The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-06-03
PLANT DIFFUSION.
WHERE MANY FRUITS AND VEG
ETABLES COME FROM.
A Variety of Causes Led to the
Distribution of Vegetable
Gifts of Nature Over the
Earth's Surface.


"The distribution of vegetable prod
ucts over the earth affords very interest
ing study" said scientist to Wash
ington Star reporter. "Agriculture
came originally so far as the principal
species of use to man are concerned,
from three great regions China, south
west Asia with Egypt and tropical Am
erica. In these regions the great civii-
cations based upon agriculture began.
Ancient migrations and corquests
brought about the carrying of different
kinds of plants from one part of the
world to another, and they were ex-
changed also in a friendly way among
nations, so that each valuable vegetable
became distributed from its original
source, where l. grew wild, throughout
distant countries, the people of which
found it available for cultivation. Sea-
faring tribes, too, conveyed such native
productions of their own to distant por-
tions of the world. In all these ways
the plants which nature had placed upon
the earth in scattered patches were spread
and made useful to the entire human
race. The discovery of America was the
last great event which completed the
diffusion of cultivated growths.
ssIt is most curious to consider from
what sources the fruits and vegetables
most familiar to US, nearly all of them
exotics, were originally obtained.
Oranges first grew in southern China and
in Cochin, China. The lemon is indi-
genous to India. Grapes we're cultivated
in very ancient times, in fact, the fruit
of the vine was used by the prehistoric
peoples of both Europe and Asia. The
records of wine making in Egypt 60
back 5000 years. Our common straw
berry is one of the most widely diffused
plants, partly owing to the small size of
its seeds, which birds carry to great dis
tances. It is found all around the Arctic
circle in o wild state, as far north as the
cold will permit. Where it started no
one can precisely tell, but it is certain
that its cultivation was not introduced
Until about four centuries ago.
tThe common plum existed first in
northern Persia and the region of the
Caucasus. Apricots came from Armenia
and the Greeks and Romans began to
grow them at about the beginning Of the
Christian era. The almond tree is ma
tive of western Asia. Peaches came from
China originally and pears belonged at
the beginning in the temperate belt Of
Europe. The earliest apples grew IN the
neighborhood of the Caspian Sea, and
the same may be said of ounces. 1t is
contended by some authors that the ap-
pie disputed for by Juno, Venus and
Minerva was in reality ounce.
"The watermelon was cultivated by
the ancient Egyptians in the time of the
building of the Pyramids. It was found
represented in many of the paintings
which they left behind. Likewise there
is reason for believing it was known to
the Isiaelites of old. There is no doubt
that it originated in the north of AT
rica. The cucumber belonged to the
northwest of India. Olives were first
brought from the south coast Of Asia
Minor. Mythology attributed to Mi
nerva the painting of the fruit in
Greece, which probably signifies the iu-
PRODUCTION of cultivated varieties and of
processes for extracting the oil. TIE
traditions of ancient peoples, ,embellished
by the poets, have commonly attributed
the first steps in agriculture aud the III
PRODUCTION of useful plants to some di-
vinity.
"Red peppers are of American
origin. The fig is native to the southern
Mediterranean basin from Assyria to the
Canaries. Dates are indigenous to the
region between the Euphrates and the
Nile. The people of Babylon and Of
Egypt cultivated them most auciently.
Bananas had their first existence in the
south of Asia, and not in the tropical
parts of this continent. Probably the
species were early introduced to the Amer
leans by the Spanish and Portuguese.
The pineapple is an American plant and
was suitably exchanged for the gift of the
banana by introducing it to Asia and
Africa.
"Radishes were cultivated in gardens
from the earliest historic times through
out the temperate region of Asia and
Europe, so that it is impossible to tell
where they started. Turnips are Euro
pean. Satisfy was first found in Greece
and Italy. The potato is one of Americas
most important contributions to the
worlds stock of vegetables. Spanish
voyagcrs conveyed it abroad first, though
the credit for its introduction to the old
world was for long time given Sir Wal
ter Raleigh. Chill was the birthplace of
the tuber. It is commonly imagined,
though incorrectly, that the sweet potato
belongs to the same family as the potato.
Probably the sweet potato originated in
America, though some authorities con-
tend that it first grew in Asia. Beets
belonged in southern Europe and south
west Asia. Garlic is Mongolian. The
origin OF the onion is disputed, though
it probably was derived from southwest
Asia By the Egyptians of old it was
largely eaten, and one variety cultivated
in their country was so highly esteemed
that divine honors were bestowed upon
it.
1.-The cabbage was European. In its
wild state it was found on the rocks by
the seashore. The date OF its cultiva-
tion is very ancient. Garden cress came
from Persia, likewise spinach. The tea
plant came first from China, and its ex-
istence is accounted for by legend to
the effect that q nriest having snccumhcd