430 Mr. G. Munby on the Botanical Productions 



ber : it is seldom eaten by Europeans, but the colonists some- 

 times make of it an agreeable kind of cider. The tree has a very 

 remarkable appearance in winter, as most of the branches ter- 

 minate in thickened clubs, instead of gradually tapering towards 

 their extremities, like almost all other trees. These clubs ap- 

 pear to be reservoirs of elaborated sap, as from them proceed 

 small annual deciduous branches which bear the fruit, the grow- 

 ing part of the tree being covered with strong prickles, and these 

 branches taper like those of ordinary trees. 



There are several vineyards in the neighbourhood of Algiers, 

 but the vine was more commonly cultivated by the Arabs in the 

 interior, as near Medeah, Milianah, Mascara, &c. As wine is for- 

 bidden to Mussulmen, the grapes were only used for eating, and 

 consequently in the same vineyard will be found grapes of all 

 kinds and colours. I have tasted wine made by the J ews before the 

 French occupation; it was a dry white wine and very spirituous. 

 The French colonists, in the neighbourhoods of Medeah near 

 Algiers, and Mascara near Oran, have made a considerable 

 quantity of wine during the last few years ; this wine is made 

 from the old vineyards of the Moors, which had been neglected 

 for many years, and become almost barren. The culture of the 

 vine has not been sufficiently practised by the French colonists : 

 as the plants do not produce fruit before three years, few could be 

 found who would hazard their money for so long a period, in a 

 country where 10 per cent, per annum is the legal rate of inter- 

 est, and as high as 30, 40, or 50 per cent, are often taken. 

 Vines, when trained on trellis-work, produce enormous crops, 

 and of very delicious quality. The usual price of grapes in the 

 market is about 2d., or 4 sous per lb., whereas in the South of 

 France ^d. or 1 sou is a common price. Great quantities of 

 fresh grapes are brought from Spain, and in the province of 

 Oran, at least on the sea-coast, are the only ones to be had. 

 Near Algiers I have often eaten the fruit of wild vines which 

 climb the hedges, and they only differ from the cultivated grapes 

 by their size, the flavour being equally good. 



We will now mention the orange-tree and its allied species. 

 In the immediate neighbourhood of Algiers, the bitter or Seville 

 orange-tree was almost the only kind cultivated by the Moors, as 

 the sweet oranges were brought from Blidah and the Mitidja, and 

 sold at the rate of a penny a dozen ; whilst the bitter orange- 

 tree was cultivated for the sake of its flowers, which are much 

 better than those of the sweet orange- tree. There are not better 

 oranges in the world than those of Blidah, both for size and 

 flavour. The groves are yet very extensive, but an immense 

 number of trees were cut down in 1840 by order of General 

 Duvivier, as the Arabs concealed themselves amongst these trees 



