THE POMEGRANATE. G99 



southern garden. If raised in large quantities there, it would 

 become a valuable fruit for sending to the northern cities, as it 

 is now constantly sent from the south of Europe to Paris and 

 London. Hedges are very often made of it near Genoa and 

 Nice. 



Propagation and Culture. This tree is readily propa- 

 gated by cuttings, layers, suckers, or seeds. When by seeds, 

 they should be sown directly after they ripen, otherwise they 

 seldom vegetate. Any good, rich garden soil answers well for 

 the Pomegranate ; and, as it produces little excess of wood, it 

 needs little more in the way of pruning than an occasional thin- 

 ning out of any old or decaying branches. 



Varieties. There are several varieties. The finest, viz.: 



1. The Sweet-Fruited Pomegranate [Grenadier a Fruit 

 Doux), with sweet and juicy pulp. 



2. The Sub-Acid Fruited Pomegranate ; the most com- 

 mon variety cultivated in gardens. 



3. The Wild, or Acid-Fruited Pomegranate, with a sharp, 

 acid flavour; which makes an excellent syrup. 



Besides these, there are several double-flowering varieties of 

 the Pomegranate, which are very beautiful, but bear no fruit. 

 They are also rather more tender than the fruit-bearing ones. 

 The finest are the Double Red Pomegranate, with large and 

 very splendid scarlet blossoms, and the Double W^hite Pome- 

 granate, with flowers nearly white. There are also the rarer 

 varieties, the Yellow Flowered and the Variegated Flow- 

 ered Pomegranate — seldom seen here, except in choice green- 

 house collections. 



