146 NAT. ORDER. ARTOCARPE^. 
make a meal without it, though to us the taste is as disagreeable 
as that of a pickled olive, the first time it is eaten. The Iruit 
continues good for eight months in the year, and the mdliie sup- 
plies the inhabitants during the other four. 
To procure this most bounteous gift of the Creator, which is 
the principal article of their food, these happy people have no 
other trouble or labor, except climbing up the tree which produ- 
ces the Bread-fruit, and plucking it from the stems. It is said that 
this tree does not grow spontaneously ; but, as an ancient author 
has remarked, "if a man plants ten of these trees in his life time, 
which he can do in about one hour, he will as completely fulfil 
his duty to his own and future generations, as the native of our 
less temperate climate can do, by ploughing in the cold of winter, 
and reaping in the summer's heat, as often as these seasons return. 
There are tyvo species of Artocarpus — the incisus, with gashed 
leaves ; and the integrifolia, with entire leaves. There is also 
said to be another distinction, into that which bears fruit with 
stones, or seeds, and that in which the fruit has none. The parts 
of fructification of that tree which bears the fruit without stones, 
are defective. The amentum, or catkin, which contains the male 
parts, never expands. The style, or female part of the fruit, is 
likewise deficient ; from which it follows, that there can be no 
stones or seeds ; and, therefore, this tree can be propagated only 
by suckers or layers ; although it is abundantly evident that it 
must originally have proceeded from the seed-bearing Bread-fruit 
tree. Instances of this kind we sometimes find in both European 
and American fruits, such as the barberry, and the Corinthian 
grape from Zante, sometimes called currants. Dr. Scholander was 
assured by the oldest inhabitants of Otaheite, and the adjoining 
islands, that they well remember that there was formerly plenty 
of the seed-bearing Bread-fruit, but they had been neglected on 
account of the preference given to the bread-fruit without seeds, 
which they propagate by suckers. 
