GO 4 Cxdtivated Plants of ike Fxihire. 
suggest itself — namely, the wild rice of the lakes. Observations 
have shown that, were it not for the difficulty of harvesting these 
grains, which fall too easily when they are ripe, they might be 
utilised. But attentive search might find or educe some variety of 
Zizania, with a more pei’sistent grain and a better yield. There 
are two of our seashore grasses which have excellent grains, but are 
of small yield. Why are not these, or better ones which might be 
suggested by observation, taken in hand ? 
The reason is plain. We are all content to move along in lines 
of least resistance, and are disinclined to make a fresh start. It is 
merely leaving well enough alone, and so far as the cereals are con- 
cerned it is indeed well enough. The generous grains of modern 
varieties of wheat and barley compared with the well-preserved 
charred vestiges found in Greece by Schliemann, and in the lake- 
dwellings, are satisfactory in every respect. Improvements, however, 
are being made in many directions ; and in the cereals we now have, 
we possess far better and more satisfactory matei’ial for further im- 
provement, both in quality and as regards range of distribution, than 
we could reasonably hope to have from other grasses. 
From the cereals we may turn to the interesting groups of plants 
comprised under the general term 
IT. Vegetables. 
Under this term it will be convenient for us to include all plants 
which are employed for culinary purposes, or for table use, such as 
.salads and relishes. 
The potato and sweet potato, the pumpkin and squash, the red 
or capsicum peppers, and the tomato, are of American origin. 
All the others are, most probably, natives of the Old World. 
Only one plant coming in this class has been derived from Southern 
Australasia — namely. New Zealand spinach (Telragonid). 
Among the vegetables and salad-plants longest in cultivation we 
may enumerate the turnip, onion, cabbage, purslane, the large bean 
(Faba), chick-pea, lentil, and one species of pea (garden-pea). To 
these an antiquity of at least 4,000 years is ascribed. 
Next to these, in point of age, come the radish, carrot, beet, 
garlic, garden-cress, and celery, lettuce, asparagus, and the leek. 
Three or four leguminous seeds are to be placed in the same category, 
as are also the black peppers. 
Of more recent introduction the most prominent are the parsnip, 
oyster-plant, parsley, aitichoke, endive, and spinach. 
From these lists there are purposely omitted a few which belong 
exclusively to the tropics, such as certain yams. 
The number of varieties of these vegetables is astounding. It 
is, of course, impossible to discriminate between closely allied 
varieties which have been introduced by gardeners and seedsmen 
under different names, but which are essentially identical. Never- 
theless, the potato has innumerable varieties, of which at least forty 
are easily di stinguishable. Celery has more than twenty varieties ; 
