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.structure. The firs and pines have no or<,ran of 

 this kind, and )'et their fruits are most imfiortant 

 and extreniel}' interesting. Scarcely an)' jjart of a 

 plant \aries so much in different species as the 

 fruit does. Althcnigh leaves may be found of 

 e\ery size and shape, they still have some general 

 similarity of form, but we hasten to observe what 

 an immense contrast there is between the huge 

 Mitsa fruit fbanana) and that of the oak facorn), 

 although the former is, compared to the latter, 

 but a poor weakly plant. 



Again, let us note the difference between the 

 cocoa-nut palm fruit, a nut, which with its outer 

 husk is almost as large as a peck measure, and 

 that of the St. John's wort or any other of our 

 native wild flowers. 



These differences in size ha\e their counterparts 

 in other directions. We generalh- think of fruits 

 as being soft, lu.scious, and pleasant to the taste. 

 Many fruits of delightful colour and texture are, 

 however, bitter as gall, and possess highly noxious 

 qualities. I well remember gathering a plateful of 

 rich i)urple berries from a plant I discovered in 

 one of m)' childish rambles and carrying them 



