THE ROMANCE OF OUR TREES 



and forth in tides of war-like migration, maintained 

 in times of peace a crude agriculture long before the 

 Greeks and Romans tilled the soil. All that can 

 be definitely stated to-day is that our common fruit 

 trees are native of those parts of the Old World west 

 of the highlands of central Asia. In North America 

 grow wild more species of true Plums than are found 

 in Europe and Asia, but the cultivation of none was 

 attempted until early in the 19th century, and even 

 to-day their true worth is not sufficiently appreci- 

 ated. The native Apples and Cherries of this 

 country have to date no value as fruit trees, and 

 America's only contribution to the fruit trees of the 

 world are her Plums. So small a part do these play 

 even in American orchards that it is correct to write 

 that this country owes all her fruit trees to Europe 

 and Asia. Indeed, the introduction of these trees 

 began with the earliest settlers. In Massachusetts 

 some were planted by the Pilgrims, for Francis Hig- 

 ginson, writing in 1629, says: "Our Governor hath 

 already planted mulberries, plums, raspberries, cor- 

 rance, chestnuts, filberts, walnuts, smalnuts, and 

 hurtleberries." John Josselyn, writing of a voyage 

 to New England in 1663, says: "the Quinces, Cher- 

 ries, and Damsons set the dames a work, marmalade 

 and preserved Damsons are to be met with in every 

 house." In the voyages undertaken for exploration 



200 



