1 66 Gleanings from the 



original home. Filberts have become fo common 

 in our copfes that they might be regarded as indi- 

 genous did we not know that the nut originally 

 came from Pontus to Rome, and was thus fome- 

 times called the nux Pontica. Thofe of Thafos 

 were celebrated. It abounded in the diftrict round 

 Avellano in Campania, whence comes the botani- 

 cal name of the hazel, corylus Avellana^ Lin. 1 

 Quinces, mulberries, cheftnuts, and plums are 

 more benefactions of Rome, and of courfe vines 

 and figs. There were no cherries in Italy before 

 the victories of Lucullus. He brought them to 

 Rome, and in 120 years the tree penetrated 

 beyond the fea, fays Pliny, 2 into Britain. Befides 

 the five fpecies of rofes which Bentham deems in- 

 digenous, the R. Gallic -a, Ayrmire, and China 

 rofes are alfo due to Roman commerce. Of other 

 flowers, the lily, crocus vernus, tulip, lilac, ranun- 

 culus, hyacinth, dianthus caryophyllus (clove- 

 pink), fweet-william, came from Rome. 3 Flax 

 and hemp, thofe moft ufeful allies of civilization, 

 came from the Eaft to Rome and thence to us. 



Patting from the flower to the kitchen-garden, 

 our peas and cucumbers came acrofs with the 

 Roman conquerors. Who does not remember 

 Virgil's Corycian old man, and his well-ordered 

 garden ? and how 



" Tortus per herbam 

 Crefccrct in ventrem cucumis." 4 



1 Pliny ; and Daubeny, " Trees and Shrubs of the Ancients," 

 p. 6. 



2 Pliny, "Hift. Nat.," xv. 25. 



3 Sec Viftor Hehn. 4 " Gcorg.," iv. 121. 



