ADVERTISEMENT. 



THIS book,, while it can hardly fail to possess some 

 interest for the botanist and the gardener, is yet 

 intended less for them than for the general public ; 

 for that large class who neither grow plants nor 

 scientifically study them, but who yet may be glad 

 to learn something of the nature and history of 

 objects daily brought before them to please their 

 eyes and delight their palates. While, therefore, a 

 plain description of the structure and mode of growth 

 of the various fruits which appear at our tables has 

 been added to the account of their origin or intro- 

 duction to us, technical language has been studiously 

 avoided, and the primary aim has been to convey in 

 simple and intelligible terms all the information on 

 the subject which would be likely to possess any 

 general interest. 





