dry powder like ashes, while th e outside retains its plump and beautiful aspect ; and hence it is called
the apple of Sodom. Hasselquist found it on th e shores of the Dead Sea. It is distinguished by spines
on the stem and calyx. The third bears a long black fruit, of which there are several varieties in shape
and colour. It is sold in the markets in almost as great abundance as gourds and melons, and used in
the same manner in soups. It is called by the Turks patlindjam ; and its first appearance in the markets
is always attended with a strong north-east wind, which for th a t reason is called, in th e Armenian
Almanack, patlindjam melktem ; and all th e ships bound for the Black Sea hasten to sail before the
fru it appears in the market and the wind sets in, as it continues several weeks.” Bróssma gongylòdes
and Eri/ca sativa. " The first of these has a protuberant swelling of the stem, from whence th e leaves
Issue, and this is the only p art of the plant used. The second is a fetid, offensive plant, but highly
esteemed by the Greeks and Turks, who prefer it to any other salad, perhaps for its aphrodisial propertie
s.” Hibiscus csculéntus. The unripe pod is stewed with sauce ; sold in the markets green, for immediate
use, and dry on strings. Onopórdum elàtum adorns all the hills about Constantinople. Vapàver
somn\fei um ; the Opon of Dioscorides. Cicer arietinum and E’rvum Léns. l.doscorides and Pliny.
The first “ is used in great quantities in Constantinople, and mixed with all their dishes and piláis,
where it is always whole, and never bruised. It is also used in great abund.ance parched, when it is
c.alled leblevi. This operation is performed by Arabs, who have a peculiar skill in detaching it from
the cuticle while toasting it. When prepared in this way, it is sold about the streets in sieves, by the
Arabs, who are called Lcblevigé, and form a numerous body. The practice of parching this pea is of
great antiquity ; it is not only mentioned by Plautus and Aristophanes, but Shaw supposes it to be the
‘ parched pulse’mentioned in Scripture. I h e second species is not so abundant; it is called b y th e
Tu rk s racrgimòts. It is flattish on one side, and convex on th e other, and hence called lens.” Ehaséolus
nànus and chanda; “ sold in great abundance in the markets, and called by the Turks beyas fasiula, or
white bean, to distinguish them from scarlet runne rs.” Láblab vulgàris; cultivated in all the gardens,
but not sold in th e m arkets. Ipomw'a purpurea, villósa, and coccínea. “ These grow in Constantinople
with great luxuriance and beauty ; they twine round poles and climb up trees, forming with their rich
and varied flowers the brightest wreaths.” fimaránthus bybridus and caudàtus. “ The first is a native,
and grows spontaneously ; the second is exotic : they both attain to a great size, altogether uncommon
in England. The A . caudàtus is trained to a pole, and rises to the height of six or seven feet, from
whence the pendent spikes of fiowers hang down with great beavity, and are so long as sometimes to
trail upon th e ground.”
Aìiìong the gourds, th e most remarkable arc : Cucúrbita lagenària and clavifórmis. “ These are varieties
of the same gourd : th e first exactly resembles a bottle ; the second a club, which sometimes attains
the length of six or seven feet. The ancients were fond of cultivating this gourd ; and Pliny is minute
in describing the mode and uses, which are the same nearly as a t the present day. 1 imagine this to
have been the real gourd of Jonas. They grow rapidly when well watered, and wither immediately
when left dry ; in a few weeks forming dense shady arbours, under which th e people of the East sit and
smoke. When the fruit is young, it hangs down inside the arbour like candles : in this state it is cut,
and boiled with forced meat, stuffed in th e hollow p a rt with rice ; it is then called dolma by th e T u rk s ;
and is in such general use, th at a large district in the vicinity of P era is called D olma Baktché, or Gourd
Gardens, from the cultivation of these plants.” Cucúrbita cidarifórmis. “ T he production of this gourd,
as given by the ancient writers, is curious : a gourd was planted in Campania, in the vicinity of a quince,
and it immediately adopted its form in addition to its own. In fact, it resembles a large quince, laid on
the top of a flat melon. This curious fruit is called here the T u rk ’s turban, which it resembles in shape
and vivid colours. It is too ra re to be sold in the markets, b u t is cultivated in private gardens, and used
in soups.” Cucúrbita aurántia and pip-ifói'mis. “ These exactly resemble th e fruit after which they are
named ; th e one an orange, and the other a pear.” Cucúrbita P o tlra . “ T he gourd m ost in use in Con-
.stantinople ; the fruit is heaped up in large piles, and kept under tents in th e markets for six months in
th e year. There are two kinds or varieties : one long, with orange-coloured fru it; th e other round,
with white coloured fruit. They are called b y th e T u rk s bfil cabaghi, and used in all their soups.”
