egg_.

prin'ci pal, _chief; that which is most important_.

es'ti mat ed, _stated in regard to quantity_.

se lect'ed, _chosen; picked out_.

ter'mi nates, _comes to an end_.

* * * * *

TROPICAL FRUITS.

Those who have not visited tropical countries, can scarcely imagine the
wonders of their vegetation. There is nothing in the northern half of
the United States, with which to compare the richness of the vegetable
growth of the tropics.

In the Southern States of our Union, as well as in Mexico and Central
America, there are found many of the same plants and trees that grow in
countries lying still nearer the equator.

The various kinds of fruits which grow in these countries, form a very
large portion of the exports. Among those that are most commonly sent to
us, are bananas, oranges, lemons, dates, cocoa-nuts, and figs.

In countries where the banana grows most abundantly, no article of food
which the natives can obtain, requires so little trouble in its
cultivation.

One has only to set out a few banana sprouts, and await the result. In a
short time, a juicy stem shoots up to the height of fifteen or twenty
feet.

It is formed of nothing more than a number of leaf stalks rolled one
over the other, and grows sometimes to a thickness of two feet.

Two gigantic leaves grow out from the top, ten feet long and two feet
broad. They are so very thin and tender that a light wind splits them
into ribbons.

From the center of the leaves a very strong stalk rises up, which
supports the cluster of bananas. There are sometimes over one hundred
bananas to a single stalk.

A cluster of ripe bananas will weigh from sixty to seventy pounds, and
represents a large amount of food. When a stalk has produced and ripened
its fruit, it begins to wither and soon dies.

In a very short time, however, new sprouts spring up from the old root,
and ere long the native has another cluster. So rapidly do they follow
each other, that one cluster is scarcely consumed before another one is
ready to ripen.

Bananas ripened on the stalk will not bear transportation to any great
distance; therefore, when selected for export, the clusters are cut off
while the bananas are very green.

Another valuable fruit of the tropics is the date. This fruit grows on a
tree called the date-palm, that is found in both Asia and Africa.

The date-palm is a majestic tree, rising to the height of sixty fee