62 OLD-FASHIONED GARDENING 



of Adrian Van der Donck's, written in 1655; the book 

 which is now the rarest and most valuable of any 

 work dealing with the Dutch settlement. No other 

 single volume, probably, is so coveted by the collector 

 who has it not, as this. These lists of Van der 

 Donck's are headed, "Of Fruit Trees Brought Over 

 from the Netherlands," "Of the Flowers," "Of the 

 Healing Herbs," and "Of the Products of the Kitchen 

 Garden." Many other things are included of course, 

 for the book is a very complete "description," but 

 these are the ones which are of especial interest here. 

 Very interesting are those which deal with native plants 

 and trees too, but less important to us of course. 



Taking the list in the order named he says, "Various 

 apple and pear which thrive well. Those also grow 

 from the seed of which I have seen many, which with- 

 out grafting, bore delicious fruit in six years. . . . 

 The English have brought over the first quinces, and 

 we have also brought over stocks and seeds which 

 thrive well. Orchard cherries thrive well and produce 

 large fruit. Spanish cherries, forerunners, morellas, 

 of every kind we have, as in the Netherlands and the 

 trees bear better because the blossoms are not injured 

 by the frosts. The peaches, which are sought after in 

 the Netherlands, grow wonderfully well here. . . . 

 We have also introduced morecotoons (a kind of 

 peach), apricots, several of the best plums, almonds. 



