CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 
275 
Trees with respect to their wood, may naturally be divided 
1st, into such as have hard wood, as the oak, elm, apple, &c. 
2d, such as have soft wood, as the poplar and willow. 3d, such 
as have resinous wood, as the pine and fir. 4th, such as are 
evergreens out not resinous, as the evergreen oak of the south of 
Europe 
The hr merited juice of the grape produces wine. Grain of 
different rinds produces gin, whiskey &c. Apples by their fer- 
mentation produce cider ; this liquor, concentrated by distilla- 
tion, produces brandy and alcohol. 
The vineyards of Italy and France and of some of the Atlan- 
tic islands are the most celebrated for their wine. In America, 
the vine does not flourish in the same luxuriance as upon the 
eastern continent 
Grasses are the palms of cold climates ; they are of the class 
of monocotyledons, and have endogenous stems. Some are per- 
ennial, some annual ;the meadow grasses are of the former kind. 
The grains, Indian coin and rice are annual. There are certain 
grasses which are called artificial, because they do not spring up 
without cultivation ; of t* is kiad is clover, a leguminous plant, of 
the artificial olass diadelpna ; Saintfoin and lucerne are of the 
same natural and artificial class. 
Gramineous plants although very important as furnishing 
from their leaves food for cattle, are yet more especially 7 useful 
for their seeds which furnish food for man. Tuberous roots 
afford the turnip, potatoe, artichoke, beet, carrot, parsnip, &c. 
Some plants furnish oils, which are of important uses in va- 
rious ways. Of the fixed and volatile oils we have already spoken. 
The fixed oils are extracted from plants called oleaginous ; they 
may be considered under three heads 1st, olive oil produced 
from the olive in warm countries; 2d, nut oil of temperate cli- 
mates, as obtained from walnuts, &c ; 3d. oil obtained from the 
seed of oleaginous or oily plants, as the flax. 
Asparagus when young is eaten for food ; the rhubarb plant 
is used in making pies ; celery is esteemed a luxury ; onions 
and even gallic are esteemed valuable for food and seasoning. Ma- 
ny of the labiate plants, as thyme, sage, &c, are used in cooking. 
The Cruciform family presents us with the cabbage, cauliflower, 
turnips, &c. The Leguminous family affords beans, peas, &c. 
The Cucuibitacete furnishes us with melons, squashes and cu- 
cumbers. Umbelliferous plants present us with the aromatics, 
caraway, coriander, &c, which are useful in medicine and 
confectionary. 
Wood of trees hard, soft and resinous — Evergreen — Product of fermented 
juices of fruits — American vine — Grasses of cold climates — Annual grains 
— Artificial srrasses — Gramineous plants, and Tuberous roots, what they af- 
ford — Oleaginous plants — Piauts useful for food — Umbilliferous plants how 
useful. 
