606 
Pllnius Seciindus, Caius (23-79) 
His "Naturalis historia” (Editio princeps, 
Venice, 1469) gives valuable data on the vege¬ 
tables, fruits and other economic plants of his 
time. Altho loosely organized and written in a 
discursive style, his notes are important for 
the history of cultivated plants. The work has 
had innumerable editions, with translations and 
commentaries in many languages. An English ver¬ 
sion by Philemon Holland, "The Historie of the 
World, commonly called the Naturall historie of 
C. Plinius Secundus” (London, Printed by Adam 
Islip, 1601, 2 V., F®), has been reprinted sev¬ 
eral times, and is the one quoted by Sieveking, 
’*^The prAise of gardens” (1899), p.13-14. Pliny’s 
books on agriculture were translated into Ital¬ 
ian by the abate Placido Bordoni, under title: 
”Libri d’agriculture, tratti dalla storia natu- 
rale” (Venezia, G. Pasquali, 1800, 3 v.), sever¬ 
al editions of which are in Bib. Min. Agr. Italy. 
There is a useful edition of the ’’Histoire 
naturelle de Pline”, with the Latin text and a 
French translation by Ajasson de Grandsagne on 
opposite pages (Paris, C.L.F. Panckoucke, 1829- 
1833, 20 V.).* This has copious notes in French 
by various specialists. The portions relating 
to plants, including their medicinal and other 
uses, occupy lib.xil-xxv, contained in v.8-15 
of this edition. (MFW) 
Pluche, NoSl Antoine, abb^ (1688-1761) See 
His ’’Spectacle de la nature”, 8 v., Paris, 
1732-35, is a series of popular instructions 
for the young, vol.2 being on garden flowers, 
fruits and vegetables. The author’s name prob¬ 
ably does not appear in the title, as the work 
is often treated as anonymous, or the name is 
bracketed. No copy of all the volimes in first 
edition has been located, but there are numer¬ 
ous issues in French and English translations, 
also German and Dutch versions. (MFW) 
