212 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 12. 
Tlie trebulana, the Trebbiano, yielding a wine celebrated 
for its excellence by Tasso. 
Others of the Roman names are derived from the countries 
whence the varieties were imported, such ns the bitunjica 
from Bordeaux, the phaia from Illyria, the pritsina from 
Broussa in Anatolia, the anjios from ASgia near Corinth, the 
alexandrlna from Alexandria in the Troas, the aminea, a 
highly prized variety, from Aminei near Falerno, &c. The 
eagerness to import into Italy the vines of other countries 
celebrated for the excellence of their wines has continued to 
the present day, Prof. Targioni adducing many proofs of its 
prevalence in the middle ages. It is a pity the Italians do 
not, at the same time, introduce the modes of treatment and 
manipulation, to the deficiencies in which must be mainly 
attributed the general inferiority of Italian wines to those 
produced in similar climates in France and Spain. 
Great attention has been paid in Tuscany to the cultivation 
of dessert fruits, from the time of the ancient Etruscans, as 
attested by numerous early Roman writers, and continued to 
the present day. The discovery of the cultivation of fruits 
was attributed by the Romans to Janus, their amelioration 
and extension to Vertumnus and Pomona, all three of them 
Etruscan divinities; and the origin of the multiplication of 
the garden varieties is therefore lost in the fabulous ages. 
Pliny, and other even earlier geoponical writers, give indi¬ 
cations of no small number of vai’ieties of pears, apples, 
cherries, plums, &c., of which it is probable that several 
have descended to us, but from the mere names handed 
down without descriptions, it is hopeless to attempt to 
identify any considerable proportion of them ; moreover, it is 
very certain that entirely new varieties are daily introduced, 
whilst several of the old ones are undoubtedly lost. 
The flourishing times of the Florentine republic were 
peculiarly favourable to the development of horticulture and 
agriculture. The unquiet life which the nobles and great 
families led within the town, exposed as they were to the 
suspicions of a turbulent populace, induced them to retire 
for security to their estates, occupying themselves with their 
improvement, whilst the rich merchants and magistrates 
spent their holidays in their suburban villas, which they 
adorned with gardens, importing plants from all countries, 
and especially introducing new fruits from Greece. A 
manuscript piece of [poetry in the Magliabecchian library, 
entitled “Verses (Capitolo) on the table of fruits to be 
offered to a guest,” shows the great variety cultivated in the 
neighbourhood of Florence in the fifteenth century. Three 
baskets are there represented ; the one full of grapes, figs, 
pears, apples, lemons, &c.; the second with cherries, plums, 
peaches apricots, and other stone fruits; the third with 
almonds, walnuts, oranges, citrons, chesnuts, and several 
inferior fruits ; thus supplying a list of those most generally 
known at that period. The Grand Dukes of the Medici 
family paid particular attention to the enrichment of then- 
gardens. Father Agostino del Riccio informs us that 
Cosmo I. was the first to introduce plantations of dwarf 
fruit trees, and that he and his successors annually in¬ 
creased the number of varieties introduced and cultivated 
for their tables. 
The Pear (Pyrus communis) and Apple (Pyrus malus) 
are found in their wild state in the mountain woods of all 
Italy, as well as of the greater part of Europe, and from 
these indigenous species have been raised the whole of our 
orchard and garden varieties. Their amelioration by cultiva¬ 
tion, and the perpetuation of varieties by grafting, have 
been celebrated by poets from the time of Ovid, and continue 
to the present day. I’liuy enumerates thirty-nine different 
peai's known to the Romans, several of them being also 
mentioned by Virgil, Cato, Columella, Juvenal, Macrobius, &c. 
Fee has endeavoured to identify some of them with modern 
French varieties, and Gallesio with Italian ones, as in the 
following examples:— 
Plinian Names. Supposed Corresponding Modern 
Names. 
Amenma serotina . . San Tommaso. 
Lactea.Perle or Blanquette. 
Dolabelliana .... Winter Bon-Chretien. 
Falerna succosa . . . Bergamot. 
Favoriana rubra . . . Large muscat. 
Superba parva .... Little muscat. 
Hordearia.Common muscat. 
Plinian Names. Supposed Corresponding Modern 
Names. 
Mustea.A variety of Bon-Chretien. 
Picena or picentina . . Spina. 
Pompeianu maramosa . Campana. 
Viridis.Spadona vernina, considered by 
Gallesio as a most ancient Italian 
Pear. 
Myrapia.Guignoline. 
Volema.Another Bon-Chretien. 
