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sessed venomous qualities, and that this fruit 

 was sent into Egypt by the tings of Persia, 

 by way of revenge, to plague the natives ; but 

 he treats this story as a mere fable, adding, 

 that the name of Persica evidently bespeaks 

 them a Persian -fruit. Cato has not men- 

 tioned them; and Pliny adds, that it was 

 not long since peaches were known in Rome, 

 and there was great difficulty in rearing them. 

 He informs us they were brought from Egypt 

 to the isle of Rhodes, where they could never 

 be made to produce fruit; and from thence 

 to Italy. He says, moreover, that it was 

 not a common fruit in Greece or in Natolia. 

 This author states again, in book 23, chap. 7 

 that he considered it the most harmless fruit 

 in the world ; that it had the most juice with 

 the least smell of any fruit, add yet caused 

 thirst to those who ate of it. 



Peaches were evidently cultivated in 

 France at an early period, as Columclla con- 

 tinues his account of this fruit, by stating, 



Those of small size to ripen make great haste ; 

 Such as great Gaul bestows observe due time, 

 And season, not too early, nor too late. 



Pliny says, book 15, chap. 12, " as for the 

 French and Asiatic peaches, they bear the 



