ix STOEY OF THE SMYENA FIG 115 



always conducted with as much care as they might 

 be, in California great care is being taken as 

 regards these points, and this will, no doubt, make 

 a difference in the taste and value of the figs. The 

 Americans have, at least, reason to be proud of their 

 success so far, and this success has been due to the 

 fact that, instead of being content to wrap ignorance 

 in fine phrases like Pliny, men have spent their 

 lives in toilsome and not directly productive work. 



CHAPTEE X 



FOOD AND FOOD-PLANTS 



WE have spoken of the origin of food-plants and of 

 the way in which they have been carried by man 

 over the globe, but we have not as yet said anything 

 of the general characters of food-plants. It is, 

 however, necessary to do this before we can discuss 

 the way in which man has succeeded in improving 

 his food - plants, in making them better, more 

 fruitful, and better fitted for the different countries 

 to which he has carried them. 



To begin with, we should notice that the 

 important cultivated plants fall into three 

 groups : 



