This nut ripens under the hot sun of India. Not only is the nut itself fragrant, but the second coat of its envelope, or shell, that you see in the picture, also has a pleasing perfume of its own, entirely distinct from its nut. This you are also familiar with in the spice box, broken up into thin yellow chips, and called Mace.
No more delicious fragrance can be found than that of a South American bean, the Vanilla.
As for leaves, you can think of a great many fragrant kinds in a few minutes, not only green-house plants, like some of the geraniums, but many of the weeds of the fields.
Some vegetables produce very remarkable fruits.
FRUIT OF THE BREAD FRUIT TREE, REDUCED IN SIZE.
A species of fig-tree bears loaves of bread! It is quite a large tree, about forty feet high, and has wide spreading branches, thickly covered with very large leaves. It bears fruit abundantly, and during eight months of the year, there is always some ripe fruit to be found on the boughs.
This fruit is round; is larger than a child’s head; weighs three or four pounds, and is rough and hairy on the outside.
The thick green rind encloses a pulp, which is as white as wheat bread, and, when cooked, tastes very much like it, and is equally nourishing. To prepare it to be eaten, it is cut into thick slices, and laid upon a gridiron over a bed of hot coals. In a few minutes the “bread” is ready.
Thus the natives of the countries where this fruit grows have bread for eight months of the year with very little trouble. If they did not have this kind they would not have any bread at all, for wheat and rye will not grow there.