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, 
