. A description and history of vegetable substances, used in the arts, and in domestic economy . n his account of Aleppo, singsfrom the pomegranate groves in the day-time. In England, the fruit very seldom arrives at ma-turity ; but the tree is highly prized as an ornament,the flowers being of a bright scarlet colour, and(especially the double ones) very handsome. Theirodour, too, is as fragrant as their colour is longevity of the pomegranate tree is Paris and at Versailles there are specimens whichare distinctly ascertained to have existed more thantwo centuries. The
. A description and history of vegetable substances, used in the arts, and in domestic economy . n his account of Aleppo, singsfrom the pomegranate groves in the day-time. In England, the fruit very seldom arrives at ma-turity ; but the tree is highly prized as an ornament,the flowers being of a bright scarlet colour, and(especially the double ones) very handsome. Theirodour, too, is as fragrant as their colour is longevity of the pomegranate tree is Paris and at Versailles there are specimens whichare distinctly ascertained to have existed more thantwo centuries. The pomegranate, even at Paris, willnot bear exposure in the open air too early in thespring; but it is not quite so delicate as the orange,and is therefore generally removed from the houseseight or ten days earlier. It is stated that the pomegranate was first culti-vated in England in the time of Henry VIII. Ge-* Moore. t See p. 320. Y 3 242 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. rard says he reared several plants from the seeds;and it is mentioned amongst the trees that bore fruitin the orano-erv of Charles The Fig—Ficus carica. The traditions of the Greeks carried the origin ofthefig back to the remotest antiquity. It was probablyknown to the people of the East before the Cerealia(wheat, barley, &c.) ; and stood in the same relationto men living in the primitive condition of societyas the banana does to the Indian tribes of South Ame-rica, at the present day. With little trouble of cultiva-tion, it sjipplied their principal necessities; and offered,not an article of occasional luxury, but of constantfood, whether in a fresh or a dried state. As we pro-ceed to a more advanced period of the history of thespecies, we still find the fig an object of generalattention. The want of blossom on the fig-treewas considered as one of the most grievous calami-ties by the Jews. Cakes of figs were included inthe presents of provisions by which the widow ofNabal appeased the wrath of David *. In Greece,wh
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