 quantity of cranberries may be gathered ; and they 

 prove a remarkably regular crop, scarcely affected by 

 the state of the weather, and not subject to the attacks 

 of insects. 



192. The native species of Vaccinium, which afford 

 berries in the highlands of Wales and Scotland, are the 

 following. The Common cranberry, or moss berry, 

 (V. oxycoccos, Eng. Bot. t. 319.) Great quantities of 

 this berry are gathered in upland marshes and turfy 

 bogs, both in England and Scotland. The berries are 

 made into tarts, and have much the same flavour as the 

 Russian imported cranberries, or those procured by cul- 

 tivation. The Bilberry, blaeberry, or whortleberry, ( V. 

 myrtillus, Eng. Bot. t. 456.) is gathered in autumn for 

 making tarts : in Devonshire the berries are eaten with 



Fruit 

 Garden. 



Bramble 

 berries. 



Cloud, 

 berries. 



American 

 cranberry. 



Common 

 cranberry. 



Blaeberry 