Cucúrbita sp. (Evadghi cavac, Turkish) ; by far th e largest gourd in these countries ; it is quite white,
and in the markets resembles huge snow-balls, particularly so, as it is in season in winter. Ci>C7twfS
Citrúllus. T h e famous water-melon, so highly prized and universally used all over the East ; it is the
groat luxury of the common people in Constantinople, and refreshes th e hamnials, or porters, like ale
in England, and tea in China. Strangers are warned by writers against th e intense cold of this fruit ;
b u t th e people of Constantinople devour it alone, without pepper, or any other aromatic, in th e hottest
weather, with perfect impunity. T h e Turks call it carpoos ; and give the same name to th eir artificial
globes, from th eir resemblance to this fruit, which is a perfect sphere. CìicumisMèlo; several varieties.
“ Six varieties of melon are cultivated in Asia Minor, particularly about Angora. There is one variety
so very delicate, th a t the seeds were given to me carefully sealed up in a bottle, with directions that it
should not be opened till the seeds were about to be sown, lest th e essence should evaporate. T h e following
directions were also sent as to th e time and manner of cultivation ; — In th e beginning of May
th e seeds are thrown into water ; those th a t float are thrown away, and those th a t sink are suffered to
remain twelve hours. T h e ground is chosen rich, and manured with pigeons’ dung. A small cavity is
made, in which sevenal seeds are sown together : when they come up, three or four only of the most
vigorous plants are suffered to remain ; th e rest are pulled up and thrown away. The fruit ripens in
August, and is so rich th a t no sugar or other seasoning is ever used with it. Tfte other kinds of melons
cultivated about Constantinople, and sold in the markets, are called by th e general name of cavun ; and,
when they are larger or longer than usual, vodinà cavun. They generally sell for about twenty paras the
oke, or about a penny per pound. One variety is called kiskaduo by the T urks, and is m uch esteemed.”
S u b s e c t . 3. Gardening in European Turkey, Greece, and Albania, as to its Horticulture.
538. Horticulture at Athens. Tho distiict watered by the Cephissus, on tho side of
Athens nearest to Thebes, is divided into those extensive grounds whicli are particularly
allotted for supplying the city Avith fruit and vegetables, and are for the most part not
cultivated by thcir OAvncrs, but let out to tlie peasants of the villages. A large gai'den
of an acre and a half Avas pointed out to me as being let annually Ibr 250 piastres. The
olive gi'oves of Athens are also ou this side of the city. They must have increased since
the time of Chandler, if the description of that traveller is, as usual, con'ect, since they
noAv extend in a cui-ved line of seven or eight miles in length, and from one to three
miles in breadth. Mr. Hobhouse was told that the trees planted of late years had been
too thickly set, and had much injured the old Avood. Besides this large olive-wood in
the plain of Athens, there ai'e other groves in the neighbourhood of several of the
A-illages ; and, besides eight in other parts of Attica, there arc thirty-six olive presses
ill the capital. The Cephissus, a sort of ditch stream, almost dry in summer, and in
Avinter only a ton-ent, floAAong from Ccpliissia, under Mount Pcntelicus, passes through
the extent of olive-gi'oves and gardens, each of which it serves, by turns, to Avater. The
Avatering of the olive-gi'oves commences September 24. and ends April 6., and is effected
by raising a low mound round eight or nine trees, and then introducing the stream through
dikes, so as to keep the roots and part of the trunks under water for the necessary length
of time. Each owner waters his grove for thirty or forty hours, and pays a para a tree
to the Avaiwode, or to him Avho has farmed the revenue from that officer. Dm-mg this
period, tho peasants construct huts with boughs, and are mutually watchffil, both day
and night, neither to lose their OAvn portion, nor to allow others an unfair abundance
of the valuable streams. Mr. Hobhouse observes that he has often seen tlieir fires
among the trees, and, as they watch in parties, and mix, as usual, much mirth with
their employment, heard the sound of their voices, and the tinkling music of their guitars,
Avhen returning to Athens from an evening’s ride. The Avater of the Cephissus is the
property of the waiwode only during the season of watering the olive woods : during
the remaining months, the oAvncrs of the gai'dens, in a proportion settled by long
usage, divert the stream into thcir grounds for one, tAvo, or three hours m a week or
fortnight, according to the bargain at which they have hired or purchased their land.
