FERNS, FOSSILS AND FUEL 
was one of the goodly trees promised to the Hebrews in 
the land of Canaan. The Egyptians cultivated it, and 
the Iliad and the Odyssey speak of olive wood and olive 
oil. In later times, the Romans were familiar with the 
tree. In 1403 we find allusions to it by the early voyagers 
to the Canary Islands, where it may have been introduced 
by the Phoenicians. In the United States the olive has 
found a congenial home in California; the first trees were 
planted by the monks at the Mission of San Diego, in 
the far southern part of the State. 
Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) : The tomato has 
come into popularity during comparatively recent years. 
It is another of our sturdy native American plants, un¬ 
known in Europe before the discovery of America. It is 
probably of Peruvian origin, at least as a cultivated 
plant, though the name is of Mexican origin, derived 
from the Aztec tomatl. It is now a familiar garden 
plant throughout the United States, and from the West 
Indies it was introduced into Europe. 
Avocado or Alligator Pear (Persea gratissima) : This 
fine fruit, still not very widely known, is also an Ameri¬ 
can product. It has been found growing wild in forests, 
on the banks of rivers, and along the sea-shore, from 
Mexico southward to the Amazon and throughout the 
West Indies. In the time of Columbus it was already 
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