320 FIG FAMILY. 



imports, in the manufacture of paper, and also of a 

 species of paper cloth. The banian-tree, or Indian 

 %> gives habitation to numbers of the lac insect 

 (coccus laced), which furnishes the gum lac of com- 

 merce, and no doubt elaborates it out of the sub- 

 stance of the tree, in the same way that bees elabo- 

 rate wax out of the juices of many plants. The wood 

 of the yellow mulberry (morus tincioria), which is a 

 native of the West India islands and of Brazil, fur- 

 nishes fustic, which is so well known as a yellow 

 die : and there is little doubt that many others of the 

 family, especially the cratons, the juice of some of 

 which is of the colour, arid nearly the consistency 

 of blood, would form both die-stuffs and pigments. 

 These particulars have been mentioned with a 

 view to show how much information, and how many 

 useful substances may be obtained from a single 

 family (and that one of which the properties are but 

 slightly and imperfectly known), out of the many 

 thousands of vegetable productions. But, apart 

 from the applications to the purposes of art, there 

 is a great deal of instruction and pleasure in the 

 mere watching of the progress of the vegetable ; and 

 they who cultivate vegetables, and feel interested 

 in so doing, have really more pleasure in the growth 

 of the crop, whatever it may be, than in the profit 

 which it brings when they carry it to the market. It 

 is impossible to see a farmer surveying his fields, or a 

 gardener his fruits, flowers, and vegetables, without 

 being convinced of that ; and it is not very easy to 

 view such a character so occupied, without envying 

 him his occupation. Yet why should we do the 

 latter 1 In as far as knowing it is concerned, any 

 one of the kingdoms of nature is every man's king- 

 dom, and may be any man's kingdom if he will but 

 come and conquer it. The conquest is a conquest 

 without labour, too, for we have only to wait with 

 patience, and notice with attention, and nature does 

 all the rest. 



