86 FRUITS 



FIELD WORK 



Study the various edible fruits of your neighborhood with regard to 

 their means of dissemination and protection. Consider the object of 

 the protective devices in each case, whether against heat, cold, moisture, 

 animals, etc. 



Compare wild with cultivated fruits and notice in what respects man 

 has altered the latter for his own benefit. Note, for instance, the differ- 

 ence between cultivated apples and the wild crab, between the culti-' 

 vated grains and wild grasses. Observe the great number of varieties of 

 each kind in cultivation and try to account for it. 



Notice the situations in which different kinds of fruits grow, whether 

 hot, dry, moist, windy, or sheltered, etc., and how they are affected by 

 their surroundings. 



Notice what animals feed upon the different kinds, and whether their 

 visits are harmful or beneficial. Consider in what respects the inter- 

 ests of the plant itself, the interests of man, and the interests of other 

 animals may clash or coincide. 



