CHAPTER XXXVI 

 USE OF PLANTS TO MAN 



247. Plants for Food. Primitive man or man in the 

 savage condition gathered much of his food from wild 

 plants, using the roots of some and the fruits of others, 

 such as nuts and berries. Later he learned to care for 



HARVESTING WHEAT IN WASHINGTON 



these food-producing plants and also learned to cultivate 

 productive grasses from which wheat, rye, oats, and rice 

 were developed. The latter are natives of Asia and have 

 been cultivated by man for several thousand years. Corn 

 originated from a grass which is a native of Mexico. The 



