Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-08-30
The Tomato.

singular history tnan the tomato
AS is well known, it belongs t.
the natural order Of the Solmdcec
AN order which includes one of
the most nutritious of esculents
the potato, and one of the mos
dangerous and deadly of vegeta
BILE productions, the nightshade
Its origin seems to be an unsettled
question among botanical writer's
1t is generally supposed, however,
to be a native of South America,
and to have been cultivated at an
early period by the people of Peru
and Mexico. 1t made its appear
ance in Europe in the sixteenth
century, the first mention of it be-
ing by Rembert Dodens, the famous
Dutch herbalist, whose work pub
lished in 1858, speaks of tomatoes
as vegetables which may be eaten
as sort Of salad with pepper, salt
and oil. John Gerarde, an Eng
lishman, whose "Herbal' was Civ
en- to the world in 1897, tells us
that in his time several varieties
were to be found in the gardens of
his country. Half a century later,
inl656, John Parkinson, another
English writer on plants, treats of
them as garden curiosities, cult
| waited more for their beauty Of ap-'
pearance than for utility. He
styles them sometimes Glove ap-
pies, sometimes ''amorous apples"
and sometimes golden apples"
In l775, Rumph, a native of
Holland, who compiled an elabo-
rate treatise on the flora of the
Dutch East Indies, informs us that
two varieties of the tomato are
grown by the Malays of the Asi-
attic Archipelago, and they are
both cooked and eaten by the low
er classes, and that the name Civ
en- to them is tOmaE. 1t is note
worthy that several species of So
tonaceo are called tomaH by the
MeXicans, and we thus find an
Aztec word current in South Asia
an extraordinary pathological
phenomenon, which would seem
to establish some sort of connec-
ton, at a very remote age, between
the Old and the New World.
Notwithstanding the fact that
the tomato was known to be used |
as an article of food by several
semi-civilized races, it was long be-
fore the people of any enlightened
nation ventured to introduceit to
their tables. For more than a
hundred and fifty years after the
death of Parkinson his description
Of its position in Europe contin-
ued to be the correct one. 1t was
grown to q limited extent merely
as an ornamental plant. Not very
old persons easily remembered
when it was regarded only in that
light in this country It's beauti-
full red and yellow fruit was es-
teemed merely as an adornment of
a parterre Of flowers-as a pretty
thing in the front yards Of our
houses. That it was one of the
most agreeable and wholesome of
no one ever imagined.
1t was not until the years 1880
and lS40 that it began to be at all
eaten. After the latter date, how
ever, it grew rapidly in public fa-
vor, and the increase in its con- !
sumption has hardly a parallel in ,
he history of edible plants.
It's real name took the place of E E
love apple" by which the last {
generation of Americans knew it.
This latter designation indicates q
hat it was introduced into Europe
through some Of the Latipnations.
rhe French still style it pon'nae
Fomoetr, or Glove apple" The t
Italians, by whom it is now culti- @
yated, called it formerly pomo do
o, or "golden apple" The Ger t
nan name is paradise apple" the a
Swedes and Danes have no title u
or it, being absolutely unknown a
n the north of Europe. 1t is sim t
,ular that the United States, b
where it has been known COM
short time, should be
he first to make it common ar
icle of diet. In Germany and S
france it is scarcely employed ex- c
ept in the manufacture of sauces
nd to give flavor to soups, and
ven in Italy, with climate adj t.