In Tuscany, under the Medici, we find, in a manuscript j 
list by Micheli of the fruits served up in the course of the 
year at the table of the Grand Duke Cosmo III., an ! 
enumeration of two hundred and nine different varieties of 
pears, and another manuscript of that time raises the ! 
number to two hundred and thirty-two. Among them I 
grafts of the Dorice pear of Portugal were introduced by . 
the same Grand Duke, at a cost of one hundred golden 
doubloons, whence it received the name of Pera cento 
(topple , by which it is still known, as well as by that of the 
Ducal fear. 
(To be continued .) 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Poultry-keeper’s Almanack ( G . H. S cob ell).—You. will have seen 
by the advertisement that its price is sixpence ; and that it may be had 
of W. S. Orr and Co., Amen Corner, after the twentieth of this month. 
Ambury in Mangold VVurzel ( R . Gough), —The disease called 
“ Fingers and Toes,” which is the Ambury, is no sign of degeneracy, 
but arises from the maggot, or larva, of a fly. You will have seen 
some directions recently for saving its seed. If you require more informa¬ 
tion, please to write again. 
Sikkim Rhododendrons (T. v. S.).— You will find the best descrip¬ 
tion of these in Dr. Hooker’s work upon the Rhododendrons of the 
Himalaya. The Pomological Magazine, quoted by Mr. Beaton, has 
long ceased to be published. 
House Lighted by Gas (A Beginner). —It is not true that you 
cannot keep plants in your dwelling, thus lighted, if you use the gas of 
the Great Central, or other Company, that takes care to purify its gas 
thoroughly. 
Flower-Garden Plan (Une jeune Fifle). — Your plan is very well 
explained. 14 is best in grass, with a pillar Rose in the centre ; and four 
dwarf standard Roses in the four corners—say, Duchess of Sutherland 
and Baron Prevost, at opposite corners; and Pio Nona , with William 
Jesse in the other corners. No rock-work, no rising of that ground, and 
no turf in 13. The corners of the grass ought to be rounded, at 1, 2, 3, 
and 4, the grass to be of equal width round these beds. The four beds 
in the centre, 9* 10, 11, and 12, ought to be in China, and no where else, 
on the face of the earth. Pray turf them over, and put two circular beds 
on each side of where they stand, half way between o and 8, and between 
5 and 7 ; have nothing where that group stands. The centres of 1 and 
4 to be of Scarlet Geraniums, and Red Verbenas round, if you have not 
enough of Scarlet Geraniums to fill those two. Then 2 and 3 to be 
yellow Calceolarias, with your dark Calceolarias round them. Cine¬ 
rarias are of no use in beds, except the blue Amelloides. The yellow 
Eschscholtsia would suit you, and make a bed of itself, by sowing a 
small packet of seeds in April; and if you could get the blue and the 
white Campanula Carpaticu, each of them would make a bed, and remain 
for years, like the Penstemons. And if you had the large yellow 
(Enothera macrocarpa to match with the small one, you would be “ set 
up.” Then a few Clarkia, dwarf Larkspur , China asters, Gillia tri¬ 
color , and Collinsia bicolor, by way of annuals, with a few more Roses, 
and they might be in the very centre of any of the beds j all of them 
would suit your style. 
Names of Ferns {An Under Gardener), —1. Cyrtomium falcatum. 
2t Pteris longifolia. 3. Auremia fraxinifolia. 4. Adiantum pubescens. 
5. Asplenium marinum. 6. Pteris serrulata. 7. Cassebeera bastata. 
8. Asplenium bulbiferum. 9- Doodia caudata. 10. Nephrodium 
exaltatum. These were one of the best lots of specimens that have 
come to our hands to be named. Every specimen showed the true 
character, which saves us much trouble and time. 
London : Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, I 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 1 
Somerville Orr, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County of I 
Essex, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ¬ 
church, City of London.—December 12, 1854. 
SttJbcrtts'niuntS. 
On tin' 21s£ of December will be Published , Price Ctd , 
The POULTRY-KEEPER’S POCKET ALMANACK 
AND 
JDtntji of |3rcrccbutff£) in tfje PouItrjF^artf. 
By the EDITORS of “THE POULTRY BOOK.” 
Besides the usual contents of an ALMANACK, 
it will comprise a RULED DIARY, with the requisite directions for 
recording the transactions of the Poultry-Yard. Also directions for the 
Management of Poultry ; Drawings of Spangled, Pencilled, and Laced 
Feathers ; with much other useful information. 
Published by W. S. ORR & CO., Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, 
London; and to be had of all Booksellers, 
