Although situated to the south of Hungary, the climate and productions
are altogether northern. I never saw an olive-tree in Servia, although
plentiful in the corresponding latitudes of France and Italy (43 deg.--44 deg.
50'); but both sorts of melons are abundant, although from want of
cultivation not nearly so good as those of Hungary. The same may be
said of all other fruits except the grapes of Semendria, which I
believe are equal to any in the world. The Servians seem to have in
general very little taste for gardening, much less in fact than the
Turks, in consequence perhaps of the unsurpassed beauty and luxuriance
of nature. The fruit-tree which seems to be the most common in Servia
is the plum, from which the ordinary brandy of the country is made.
Almost every village has a plantation of this tree in its vicinity.
Vegetables are tolerably abundant in some parts of the interior of
Servia, but Belgrade is very badly supplied. There seems to be no
kitchen gardens in the environs; at least I saw none. Most of the
vegetables as well as milk come from Semlin.
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