Professor Agassiz, in a lecture upon the trees of America, states a
remarkable fact in regard to the family of the rose,--which includes
among its varieties not only many of the most beautiful flowers, but
also the richest fruits, as the apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot,
cherry, strawberry, raspberry, &c.,--namely, that _no fossil plants
belonging to this family have ever been discovered by geologists_! This
M. Agassiz regards as conclusive evidence that the introduction of this
family of plants upon the earth was coeval with, or subsequent to, the
creation of man, to whose comfort and happiness they seem especially
designed by a wise Providence to contribute.