Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-10-19
MIGRATION OF FRUITS AND FLOWERS.

TO the Old World more than he has received. He
is more enterprsing from the very freedom Of his
institutions, and, therefore, he will improve what
ever he touches, and add new things 10 the old.
The New World is full of beautiful flowers, and
new 70 the nations of the Old. How much, for ex-
ample, has been done in the propagation of the
dahlias alone, the fayorite flower Of autumn! The
American, too goes to all parts Of the earth; our
navy spreads her canvass into every sea. Our Of.
fcers and our travellers should think it a point of
duty TO bring back to their own country new seeds
and roots of the choicest flowers and fruits that may
grow at home.-Union.
Ertracf from an address of E. ID. MANSFIELD,
Esq, before the Cincinnati Horticultural SOcie-
ty, detiUered October 4, 1850.
We may note that the migration plants has accompanied
the migration of civilized man. This diffusion and naurai-
ration Of plants, native land other lands evidence
that man himself has emgated and that in the colonization
he has become improved and civilized II is remarkable how
completely parallel the Of the vegetable with the
human race in this mode ofmpoyement One may think that
It is natural any man, in going from country to another
to take far possible the species Of plants which he
accustomed with him. But it Savage
does il and semicivilized men do not It is only
when communities advanced in intelligence have great COM
and by industry have accumulated the Of gra
ng tastes, that they have transpantsd the members of the
vegetable kingdom, natuazed them in SOIL and collect
in great gardens vast numbers and varieties Thus the m
grafton and improvement Of plants become conclusive ev
dence Of the migration and improvement Of The pro-
Of Improvement is very different Labor care, cu
ture, training, engrang nourshing, and pruning
cessary both The wild olive and the wild man require
the diligence in training before they can reach excellence
one could write the history Of the migration Of plants
in modern ages, would be Of the surprs
ing, insucng, and entertaining chapters written II
would show the fruit and flowers emerging like himself
from Central Asiaolowing the Euphrates the coasts of
Arabs, and the isles of the seapusung the footsteps of
misunderstanding hues in cmes-snd, like man,
improved by colonization and by culture We should see
in lister PERIOD the New World rendering back its tribute
to the Old We should find the plants and flowers which
native the Potomac, the Mississippi and the Anna
ION, filing the gardens of Europe with bloom, and
feeding millions who but for them could never have lived
And may see, In this returning tide of products from the
New World symbocal representation Of that tide of light
and baty which shall flow from the continent the
! land Of the Orient %
Let notice, illustration Of this principle the migra-
ton of Of the most known plants To begin with flow
Tie tube brought from the East Indies where
it grows wild in Java and Ceylon The full tube
first raised from seed Leyden, and have formed quite
artice of traffic. The imperial brought in the
sixteenth century from Persia to Consannope carried
thence Vienna, and dispersed Europe The Per-
i
stantnPle.
The African and French mhrsods were supposed to have
been bought from Africa in the time Of Charles " but are
| really rative to Peru, in South America.
The Guernsey lily brought from Japan. ship
turning from Japan wrecked the of Guernsey
where he bulbs took root and whence bears its
Of tie numerous genus of the nnuncnus, there said
to be than thousand different kinds but the principal
of them, and those most esteemed, brought from
Asia This emigration took place at the time of the Crusades
They sent to Consantinope by the officers Of the Sui
tan fom thence they carried to Marseies and dis
| persedover Europe
The amaryllis fomosisima came from South America,
whence brought by De Toya physician, and there
it wassubsequenty found 10 be indigenous
night continue this list of emgrant flowers an ndef
mite extent and in every country Of high civilization the for
egn Towers will probably be found the most In
country deeply indebted to the southern portion of
this continent. Unless am mistaken, of the finest
modem flowers exhibited here have from South America
or the numerous family Of the cac the nesha originated
Mexico, Guatemala, and the central provinces. Over
great part that country they to be the dominant plant
covering plains of little fertility On the northern rim
the territory in which this plant is Indigenous it unseemy
and unpretendng; but Under the Of the tropics
tursts forth into of the most various, brilliant and curl
ous flowers which has been given to man.
Lstu turn from flowers fruits The apricot is native
Of Armenia
The plum although found wild in this country supposed
to have originated in Asia. One variety the damascene)
took its name from Damascus, the Syrian city.
The peach native Of Persia, whence spread Eu
rope and this country.
The neciane is also native of Persia, introduced into
England in the sixteenth century.
Cherries said from Cerasus city Of Ponus,
whence Luculus brought them after the Mithrdatic
They extended wherever the Romans spread their arms and
introduced into England in the first century.
The mulberry is native of Persia, whence il intro
duced into Europe about the sixteenth century.
The apple ounce and vine natives Of many countries,
and il is that they belong specially any
This review however shows that OF the finest and most
delicious Of all fruits originated in Persia, Armenia, and
other parts of ASIA whence they have been anspanted
natualzed and improved by culture under the auspices Of
civilization.
Let us look little further into the important branches
of agriculture. How stands the origin and propagation of
the grains and grasses by which and animals
tained
Prior to the fifteenth century, barley and wheat almost
the only grains through Europe, Asia All Of
the important articles of vegetable food known to
day were unknown prior to the sixteenth century The
maize or Indian corn is native Of America, unknown
Europe or Asia ill introduced from this country yet in the
course of three centuries il has been introduced
throughout the Old World wherever the climate is not
cold The potato another article of vegetable food orgi
mating in America, and probably the most universal article Of
food used.
Buckwheat is native Of Northern ASIA and is not cereal
plant although classed among them was introduced into
France in the sixteenth century, and became the food
of the people, need not add other illustrations Of
the principle that the migration Of plants has attended the
migration Of and, like that of men, has improved their
condition and heen of the of advancing cvilza
ton It is beautiful law Of social nature that man, the
wanderer his struggles for better condition id his labor
for subsistence in his search after higher pleasure in his
very exile from the lost garden duses in all regions b.
his abors the blessings of benign Providence brings the
IL