34^ STUDIES OF nature: 



toward the expanfion of their flems, muft, for- 

 footh, be all monfters. 



Nature feeds the human race, in part, only 

 with this vegetable fuperabundance, and beflows 

 it only as the reward of Induftry. However fer- 

 tile the foil may be, the vegetables of the fame 

 fpecies with thofe which are produced in the gar- 

 den, degenerate in the uncultivated plain, grow 

 wild, and fpcnd themfelves in foliage and branches. 

 Is it not, therefore, an inftance of wonderful com- 

 plaifance on the part of Nature, that fhe fliould 

 transform, under the hand of Man, into pleafant 

 and wholefome aliment, the fame juices which 

 would be converted, in the foreft, into lofty flems, 

 and tough roots ? Were this condefcenfion with- 

 held, in vain would man fay to the fap of trees, 

 you (hall flow into the fruit, and you Ihall go no 

 further. To no purpofe would he, in the mofl 

 fertile region, prune, crop, nip ; the almond-tree 

 would refufe to cover it's nut with a flefliy melting 

 pulp, like that of the peach. 



Nature, from time to time, makes Man a pre- 

 fent of varieties both ufeful and agreeable, which 

 flie extrads from the fame genus. All our fruit- 

 trees come originally from the foreft, and no one 

 there re-perpetuates itfelf in it's fpecies. The 

 pear called Saint- Germain was found in the foreft 



of 



