HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 373 



or the Date tree, which might have been brought to the country in ancient 

 times, by Greek colonists. The manniferous Ash, the Mastich, the Sumach, 

 the Bladder-nut, the sage-leaved Cistus, the Emerus and the Arbute of 

 Asia Minor, flourish in the open air. The Walnut and almost every kind 

 of fruit tree thrives in the woods, or rather the natural gardens in the 

 valleys. The Caper bush is scattered along the coast, the wild Vine reaches 

 to the tops of the highest trees, descends again to the ground, and forms, 

 with the Viburnum, festoons and garlands. High hills, masses of rocks, 

 streams and cataracts, verdant fields and woods, and the sea that bounds 

 the horizon, render the landscape equal to any imagined or described by 

 poets. The simple life of the good Tartars, their cottages cut in the solid 

 rock and concealed by the thick foliage of surrounding gardens, the flute 

 of the shepherd, his flocks scattered on solitary hills, remind the stranger 

 of the golden age. The traveler leaves the people with regret, and envies 

 the destiny of mortals ignorant of war, the frauds of trade, and luxury 

 accompanied with all its vices." 



Although there is a dash of fine writing in this statement, the facts in- 

 eluded in it give the Botanist satisfactory proof that the winter of the South 

 Crimea, has little to be dreaded. Where the Olive and the Caper bush, the 

 Mastich tree and the Fig tree find themselves at home, there can be no 

 serious cold. The Caper bush more especially, affords unmistakeable 

 evidence of a climate where a hard winter is unknown ; and we know from 

 other authority than that of Pallas, that it is an extremely common plant ; 

 in fact, the Capers of the Crimea, are a common article of sale in the 

 southern provinces of Russia. 



It is undoubtedly true, that occasionally there are exceptional winters. 

 Pallas himself informs us that, in 1787, the frost was so intense during the 

 most boisterous north winds, that not only the whole sea of Azof, together 

 with the Bosphorus, but also great part of the bay of Kaffa, and several 

 creeks of the Black Sea, were covered with ice sufficiently strong to support 

 the weight of persons crossing both on foot and horseback. But this 

 seems to have occurred on the* north-eastern coast; the southern shore 

 from Balaklava to Alouptka, is sheltered from these cold winds, and it is 

 there that we presume the troops will winter, if they winter in the Crimea 

 at all. 



