The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-10-28
migration of Fruits and Flower


is more enterprising from the very freedom of hi
institutions and, therefore, he will improve what
ever he touches, and add new things to the old
The New World is full of beautiful flowers, ant
new to the nations of the Old How much, fol
example, has been done in the propagation of the
dahles alone, the favorite flower of Autumn The
American, too, goes to all parts OF the earth; oul
navy spreads her canvass into every sea. Oui
officers and our travellers should think it point oil
duty to bring back to their own country new seeds
and roots of the choicest flowers and fruits that may
grow at home.
Ea9,qct from an address of E. D. Mansfeld,
Esq, 6etore the Cincinnati Horticultural So
ciey, deliVered October 4, 1850.
We may note that the migration of plants has
accompanied the migration of civilized man. This
diffusion and naturalization of plants, native to
land, in other lands, is evidence that man himself
has emigrated and that in that colonization he has
become improved and civilized. 1t is REMARKABLE,
how completely parallel is the case Of the vegetable
race with the human race in this mode OF improve
ment. One may think that it is natural for anv
man, in going from one country to another to take
as far as possible, the species of plant to which he
is accustomed, with him. But it is not So Savaqe
men never do it; and even semi-civilized men
do not. 1t is only when communities advanced in
intelligence have great commerce, and, by industry
have accumulated the means of gratifying tastes
that they have transpanted the members of the
vegetable kingdom, naturalized them in new soil
and collected, IN great gardens, vast numbers and
varieties. Thus the migration and improvement #
plants become conclusive evidence of the migration,
and improvement OF man The process of improve
ment Is not very different. Labor, care culture
training, ENGRAVING, nourishing, and pruning, are
necessary to both. The wild olive and the wild
man require the same diligence in training before
they reach excellence.
II one could write the history of the migration of
plants, even in modern ages it would be one of the
most surprising, instructng and entertaining chan
tiers ever written. 1t would show the fruit and
flowers emerging like himself from Central
Asia-following the Euphrates, the coasts of Ara
bla and the isles of the sea-pursung the footstens
OF civilizaton-taking new hues in new climes-
and, like man. improved by colonization and b,,
culture. We should see, in a later perod H.,
New World rendering back its tribute to the Old
We should find the plants and flowers which were
native to the Potomac the Mississippi and the
Amazon, hlllng the gardens of Europe with new
bloom, and feeding millions who but for them could
never have lived And we may see, in this re-
turning tide of products from the New World "a
symbolica representation of that tide of light and
liberty which shall flow from the Western CONT
nent to the land OF the Orient.
Let us notice, illustration of this principle
the migration of of the most known plants
To begin with flowers: The tupe rose was brought
from the East Indies, where it grows wild in Java
and Ce ylon The full tube roses were first raised
from seed at Leyden, and have since formed quite
an article Of traffic The crown imperial was |
brought in the sixteenth century from Persia to
Consantlnople, carried thence to Vienna and dis |
persed over Europe. The Persian lly, nearly re-
lated to it, was brought from Suza to CONSTANT |
nople.
The African and French margolds were sup !
posed to have been brought from Africa in the time
of Charles ", but are really native to Peru, in
South America.
The Guernsey lily was brought from Japan A
ship returning from Japan was wrecked on the
coast Of Guernsey, where the bulbs took root, and
whence it bears its name.
OF the numerous genus of the ranuncuus, there
said TO be more than thousand different kinds
but the principal part of them, and those most es
teemed, were brought from Asia. This emigration
took place at the time of the CrusHdes. They werr
sent to Constantnople by the officers of the Sultan
from thence they were carried to Marsees and
dispersed over Europe.
The amaryllis formosisima came from South
America, whence it was brought by De Tovar,
physician, and there it was subsequently found to
be Indigenous.
might continue this list of emigrant flowers To
an indefinite extent and in every country Of high
civilization the foreign flowers will probably BE-
found the most numerous, In this country we are
deeply indebted to the southern portion of this con
tinent. Unless | am mistaken, some of the finest
modern flowers exhibited here have come from
South America. OF the numerous family of the
cacti, the finest have originated in Mexico Guate-
mala, and the central provinces Over great
part of that country they seem to be the dominant
plant, covering vast plains of little fertility. On
the northern rim of the territory in which this plant
is indigenous, it is unseemly and unpretending; but
under the warm sun of the tropics it bursts forth
into one of the most various, brilliant, and curious
flowers which has ever been given to man.
Let us turn from flowers to fruits. The apricot
is native of Armenia.
The plum, although found wild in this country
is supposed to have originated in Asia. One yari-
ETY. lthe damascene) took its name from Damascus,
the Syrian city.
The peach is native of Persia, whence it spread
over Europe and this country.
The nectarine is also native of Persia intro
duced into England in the sixteenth century,
Cherries are said to come from Cerasus, city of
Pontus, whence Luculus brought them after the
Mithridatc war. They extended wherever the
Romans spread their arms, and were introduced
INTO England in the first century.
The mulberry is a native OF Persia, whence il
was introduced into Europe about the sixteenth
century.
The apple, ounce and vine, are natives of many
countries, and il is not known that thew belong
specially to any one This review, however, shows
that some OF the finest and most delicious of all our
fruits originated IN Persia Armenia and other parts
oil Asia, whence they have been transplanted. natu
ralized and improved by culture, under the auspices
OF civilization.
Let us look little further into the more imrort,
ant branches OF agriculture. How stands the origir
and propagation of the grains and grasses by which
men and animals sustained?
Prior to the fifteenth century, barley and wheat
were almost the only grains in use through Europe
even Asia. All of the most important articles
OF vegetable food known to our day were unknown
prior to the sixteenth century. The maize, or In
dian corn, is a native of America, unknown to
Europe or Asia till introduced from this country
yet in the of two or three centuries, it ha,
been introduced throughout the Old World where
the climate is not too cold. The potato is an
other article of vegetable food originating in Amer
ca and probably the most universal article of foo,
used.
Buokwheat is native of northern Asia, and i
not a cereal plant, although classed among them
Ii was introduced into France in the sixteenth cen
tury' and soon became the food of the common
people need not add other illustrations of thu
principle that the migration of plants has atteadec
the migration oil men, and, like that of men, ha.
improved Their condition, and been one of the
means OF advancing civilization. 1t is a beautiful
law OF social Nature, that man. the wanderer in III,
struggle tor better condition-in his labor for sub
sistence-in his search after higher pIeasnre--in
his very exile from the lost garden 5;G5,yss i, ~
regions, by his labors the 6lessings Of = bani%r
Providence brings out the odor Of universal crss
ton, and chants the sweet music OF universal bar
mony
RecOIlectI
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