The Indian nations who lived within the tropics had variety enough.

In fact, no people without commerce could have been better off in regard to fruit-bearing plants and trees than the Aztecs, and other tribes of the South.

The Natchez, however, and those in the temperate zone, had their trees and plants as well--such as those we see before us--and from these they drew both necessary food, and luxurious fruits and beverages.
Indeed the early colonists did the same; and many settlers in remote places make use to this day of these spontaneous productions of Nature." "Would it not be interesting, Basil," said Francois, appealing to his elder brother, "if Lucien would give a botanical description of all these trees, and tell us their uses?
He knows all that." "Yes," replied Basil, "I should like to hear it." "That I shall do with pleasure," said Lucien.

"Not, however, a _botanical_ description, according to the sense of the Linnean school, as that would weary you soon enough, without adding much to your stock of information.

I shall only state what I know of their properties and uses; and I may remark that there is not a tree or plant that is not intended for some use in the economy of Nature.