bread fruit, and a single one often 

 weighs thirty pounds. However, it is 

 the seed, of which there are hundreds 

 which are eaten. But I think, after all, 

 that the jak is rather large; so suppose 

 you get the carob or St. John's bread. 

 It will not be especially toothsome, but 

 it has Scriptural associations, as it is 

 said to be the locusts that John fed upon 

 in the desert, and it is also supposed t& 

 be the husks of the prodigal son." 



"Capital," said Alice, clapping her 

 hands. "I'll take all the different kinds 

 of bread, and my company may choose 

 which they will eat, but I know John 

 will feed upon the husks." 



"To pay you for that," said John, "I 

 will now make my contribution. I will 

 bring you a dish of Australian cherries, 

 which are monstrosities, for, contrary to 

 the usual order of things, you will find 

 the stone, or pit, on the outside of the 

 pulp and closely adhering to it. I will 

 also add a basket of 'wooden pears' from 

 the same country. The tree on which 

 they grow is hard as stone, and the fruit 

 hard as wood." 



"Why, Auntie," said Edith, "I 

 thought such a country as Australia 

 would be famous for fine fruit." 



"It is said," was the reply, "that, while 

 Australia contains nearly one-fifth of all 

 the known species of plants, it is yet 

 really deficient in fruits that are adapted 

 for food." 



"My fruit is the most curious of all," 

 said Madge. "My teacher told me about 

 it. She says it grows on the love tree in 

 Brazil. The flower is like a calla lily, 

 with a delicious perfume added. It takes 

 the fruit all the year to ripen. It looks 

 just like the ear of a large cow in shape, 

 and it tastes like all sweet fruits, such as 

 pine apple and peach put together, but 

 has also a little taste of pepper." 



"Good, Madge. I'm much obliged to 

 you for this new fruit. It shall be passed 



as dessert just before the wooden pears," 

 said Alice, glancing shyly at John. 



"Your syrup might be made," said 

 Aunt Jane, "from the saguaro cactus. 

 The stems of this accommodating tree 

 split into poles which the traveler uses 

 to knock down the fruit, as it grows 

 very high. You can also make a nice 

 drink from it, like chocolate. For pre- 

 serves I would suggest the guava and 

 mango. As you are fond of banana and 

 pine apple, you must not forget the 

 'ceriman,' which has the flavor of both 

 and is superior to either. This fruit is 

 produced on a half-climbing plant, and 

 a curious thing about it is the fact that 

 it expands its spadix of flowers so fast 

 that heat is produced which may be 

 tested by the thermometer. The Mexi- 

 can tuna is a cactus fruit with a double 

 flavor — that of watermelon and straw- 

 berry." 



"Alice," said Edith, "I've been search- 

 ing the botanical dictionary and I can't 

 find a curious fruit for your tea table un- 

 less you will accept one that is called the 

 'Queen of Fruits,' but I'll tell you now 

 that it smells like onions — yes, like 

 rotted onions — but the taste is delicious. 

 A writer says that to taste 'durians' is to 

 have a new sensation." 



"Let us have durians, then, by all 

 means," said Alice. "We will not bring 

 them on until the last thing, and we will 

 set the table out of doors." 



"You have enough variety now for 

 one supper," said Aunt Jane, "so we will 

 conclude our ideal bill of fare of curious 

 fruit with a reference to our common 

 fruits, which are, after all, the best for 

 us. Professor Asa Gray says in the 

 strawberry we eat the receptacle or end 

 of the flower stalk ; in the raspberry a 

 cluster of stone fruits like cherries on a 

 small scale; and in the blackberry both a 

 juicy receptacle and a cluster* of stone 

 fruits covering it." 



Belle Paxson Drury. 



