THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE APPLE AND PEAR. 
9 
for it grows in one place alone in all Italy, namely in the territory of Verona; it is called lanata (woolly) for a downy wool 
covers the fruit, and is most abundant in the struthea (sparrow-apples) and the persica (peaches). It gives them their peculiar 
name, and they are not worthy of any other praise. There is no reason why we should not point out the other sorts by name, 
seeing that they have conferred an immortality on those who first produced them, as if on account of some illustrious 
achievement. Unless I am deceived, the skill shewn in grafting, will be sure to make itself manifest, and also the fact that 
nothing is so trifling in itself as to be incapable of conferring credit on some one: and thus there are some apples which 
derive their origin from Matius, and Gestius, and Manlius, and also from Claudius. Those on which the cotoneum 
(quince) was grafted by Appius, of the Claudian family, are called Appiana from him: they have the quince odour, the 
size of the Claudian apple, and a ruddy colour. And lest any one should think they came into use from the influence of 
an illustrious family, there are also some apples remarkable for their roundness, called Sceptiana from their originator, 
who was only a freed-man. Cato adds the Quiriana and the Scantiana , which he says may be stored in jars (Cato R. R. l). 
But the most recently introduced are the small apples of most exquisite flavour and scent, which are called Petisia, 
The Ameria apples, and the Grcecula (small Greek apples), have reflected credit on their native soils (i. c. Ameria and 
Etruria, and probably the Italian district called Magna Grsecia). The rest derive their name from physical causes, c. g. 
from fraternity , such as cohere and are found in pairs, never single in their growth : those called Syrica from their colour 
(deep red): the Melapia (apple-pear), from their affinity to the pear: Mustea (new-wine apples), from the rapidity with 
which they ripen: Melimela (honey-apples), from their honey flavour : Orbiculata (globe-apples), from their round shape, like 
that of a revolving globe; the Greek name for these, Epirotica , proves that they made their first appearance in Epirus: 
Orthomastica (mammary-apples), from the resemblance in their form to the female breast: Spadonia (barren apples), so called 
by the Belgians because their seed produces no plants : those called Alclofolia (leaf-apples), have one leaf, but sometimes a 
double one, growing on their side : the Pannucea (ragged-apples) shrivel very quickly into wrinkles : the Pulmonea (lung-apples) 
bulge out to an absurd degree: and there are some of the colour of blood, deriving this peculiarity from the mulberry 
being grafted on their stock, but it is common to all apples to have the side towards the sun of a red colour. There 
are some woodland apples with little that is pleasant in the w r ay of taste, and even less so in point of smell, which is highly 
pungent. They have a wicked peculiarity of bitterness, and enough acidity to turn the edge of a sword. Fatina (corn-flower) 
apples are the worst of all, though they are the first to appear, and are early fit for gathering.” 
Chapter 15. 
“ On Pears, and the Variety of Grafted Sorts.” 
For the same reason in the case of Pears, those which ripen early are taxed with the name of pride (proud pears): 
they are small but very early. All agree in liking the Crustumian Pears very much. Next to them come the Falernian 
Pears, so called from the abundance of their juice which is called milk, and which people drink; and among them others 
possess the dark colour of Syria. Of the rest, the names vary in various places. Some by their names at once betray and 
ennoble the names of their originators and the place to which they belong, as the Decimiana pears, and a sort derived from 
them called Pseudo-decimiana ; the Dolabelliana pears with a very long stalk ; the Pompeiana which are also called Mammosa 
(breast-like); the Liceriana ; the Severiana and their immediate offspring the Turraniana , differing from them in the length 
of their stalk; the Favoniana which are red, and a little larger than the early proud pears; the Lateriana ; and next the 
Anieiana, autumnal pears with a'pleasant acidity of flavour. The pears which were special favorites with the Emperor 
Tiberius are called Tiberiana ; except that they are more deeply coloured and attain a greater size under the influence of the 
sun, these would be the same as the Liceriana pears. The following pears take the name of their native localities : 
Antenna, the latest of all pears; Picentina ; the Numantina-, the Alexandrina ; the Numidiana ; the Graeca , and among 
these the Tarentina pears ; the Signina which from their colour some people call testacea (brick-dust), just as others are called 
onyx-coloured, and others purple. Some get their names from their smell, as the myrapia (musk pears); laurea (laurel pears); 
nardina (nard pears); some from the season at which they ripen, as the hordearia (barley pears); some from having a neck 
like a jar, are called ampullacea, and also Coriolana ; some are called cucurbitina (gourd pears) with a rough skin and a 
slightly acid juice. The origin of the names of those called Barbaric and Venerean is uncertain, the latter are also 
called coloured pears; so also is it the case with the Royal pears, which are sessile having a very small stalk; with the 
Patrician and Voconian pears which are green and oblong in shape. Besides these there are the Volema pears mentioned by 
Virgil, who borrowed the name from Cato ( Cato R. R. 7), who also mentions the Sementina (late pears gathered in sowing 
