Rice Terraces in China. In many regions where the forests have been destroyed and all the soil washed into the valleys, agriculture has to be carried on under conditions of great difficulty. Soil is brought up these slopes and held there by the artificially made terraces. (Photo by Bailey Willis. Courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic Garden.)
| Name | Date | Origin | Remarks |
| *Cherry, sweet | B | S. Europe, E. Asia | N. Y. City markets from California. |
| Chirimoya | E | Ecuador, Peru | Repeatedly dug up from prehistoric graves in Peru. |
| Chupa-chupa | F | Colombia | Apricot-mango flavored. |
| Citron | B | India, S. Asia | Very variable. |
| *Cranberry | F | E. and N. North America | Cultivated for about 100 years. |
| *Currant, black | C | N. Europe and Asia | Rarely cultivated in America. |
| *Currant, red | C | N’th’n Hemisphere | White and yellow varieties are forms. |
| *Custard apple | (?) | Tropical America | |
| *Date | A | Arabia, north Africa | Hundreds of varieties. |
| Dewberry | F | South and central North America | Form of blackberry. |
| Duku | (?) | Malay Peninsula | Fine Malayan fruit, somewhat turpentine in flavor. |
| Durian | F | Malaysia, East Indies | Odor of old cheese, rotten onions flavored with turpentine. Delicious except for odor. |
| *Fig | A | Southern Arabia | Wild form common. |
| Genip | (?) | N. South America | Children’s fruit. |
| Genipap | (?) | American tropics | Used for a refreshing drink locally. |
| *Gooseberry | C | N. Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia, United States | Old and New World species distinct. New World varieties in some cases hybrids. |
| “Goumi” berry | (?) | Japan, China North America | Delicious acid fruit. |
| *Grape, New World | F | Western temperate | Many probably hybrids. |
| *Grape, Old World | A | Asia | California and Old World grape. |
| *Grapefruit | B | Malayan and Pacific Is., east of Java | Largely cultivated in U. S. |
| Ground cherry | F | Barbadoes, W. South America, Asia | Three or more species. |
| Grumixama | (?) | Brazil | Much like bigarreau cherry. |
| *Guava | E | Tropical America | Fruits of several species used. |
| Haw (2 species) | (?) | China, South United States | Local fruit. |
| Icaco | F (?) | Tropical America | Common fruit in San Salvador. |
| Jaboticaba | F | Brazil | Common fruit tree around Rio Janeiro |
| Jujube, common | B | China | Very excellent dried fruit in China. |
| Juneberry | F | United States, Canada | Locally esteemed. |
| *Kumquat | (?) | Cochin-China or China | Resembles very small oranges. |
| *Lemon | B | India | Largely used for limade and citric acid. |
| *Lime | B | India S. China, Malay | |
| *Litchi and relatives | C | Archipelago | Finest Chinese fruit. Numerous forms. |
| *Loquat | (?) | Central-east’n China | Much esteemed in China and Japan. |
| Lulo | F | Colombia | Tomatolike fruit. |
| Mammee apple | (?) | West Indies to Brazil | “St. Domingo apricot.” |
| *Mango | A (?) | India | “Should be eaten in a bathtub.” |
| Mangosteen | (?) | Sunda Islands, Malay Peninsula | King of tropical fruits. |
| Marang | (?) | Sulu Archipelago Mexico, N. E. | Similar to but much better than breadfruit. |
| Marmalade plum | E | Mexico, N.E. South America | Resembles in taste a ripe, luscious pear. |
| Matasano | E | Central America | “Delicious.” |
| Medlar | C | Central Europe to W. Asia | Local applelike fruit. |
| Monstera | F | Mexico | Pineapple-banana flavor. |
| Mulberry, black | B (?) | Armenia, N. Persia | Most valued for fruit. |
| Mulberry, white | A(?) | India, Mongolia | Most valued for feeding silk worms. |
| *Muskmelon | C | India, Beluchistan, W. Africa | Hundreds of varieties. |
| Natal plum | F | South Africa | Local fruit for preserves. |
| *Nectarine | (?) | Cultivated form of peach | Smooth-skinned. |
| *Olive | A | Syria, southern Anatolia and neighboring islands | Does not fruit in Florida. |
| *Orange, king | (?) | Cochin-China | Recently common in New York City markets. |
