SOME USEFUL PLANTS 329 
The Mulberry family produces the breadfruit, which is. 
the chief means of subsistence of many islanders of the 
South Pacific. The only two fruits of the family familiar 
to us are the mulberry and the fig. Our supply of figs 
is mainly derived from imports of the dried fruit from 
Asia Minor, but fig culture is now well established in 
California. 
The Saxifrage family and the Rose family produce many 
of our berries, properly so called, and a number of other 
kinds of fruits commonly though incorrectly known as 
berries. To the former family belong currants and goose- 
berries, to the latter, quinces, pears, apples, strawberries, 
blackberries, raspberries, plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, 
and nectarines. 
Strawberry-growing in the United States was an in- 
dustry of no importance until after 1840, but has now 
become extensive. The crop is a very profitable one, as 
under the most favorable circumstances more than four 
hundred bushels have'been raised on an acre. The mar- 
ket was formerly only for a few weeks of the year, but 
now lasts over as much as five months, beginning in Feb- 
ruary with berries from the Gulf States and ending in 
July with Canadian berries. 
Apples form the leading fruit crop of North America, 
as the product of a good year amounts to about 100,000,- 
000 barrels, for the United States and Canada. They suc- 
ceed well in most of the more northerly states, and about 
a thousand varieties are grown. 
The Rue family gives us the citrous fruits, including 
ordinary oranges, tangerines and mandarins, lemons, and 
grape-fruit. Oranges are of Asiatic origin and have long 
been cultivated in hot and warm temperate climates. The 
