_, toes, sweet potatoes, and “Jerusalem ” (that is, girasola or 
= flower) artichokes : the last supplemented by our grou 
~ (Apios tuberosa) would have been the first developed eset 
__, tubers, and would probably have held their place in the first 
oF Among the causes and circumstances which have given 
fruits of temperate climates of the old world their preémi 
S - veloped in this country we know not, and now shall never kı 
_ though perhaps not in variety, if it be true, as Karl Koch sup- A 
' poses, that the apples of the orchards are from three or four spe- 
118 BOTANY. 
equalled anything we actually possess from Pyrus Malus in flavor, 
cies. At least one of our wild hawthorns, Crateegus tomentosa, in 
some varieties, bears a large and delicately flavored fruit, evidently : 
capable of increase in size; it might have been in the front rank 
of pomaceous fruits. In a smaller way our service-berry would 
have been turned to good account. Our plums would have been 
the progeny of the Chicasa, the beach plum, and our wild red and 
yellow Prunus Americana, which have already shown great capacity 
for improvement; our cherries might. have been as well flavored, : 
but probably not as large as they now are. But instead of peaches — 
and figs, we should be discussing manifold and most luscious vari: 
eties of persimmon and papaw, the former probably equal to the 
kaki just acquired from the far east. As to strawberries, goose- 
berries and currants, we should have lost nothing and gaine 
something, as we possess several species besides the European 
types themselves; as to blackberries and raspberries we should — 
have been better off than now, by the earlier development & 
diversification of our indigenous species. And we might have 
all our finest strawberries a thousand or more years ago, these 
having come from our American types, Fragaria Virginian with 
its varieties (which, as well as the old world F. vesca, occurs all 
across the continent), and F. Chilensis which ascends the Pac 
coast to Oregon. 7 é a 
Then we should consider how much earlier our race, with 
American birthplace, would have been in possession of tomat 
of the pineapple, of the cherimoyer and the other custard app 
of the star-apples and other sapotaceous fruits, of chocolate, 
‘Lima beans in all their varieties, of peanuts ; not to speak of 
along with potatoes and sweet potatoes of later acquisition. 
opportu: nity is one. ; How many potential fruits of value lie 7 
iey have lost their opportunity. Necessity, which is the # 