The same jealousy is manifested on this as on the other occasion. The instant that the
stream is turned into the required channel, a public inspector, who is called Dragatis
too nevo,” and is ahvays in attendance, turns his hour glass, and^thc gardener also
measures the time in the same manner ; other Greeks fi-equently being present, to prevent
collusion, and cut off the riATilet immediately on the expiration of the stipulated
hour Besides this periodical in'igation of the gardens those who can afford to procure
such an advantage, buy water from the owners of several resen'oirs, Avhich have been
constructed amongst the gardens, and on the banks of the Cephissus. Throughoiit the
whole range of the olive groves and gardens are to be seen small remains, sepulclu-al
memorials, shafts of columns, and particularly the marble mouths of ancient weUs, wluch
retain the deeply indented marks of the rope used in letting doAvn and raising the
buckets. A very beautiful specimen of one of them is now in a large garden on the side
of the river, twenty minutes’ walk beyond the Colonus Hippius. I t is a foot and a halt
high, and, near the rim, ornamented Avith festoons in elegant sculpture, and sc^c s tor the
mouth of a avcII ; perhaps the same for which it Avas originally consriucted. The bucket
lying by it is a dried gourd, scooped out, and attached to a rope of tAvistcd hay. (Hob-
house's Travels in Albania, &c., Yol. ii. p. 358.) Wlien M. Eugene Baumann Yisitcd
Greece in 1837, he found a great many ornamental trees, particularly specimens of the
SAveet bay, the common myrtle, Uitex Ægnus castus, Ceratoma 5ihqua, and Azelm
Azedarach, the trees everywhere, both large and small, being intertwined with vines and
F ite x ^ 'g n u s castus ; “ and, where the moistiu'c does not reach, an immense number ot
myrtles grow. Pistacia Zentiscus also grows there profusely ; m short, one is a^eeably
surprised at the great variety of briUiant foliage which abounds. A m nm Oleander is
particularly beautiful ; it tOAVcrs above the other shrubs Avluch surround it, and presents
a flourishing bouquet tliroughout the year.” The corn in the plain of Athens, which is
cut in May, is very high at the beginning of March : in this month, also, the vines begin
to sprout : the olive groves to bud ; and the almond trees, of which there is a great number
in the neighbouring gardens, are so covered with their wliite and purple blossom, as to
impart thefr varied hues to the face ofthe Avhole country. The spring vegetables especially
lettuces, may also be procured at that season. There arc nearly a thousand gardens in the
neighbourhood of Athens, to many of which ai'e attached kiosqu.es, or country-houses, lU
constructed, the lower part being of mud, and the upper of badly planks. Gai dens
and vineyards round Athens are all enclosed with mud walls. (Hobhouse s Travels m
in the central pa rt o f Greece. The ooimtry abounds with corn,
barley, and linseed ; tho gardens ai'o full of vegetables, and peaches, ohves, mulbemes,
and grapes. There is an abundance of honeysuckles. The country round Athens is
p,artly waste and covered with heath, and partly enlivened with groves of ohves, interspersed
with fields of barley aud vineyar'ds. The residence of Signor Lusicri, an artist of
distinguished talents, is delightfully situated nndcr the rocks of the Acropolis. ^ The
terrace in the garden commands one of tho finest views of Athens and its cmiioiis.
(Brem.se,I’s Zetters, &c.) A tree imi-sciy was begun at Athens m 1830, but m a tew
years it was neglected and given up ; and when M. Baumann visited Athens iii 83 , lie
found only one nursery there : all the plants there were, however, floiirishing particularly
plum and pcar trees, nmlbeiTics, pomegranates, and vines. Dr. Clarke mtoims us that
ihe vineyards of An-acovia, upon the south side of Parnassns, are managed w th as
mnch skill and labour as the finest vineyards on tho hanks of the Khmc (Travels &c
vol vii p. 264.) The gardens about Athens abound in lizards, as well as the houses,
and storks are encom-agod to feed on them. (H o b h o ^ 's Travels m Albama &c.)
Mr. Hobhouse adds tbat he found only two stands of beehives on Mount Ilymettns , an I
that very little of the honey is now to be had in Athens, though in its neightourhood
there S i l l abundance of wM thyme. (Ibid.. vol. ii. p. 388.) The hills on the Thracian
side ave a continued A-ineyard. (Ibid.)