FIRST THE FLOWER THEN THE FRUIT

This is a lovely book, similar in format and handling of content to Fruits of the Earth, but limited in appeal by its rather highbrow approach. However, once you get into the rhythm of the style it has a certain fascination of its own. Against an introductory section dealing with the significance of zones of climate, the reason why the temperate zone has seen most of the deliberate agricultural experiment, and life keyed to plant life, successive chapters then present successive fruits -- their original courses, development, influence on history, journeying, and use. The fruits chosen are not standard ones, -- date, fig, pomegranate, grape, melon, pineapple, banana, persimmon -- and a section on changes in food habits and fruits of the future.