Quintinie, John De La
, a famous French gardener, was born at Poietiers in 1626. After a course of philosophy, he applied himself to the law, and went to Paris in order to be admitted an advocate. He had much natural eloquence, improved by learning; and acquitted himself so well at the bar as to gain the admiration and esteem of the chief magistrates. Tamboneau, president of the chamber of accounts, being informed of his merit, engaged him to undertake the preceptorship of his only son, which Quiutinie executed entirely to his satisfaction applying his leisure hours in the mean time to the study of agriculture, towards which he always had a strong inclination. He read Columella, Varro, Virgil, and all authors ancient or modern, who had written on the subject and gained new lights by a journey which he made with his pupil into Italy. All the gardens in Rome and about it were open to him; and he never failed to make the most useful observations, constantly joining practice with theory. On his return to Paris, Tamboneau entirely gave up to him his garden, to manage as he pleased; and Quintinie applied himself to so intense a study of the operations of nature in this way, that he soon became famous all over France. He made many curious and useful experiments. He was the first who proved it useless to join fibres to the roots of trees when transplanted, and discovered a sure and infallible method of pruning trees, so as to make them not only bear fruit, but bear it in whatever part the owner chuses, and even produce it equally throughout all the branches; which had never before been tried, nor even believed to be possible. The prince of Condé, who is said to have joined the pacific love of agriculture to a restless spirit for war, took great pleasure in conversing with Quintinie. He came to England about 1673; and, during his stay here paid a
Nieeron, vol. XXVI 1. Perrault’s Lcs Homines Illustres. —Dict. Hist.