17 



dens with the magnolia — the holly — the almond, and 

 the Catawba, and many others, whose existence was 

 almost unknown to us ten years ago. 



Some of the most luscious fruits we now prize and 

 cultivate, are strangers to our soiL— Modern horti- 

 culture, within the last two centuries, has domesti- 

 cated them. — The fig was brought from Syria, the 

 citron from Medea, the peach from Persia, the pome* 

 granate from Africa, apricots from Epirus, apples, 

 pears, and plums from Armenia, and cherries from 

 Pontus — to Rome they first passed — then to Europe, 

 and with our progenitors, many of them became the 

 pilgrims of freedom in America. 



Public gardens of any note and extent, owe also 

 their establishment to modern times. — The first 

 known in Europe, was that of Lorenzo de Medici, 

 in Florence : afterwards, the celebrated botanic gar- 

 den of Padua was planted, and flourished in 1533. 

 That of Bologna was also founded by the liberality 

 of Pope Pius the VL then followed that of Flo- 

 rence, erected by the Grand Duke; since which 

 period they have steadily increased, and there is 

 now one to be found in almost every city of Italy. 

 The botanic garden of Leyden was established in 

 1577, forty- four years after that of Padua, which it 

 surpassed in number and variety of plants — in 1663, 

 the catalogue of this garden numbered 1,104 species. 

 And in Boerhaave's time, who, when professor of 

 botany there, neglected nothing to augment its riches, 



