chap. xltv. <;fianata^ce^e. pltnica. 941 



he was that king's gardener. It seems to have been first tried in the open 

 air by Miller, at Chelsea ; and, at the suggestion of Bradley, in the garden of 

 Cambden House, and in other gardens about Kensington ; as the oldest 

 specimens in the neighbourhood of London are at these places. At present, 

 it is in most collections as an ornamental wall tree, and it ripens its fruit, or, 

 at least, produces them of the full size, frequently, in the neighbourhood of 

 London in fine seasons ; but the varieties most generally cultivated are those 

 with double flowers. The largest double-flowered pomegranate in England is 

 supposed to be that trained against the walls of Fulham Palace, which is at 

 least 40 ft. high, and 50 ft. broad. 



Properties and Uses. In the south of Europe, the pomegranate is cultivated 

 for its fruit ; and, in some places, as a hedge plant. It is also grown as an 

 ornamental tree ; the stem being trained to the height of 6 ft. or 8 ft., and the 

 head afterwards allowed to spread, and droop down on every side. In the con- 

 servatories in the neighbourhood of Paris, and in France generally, the double- 

 flowered variety is planted in large boxes, and treated like the orange tree. For 

 this purpose, young plants are grown in the orange nurseries about Nice and 

 Genoa, and exported to different parts of the world. Both the single and the 

 double-flowered varieties are very frequently trained against walls, both in 

 France and Italy ; and the more ingenious cultivators intermingle the branches 

 of the one sort with those of the other, so as to make a display of both double 

 flowers and fruit, apparently on the same tree. The pulp which encloses the 

 seeds is sometimes acid, sometimes sweet ; and, in other cases, vinous, astrin- 

 gent, and refreshing. A syrup is made from this pulp by the druggists, which 

 is employed as an astringent and detergent ; the dried flowers are likewise kept 

 in shops, for making infusions for the same purpose. Lord Bacon recommends 

 the juice of pomegranates as good for liver complaints ; and Woodville says 

 that it is preferable to that of oranges, in cases of fever. The rind of the 

 fruit, on account of its astringent properties, has been used as a substitute 

 for galls, in making ink ; and is said to be still employed, in some parts of 

 Germany, in dyeing leather red, in imitation of morocco. In the Himalayas, 

 Mr. Royle informs us, the rind of the fruit, called naspal, " being very astrin- 

 gent, is used in medicine, as well as in dyeing. The employment, by the 

 natives of India, of the bark of the root for the expulsion of the tape-worm, 

 being now well known, since the subject was communicated by Drs. Hamilton 

 and Fleming, is a remarkable instance of the oblivion into which even a 

 valuable medicine may fall, as this property was well known to Dioscorides ; 

 i. c. 154." (Must., p. 208.) 



Poetical, mythological, and legendary Allusions. The pomegranate is men- 

 tioned by the earliest poets. Ovid tells us that, when Ceres discovered that 

 Pluto had stolen her daughter Proserpine, she implored Jupiter so earnestly 

 to restore her, that he consented, provided she had eaten nothing during her 

 residence in the infernal regions. Unfortunately, while walking in the Elysian 

 Fields, Proserpine had gathered a pomegranate, and eaten seven grains of it ; 

 and had been observed by Ascalaphus ; who, informing Pluto of the fact, was 

 turned by Ceres into an owl for his interference. (Ovid. Met., v. f. 6. ; Fast. iv. 

 v. 417.) Nicholas Rapin, in his poem entitled Les Plaisirs du Gentilhomme 

 Champetre, published in 1583, gives the following origin to the pomegranate: — 

 A young girl of Scythia having consulted the diviners to know her fortune, 

 was told by them that she was destined one day to wear a crown. This 

 rendered her so proud and vain, that she was easily seduced by Bacchus, on 

 his promising to give her a crown. He soon grew tired, and abandoned her ; 

 and, when she afterwards died of grief, he metamorphosed her into a pome- 

 granate tree, on the fruit of which he affixed a crown (alluding to the shape 

 of the calyx) ; thus tardily and ambiguously redeeming his promise. Many 

 other poets have mentioned the pomegranate; among whom may be enu- 

 merated Chaucer, in his Romance of the Rose ; Andrew Marvell ; Thompson, 

 in his Seasons ; Moore; and Byron. This shrub is considered the emblem of 

 democracy ; probably from its fruit consisting of numerous seeds, which form 



