The Florida agriculturist., 1884-12-10
CHAPTER N.

CHAPIER IN.
ART. I.-Trdnsmigrdtion of the iSaceet-
fruited Orange Tree-Conjectures upon
the times Of thSs erent.
They were, besides, the only European
people to whom the naturalization of this
tree could be profitable, they being for
long time the ones engaged in the COM
merce of the Agrumi. This trade was
carried on chiefly by the gardeners of
Nervi and San Reno.
Nervi has been celebrated for its seeds
men, who provided for long time, and
still supply these trees to the orangeries
OF Europe; and to them we are princi-
pally indebted for the varieties multi
piled by seed, and for the novelties
which have gratitied the curiosity and
taste of amateurs.
The trade in the fruits was monoplized
by the inhabitants of st. Reno, who have
for many years supplied the citrons used
at the Passover by the Jews of Italy,
France and Germany. From their coun-
try have come the perfumes and essen
ces, as we'll as the citric acid, used in
the arts. From thence are obtained the
lemons for the table, the different fruits
for the confectioner, and the sweet or
anges have been also for centuries an
almost exclusive product of their beau
tiful valleys.
One may read, in proof OF this, what
is said by Oliver de Serras, Ferraris, Ju
doco Hondio, Merula, Matioli, Gallo,
Albert Volcamerius, Commelinus, Gius
tiniani, Abram Hortelius, Antoine Man
gini, and an infnity of others. Writers
of.all times have deposed in favor of the
almost exclusive trade by the Genoese
INT ], - lVr xxr1, GIL
vaticus has said, who wrote about the
middle of the thirteenth century. His
testimony is confirmed by writer's of the
fourteenth century. The first is Brasil
lus, and the second is Blondus FlaviUs
The Geographical and Statistical De-
scription of Italy, by Blondus, is, per-
haps, the most antique work of this kind
known in Europe since the revival of
letters. (It dates from 1862 This au-
thor, who was of Forli, and was unac-
quainted with the part of Italy this side
of Tuscany, had recourse to his friends
for completing his description. He pro-
cured that of Liguria, of Brasilus. This
learned Genoese, known by several
memoirs relating to the history of this
country, wrote then an epistle entitled
Descriptio ore9 Ligustic;e, a work valua-
BILE for the exactitude, precision, and
erudition with which it is written, and
which Blondus copied almost literally.
In this description (Which was also
printed) he lauds Rapallo and st. Reno
for the culture of agrumi and palm trees,
with which those valleys were covered.
Giustiniani succeeded very closely
these two authors. He wrote, in 1900, a
history ofsGenoa preceded by descrip-
ton of that beautiful coast known as
Rirerid di Genord.
In this he notices the. territory of St.
Reno, OH account of the vast number of
these trees, from whichdthe fruit was.
sent into all Europe.
This testimony is repeated in the
works of Alberti, of Matioli, and of Gal
To- The first wrote in 1928, a voyage to
Italy, made five years before The sec
oiid published, in 1914, his dissertation
upon the works of Dioscorides, and the
third gave, in 1860, a treatise upon agri
culture, highly esteemed-entitled Le d.
eel Giorndte. These all say clearly that
Ligliria had been of old celebrated for its
trade in agrumi Many other writers
attest to the same. See Hondio, in his
Noca ItaIi8 hodieraa Descriptio, p. 73,
and Gualdo Priorato, in his description
of Genoa, published at Cologne in 1868,
PIP. 20, 20, &c.
1t would be useless to quote the words
of Ferraris, of Volcamerius, and host
of others, where the, same truth is re-
peated l shall only observe that the
number of these trees had become SO
prodigious in the territory of St. Reno,
and the expectation Of these fruits so
considerable, that in 1885 the municipal
council of that city thought it duty to
subject this commerce to special police
laws. A magistrate was designated to
direct it, and express rules were formed
for sustaining it. NHk
One sees by these rules that the yearly
export of lemons alone amounted to sew
eral millions of fruits, and that St. Re-
mo supplied nearly all France, Germany,
and many other parts of Europe. re-
serve for my fifth chapter this curious
paper, which gives an idea of these
fruits and their trade.
The extent and antiquity of this trade
form, doubtless, a strong presumption
for attributing to this people (of st. Re-
MOI the acclimatization of this tree, the
presumption acquiring still more force,
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