112 CONVERSATIONS ON THE 



useful, and some that are beautiful : but you 

 have said nothing about cherries, or peaches, 

 or pears, or apples : and yet they all grow 

 in the United States, do they not?" 



" Very true, my dear boy ; but I only un- 

 dertook to describe to you such trees as grow 

 naturally, that is without being cultivated, or 

 planted by men. Now there are but few wild 

 fruit trees to be found in this country ; all the 

 varieties of apples have been produced by 

 cultivation from one or two species ; and so 

 of the cherries and plums ; peaches, I believe, 

 are not natives of this country at all ; and 

 indeed the changes that have been produced 

 in all the fruit trees, by the skill and attention 

 of men, are so great, that it is almost impossi- 

 ble to say what the original stock is. Did 

 you ever see a crab apple ?" 



" Yes, Uncle Philip ; it is a small tree, not 

 larger than a peach-tree, and the apples are 

 always green and very sour." 



"Yes, but the flowers are beautiful, and have 

 a most delightful perfume. Well, that is the 

 only wild apple that grows in the United 

 States ; and all the other kinds, and there are 

 several hundreds, are but artificial varieties. 

 You have seen the flowers, I dare say." 



