Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-04-16
RATES OF ADVERTISING.
FARMER,S O0LUMN.
Garden Vegetables and Fruitg.

The following account Of the origin of many
of our most valuable vegetables and fruits
will be interesting to our readers:
THE Potato,
Is entitled to mention, both as being sam-
pie article OF vegetable food, and as being al
50 native of this continent, .scoru and nota- .
toes" beingoli friends on this soil. lon, be-
fore they We're planted side by side in the
held OF the Yankee farmer 1t is still E,und
!n lis Wild state IN South America, where is
Is ioe'id, poisonous root, with little or no in
eithatIon to form tubers, though its specifo.
name is taJerOSWm. 1t belongs to the oenuI
So'anum or Mightshd6e, every member Of
winch Is more or less poisonous. Sir Walter
KaleIgh introduced it into England between
Two and three centuries ago, along with that
other poisonous American plaat-tobacco-
i Is valuable and healthy article of food
when combined with other and more con-
densed aud stimulating kinds.
THE BEET,
is nativeRf the river Boetis, in Spaip. from,
which 1t takes its name where it grows hard
y to the size of the little fngor, though Gull
uEauon has increased 1t to average of ten
pounds in the Mangel Wurzel. 1t is tho hest
root for cattle; and doubtless the most nroiit-
able that eau be raised, whether for feeding
or for the manufacture of sugar. DIR. Lett
son, who introduced the Mangol Wurzel into
England, says he raised one hundred and
twenty tons OF roots and tops, both of which
his cattle ate with avidity, to the acre.
TIE CABBAGE,
with all its varieties and species. includ
turnIps, cautihuwcrs, brocolis, kules.
comes from the shores of the Mediterrane
1t has undergone many notifications bv
tlvation, and is under whatever name.
slrable addition to the table Chemists
that 1t contains more njtroaenous or mu
making food, than any other plaut-a
which the Irish seem to have discovered q
perimen;ally
THE CARROT,
grows wild in England, where it is called
BIRDS nest, from the form of the umbe
cluster OF flowers. 1t is priced for h
above all other kinds of food, AS a mean
keeping them sleek and in good condition -
THE PARsNIp,
is also a native of Great Britain. as wei
this country, and is poisonous in its wild 81
1t contains large proportion of potash. and
hence Is very appropriately boiled with corned
beef, from which that salt, is absolutely me-
cessary to perfect nutrition, has been abb
strncted by the brine. The Irish brew then,
with their beer, Instead of malt. for which
their saccharine qualities render them u good
substitute.
THE ONION
is also very wholesome vegetable. and has
ever been held in esteem from the earliest
ages 1t Is native of Egypt where it was
popularity supposed to be an object of wor
SNIP This notion has been kept alive in
modern times by finding the onion in Egyp-
tan tombs, IN the hands of mummies and
scuipturcd on their monuments But ac.
cordIng to Berosus who was himself an
Egyptian priest, aud probably knew, it was
only used IN their mysteries as the symbol of
inc universe. on account of the peculiarity of
It's construction, sphere within sphere.
BEANS AND PEAS,
and several kinds, if not all of the pripcipaI
grains, were also Indigenous in Egypt. and
were worshipped in their infancy by mother
Nile They have, like nearly ali plants and
animals that have come under mans domin-
ion, been greatly changed from their original
type. Tho wild pea as it still grows in the
East, is not larger than pins head. while
the grain OF the parent wheat is mere prass
seed
THE APPLE, PEAR, OUNCE AXD PEACH,
all came from Persia, aud like many people
have wonderfully improved Ly travelling into
other countries, for there is nothing TO bs
found to-day in the old homestead Of those
fruits ut all TO compare with our Baldwin.
Bartlett or Royal George. Whether the
original apple that Adam and Eve raised
Cam with, IIs the present wild Crab. or
whether 1t was good nice Noncsuch. worth
SHINING for, but which fell also under the
curse, we caunot soy.