| *Orange, sweet | C | India | Numerous hybrids with other species. |
| *Orange, tangerine | ? | Cochin-China, China | |
| Papaw | F | South’n United States | Local fruit related to the custard apple. |
| Papaw, true | E | Tropical America | Excellent breakfast fruit. |
| *Passiflora | F (?) | Tropical America | Used locally for ices, fruit salads, jams, etc. |
| *Peach | E | China | Hundreds of varieties. |
| *Pear | A | Temperate Europe and Asia, N. China | Two species, and hybrids between them. |
| *Persimmon | (?) | Northern China | Common in New York City markets. |
| *Pineapple | E | American tropics. | Red Spanish and sugar loaf, common market varieties. |
| Piñuela | (?) | Mexico, C. America and N. South America | Sold cooked in Mexico. Common market fruit of Caracas. |
| *Plantain | | | Form of banana. |
| *Plum | A | S. Europe, W. Asia, N. America | Much hybridized group. |
| *Pomegranate | A | Caucasus, Persia, Afghanistan, Beluchistan | A seedless variety is known. |
| *Quince | A | Persia to Turkestan Middle N. America | “Apple of Cydon” (Crete). |
| *Raspberries, black | F | | Locally much esteemed American fruit. |
| *Raspberries, red | C | N. Europe, Asia, N. America | Varieties and hybrids of two species. |
| Rose apple | B | Malaysia, S. Asia | Rose-water taste and perfume. |
| Rose apple relatives | | Tropics of Old and New Worlds | Many promising local fruits. |
| *St.-John’s-Bread | A (?) | Syria, S. Anatol Barca (?) | Common dried pod fruit in New York City. |
| Sand cherry | F | N. W. United States | Local fruit. |
| *Sapodilla | E | West Indies, Central America, N. South America | “Chicle” or chewing gum made from its sap. |
| Sapote, black | F | Mexico | Relative of persimmon. |
| Shaddock | B | East Indies | Large pyriform relative of grapefruit. |
| Soursop | (?) | West Indies | Locally esteemed. |
| Star apple | E | W. Indies, Central America | Delicious. “Damson plum.” |
| *Strawberry | F | Temperate N. America, Pacific coast of N. and S. America, Europe Bush veldt of South | At least three species involved. Mostly hybrids. |
| Strychnos apple | F | Africa. | Tastes like clove-flavored pears. |
| *Sweetsop | (?) | West Indies | Locally esteemed. |
| Tahiti apple | (?) | Society, Friendly, Fiji Islands South America | Common tropical fruit. |
| Tahiti apple relatives | (?) | | Common West Indian fruit. |
| *Tamarind | B (?) | Either India or N. Africa | Occasional New York City fruit. |
| “Tomato,” tree | (?) | Peruvian Andes | Apricot-flavored tomato. |
| *Watermelon | A | Tropical and South | Often a desert plant. |
The operation of the Eighteenth Amendment to our Constitution will stop the manufacture in this country of the chief beverages that were made here from plants. All wines and brandies were from the juice of the grape, whiskey from rye and some other cereals, and beer from hops and barley. Our three remaining beverages of practically universal use are none of them produced in the United States, with the exception of a little tea grown in a more or less experimental way.
It is related in an old legend that a priest going from India into China in 519 A.D. who desired to watch and pray fell asleep instead. In a fit of anger or remorse he cut off his eyelids which were changed into the tea shrub, the leaves of which are said to prevent sleep. Unfortunately for the story tea was known in China more than three thousand years before the date of that legend, and it is very doubtful if it was ever brought from India to China. The wild home of the tea is apparently in the mountainous regions between China and India, but the plant will not stand the frost, so that its cultivation is now mostly in parts of China, Japan, India, Ceylon, Java, and some in Brazil.
The plant is mostly a shrub or occasionally a small tree, with white fragrant flowers and evergreen oval-pointed leaves. All the different kinds of tea are derived from the single species Camellia Thea, the differences in color and flavor being due to processes of culture or curing of the leaves.
