New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-02
ENGLISH And AMERICAN VEGETABLES.
From The PnH MnN Gn-cte.


The reappearance Oh our tables of seakale and
asparagus our only two eatabe greenstuils-natur-
aly raises once more the perennial Question: why
have VIC in England no vegetables 10 dOuDJ tDo
fact is impossible-at least to anybody who knows
what real vegetables are IKE. oil. saiu al,
American stranger at restaurant III the olraIu
one day. Sir this is the one hing you can RAISE III
your country and we can't raise III ouro-a mutton
chop: but then you never tasted green peas I'D al
your life" That antlthesls ruts the RTeat Nege-
table CuestOn in nutshell. 1t IS Impossible Ih INC
same country to have good meat ana goOd Nege-
tables For the best beef and mutton are pIouucI
Of thr soft g. nder English greensward. VIII Oh only
exists in a few countries along the Atlantic seaDOaru
OF Europe and owes its origin to tie constant l'i-
fall
The same causes which give us good meat how;
ever deny Us IN England the possibility OF gOOu
fruit and vegetables. For while the heritage re-
Guires cop0ls rain the fruits seeds, pods flowers,
buds and other miscellaneous objects when we
elias, tom the culinary point Of view a5 Neget9Dles
ali require CCpiOGS sunlight. That Is why We nave
none of them. Our only good vegetables are such
rs very yOnng rhubarb, scakale. asparagus ana
celery. which are tn, hlanched sproutng SHOOTS Oh
urrcnuiai plants. These mostly cOlAe III spring
time and rs they are none the worse, or even nj
the better. for a little wholesome soaking, lnGy
t"a,.ooe I, survive our climate well enough in ;Le
long run But most other vegetables aio more OF
less f.uity in their nature; and really ID taste throc
one must 90 to America or ltaly-for choice ire
first. OF thorOughsolne iruity yegetabies-SucH as
HE tomntO-wc in England know nothing. We
never have sun enough TO rpcn them properly ana
even with ALL the appliances Oh modern Sardcuei5,
tlov never get thoroughly red and soft throughout
i'm our gadcrs they do IN the open ar HDueT
Canadian or Italian sllv. lney always nave nan
-rn taste and are wholly lacking IN the true rich
fn,rato HayoT Indeed the timed American specl-
mems though tasting of the solder OF course. are
better sayored ate. all than ou poor Staryed sun
less ENGLISH things. As to purple -iIult ana
Green chow elbows. we know them not at all; whhe
the rroflsi0n of rich rcd-lcSh. d WateHncions ana
prnr0,e-skinned squashes ana gOiGell pumpkins III
4 Massachusetts, market would aHt0uNh COFeht
Garden and set some Hasccnt turner 10 work Win
ali the pigments on hi, palette to Try his hand at
new and many-col0red subject IneSe Innss re-
ouirc lhc sun to rlpen them, ana we see ms lace
here as "a rule for some two and a haii nouns
weekly rs duly registered ut Clyde Race LeNts'
Them again, there are the "lnteT cherries, tne
vr, notat oes an0 best of all earthly vegetables,
green Indian corn. eaten oil tie COZ WIN Wl,h IIe9n
butter and lilicst to nectar OF all mortar deICcIcS.
A. for pulse generally, our beans are All s'iIhey
we have neither the variety Lor the tenderness VI
the American bean. Our peas nave SCine Eoou
points-iOr English peas; ban theY are no. nan ~
large OF luscious, or netting rs Amer. IN 30
TLcy take too long growing. ana nave 2ot ga ana
hand before they arc big enough 10 PiCh: lHo ~. ~
Icious crlDkly eatablepOd pea would lie Impossible
here: il would have got tough and Snowy month
before it was ready for COOKING. We sIoW DUCK
Lrqt ~ feed our pheasants but it never ripens rs
if ouqht ard huckv heat pancakes at breakfast
will doubtless be an unknown luxury WIN Us 10y
ever H., . o, 10 .
little better. but not enough to boast about. We
are strong in salads; our climate provides MS with
plenty If fresh green lettuce, and rcnty OF slugS,
too IL hide III its rcces>es. But endlNe does not
though wc II AXE up FOL it in crosses ard the lesser
salad Stuiis. Oar roots too. are good; VINO WIZ
lcuv tine British farmer the glory OF MS turnps DIS
Leofs and ms maugod- wurzel! When IL comes TO
edible flowers. however. We ale hopecsSll leli III
the Inreh our top artIchONeS are the hardest ana
poorest in the world they contain a inaNimlH OF
ubrous ureatable hract and minimum oi soIi;
starcIV pulp. In the south OF France, ltdlJ ana
America Won can often eat the whole Lower-head
choke ana all; in England y0n can only extract a
nilitul pttancc of soft moUihiui oil the base Of
zach neat leathcry scale. Il would be Impossible
TO Dire, English artichokcs III fried butter rs they
10 sd uc' ciUusly AT Florence one might az wei eat
fried boot, Oar caulih0wcrs and broccoli are not
nearly as good rs the Amer CAM they are neither so
white nor so delicate IN flavor. We can grow Gu
runiber, under glass; because cucumbcrs are ea.en
Green: but what g. miserable farce are our Vege-
faLlr rarrDws What is true OF vegetables IS even
more true of fruits. To he sure or English not
hou.r cranes are Il e. best in the world; Dut ioi
Strawberries Iaspberries, cunanis, gocseDcfIle''
NUNS and cherries we must 20 10 America. OuI
npachrs are "a success; our apples are na.lohai
talure. and our pears are standing Insult 10 lhe
human Intelligence. But we may a. least ccngratu-
late ourselves hat with the AID of glass ana stoves
we can OBTAIN heat and light enough to grow the
best pncarplcs in the W0rlG ut tie moderate price
OF one guinea apiece In Jamaica they usually sell
at two lOT three haHpcnCe.