100 Notes of a Journey in Greece, 



A great number of fruit trees have also been planted, which 

 grow well; some plum and pear trees were there previously, as 

 well as some vine stocks, and mulberry and pomegranate trees. 

 Fig trees were plentiful. 



Of ornamental plants, Di\ Fraas had planted a certain num- 

 ber of dahlias, which I brought from Trieste and left at Athens, 

 on my first journey there. On my return, after a very short 

 period of time (two months), I found all these plants grown and 

 in beautiful bloom ; besides this, I saw a fine collection of annual 

 plants, which grow there with unexampled rapidity and vigour. 



We may rationally conclude that the country has not always 

 been so bare of vegetation as it is at present : the soil is very 

 fruitful and good in the plains ; though less so on the elevations 

 of the mountains, which are generally calcareous. The best proof 

 of the fertility of the soil is, that Dr. Fraas having had a num- 

 ber of mulberry trees transplanted, the stems of which were ge- 

 nerally more than a foot in diameter, they all, without a single 

 exception, continued to grow. The year after their transplant- 

 ation the heads were a little cut, and in a few months after- 

 wards, they formed new ones, which exceeded the old ones in 

 strength, size, and thickness. 



The Athenian nursery is situated in the forest of olive trees 

 mentioned at the beginning of this paper, at about half a league 

 from Athens, on the road which leads from that city to Eleusis. 



On the other side of the road, the military commander has had 

 the soil prepared, where the olives are planted regularly, and 

 cultivated for the advantage of the Bavarian garrison ; peas, 

 kidneybeans, cabbages, turnips, &c, are raised here very suc- 

 cessfully. This place, as well as the king's garden, can be easily 

 watered by a conduit, which proceeds from the city. Watering 

 is very necessary, and it is not surprising to see an almost total 

 want of vegetation in so warm a climate; at Athens particularly, 

 since this rivulet, if I may so call it, is the only one which sup- 

 plies water during the whole year. We read in ancient history, 

 and see in many modern maps, several rivers marked near 

 Athens. In the time of Alexander the Great, as we are told 

 in history, a small part of his cavalry was sufficient to exhaust 

 the water of the Cephisus ; at present its bed is very percep- 

 tible, but I never saw a drop of water in it. In the neighbour- 

 hood of the city several other dried up beds of rivers are also 

 pointed out. 



The resident plenipotentiary of Austria, M. le Chevalier 

 Prokesh von Oslen, has also formed a garden in the English 

 style. He planted chestnut trees, Catalpa syringcefoXm, acacias 

 of different sorts, some of which have grown, but many have 

 perished. Prince Piickler Muskau, who arranged the plan of 

 this garden, advised him to plant at first en masse, all the trees 



