PREFACE ix 



cereals and to rice to make it worth the trouble of 

 planting it. They had a few bulbs and edible berries, 

 but they have not tried t<> cultivate them, having early 

 received tin- maize, which was worth tar more." And 

 yel the American grapes have given rise to eight 

 hundred domestic varieties, the American i>lums to 

 more than two hundred, the raspberries to three 

 hundred, and various other native fruits have a 

 large cultivated progeny ! Even Darwin's prophecy 

 was largely fulfilled when he wrote it ("Variation of 

 Animals and Plants." i., 329) : "Had North America 

 been civilized for as long a period, and as thickly 

 peopled, as Asia or Europe, it is probable that 

 the native vines, walnut.-, mulberries, crabs and 

 l>lums would have given rise, after a long course 

 of cultivation, to a multitude of varieties, Borne 

 extremely different from their parent-stocks; and 

 escaped Beedlings would have caused in tin- New, 

 a.- in tin- Old World, much perplexity with respect 

 to their specific distinctness and parent 



The author must Bay, however, that his greatest 

 satisfaction in tin- hook is in thr record of the men 

 rather than in that of th<' fmits. Professed historical 

 inquiry often confines itself within arbitrary hounds, 

 not covering the whole Bweep of human prog 

 The names which are generally known are thoi 

 persons who are distinguished in military operations, 

 politics, general science, or literature; but persons 



