The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-03
FOOD PLANTS THAT
ARE NEGLECTED
Secretary Morton Talks Of Some That
Grow wild Here.
FLOWERS THAT ARE FIT FOR EATING
Interesting POt.Herbs Which Are
Regarded as Weeds..SOme of Them
Brought Originally From Far.OG
Lands..Ingredients Of the Myster.
iOus Root Beer..Ocean Gardening.

Lands..Ingredients Of the Myster.
iOus Root Becr..Ocean Gardening.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The Americans are becoming q bill
ious race. 1t IL because they do not eat
enough greens" Such. at all events, is
the opinion that will be expressed by
Secretary Morton in, the forthcoming
Year Book Of the department Of agri-
culture. A.s
1t appears that there are lots Of USE
full vegetables growing wild all over the
country. The people, regarding them
as weeds, pay no attention to them. IN
other parts of the world the value Of
many of them is justly appreciated-es-
pecially in Europe. Savage races In
general have q habit Of utilizing green
herbs in springtime. That tired feeling.
so much advertised in the newspapers
at this season of the year, would not be
so prevalent II the consumption Of fresh
YARDS" from field and meadow were
more common. The worst state Of af-
fairs exists in the south. where an un-
varying diet of corn bread, bacon and
mOlasses has produced a widespread
and chronic condition Of biliousness.
There is a great deal that Is very in
teresting about the wild pot herbs Of
the United States. The best known of
them Is the dandelion. At this season
large quantities of dandelion leaves are
gathered and sold in the markets. The
dandelion is native plant on our high
err mountains; but the dandeliOns of our
lawns and pastures have been brought,
like SO many other common weeds, from
Europe. While the dandelion occurs in
almost all parts of this country. 1t Is
not common plant in and west of the
great plains, nor in the extreme south.
The market gardeners in the neighbor
hood of Paris have been cultivating the
dandelion for the last twenty-five years.
and three recognized horticultural va
rieties have been developed within that
time. In Paris dandeliOns are eaten as
a salad, green or blanched. When they
are employed as a pot herb the water
in which they are boiled is changed two
or three times during the process, In or
der to remove the bitter taste.
ONLY A WEED.
The common garden purslane. more
commonly known as "pusley," occurs
as q weed in almost every garden In the
United States; yet rarely does one meet
with a person who has ever eaten It or
who knows of its usefulness as pot
herb. It is a great annoyance to gard
eners, being difficult to eradicate; as
Charles Dudley Warner says, its roots
take hold on hell. The plant Is ma
tive Of India. where 1t has been culti-
waited from the earliest times, and was
such an early accompaniment Of civil
ization as to have q Sanscrit name II
was carried westward to Europe and
has there been in use for centuries as
salad and pot herb. Indeed, several
varieties are now known in cultivation.
In this country. however, it IL known
only as a weed. its principle economic
value being supposed to be as food
for hogs-a purpose to which large
quantities Of 1t are devoted. AS a pot
herb 1t Is very palatable. retaining,
when cooked, a slightly acid taste.
Kale-a species Of cabbage that does
not form a head-is a very common pot
herb. It is sometimes called German
green's" Like cabbage, 1t requires
thorough cooking. and It Is not remark
ably digestible. The young leaves of
the every day turnip, either green or
blanched, are frequently used as a pot
herb, especially in Ne South. Among
country people the marsh marigold"
or cowslip, Is a favorite pot herb. This
plant is a native of the Northern United
States and British America, extending
from New England northward to Alas
ka. It grows In cold swamps and wet
meadows. shooting up In the spring
through the shallow water. 1t Is gath
cred in bud or just as the flowers are
beginning to open.
AS TO SPINACH.
The common garden spinach culti-
waited everywhere In Europe and the
United States may be considered the
| typical pot herb Of both continents.
| The plant, which was unknown to the
Greeks and Romans, Is believed to
have originated in Persia and to have
| been carried both westward and east
ward. ultimately finding its way to
China as we'll as to America. Several
varieties of spinach are known in cul-
tivation-for example, prickly seeded
spinach Flanders spinach and lettuce
| spinach, which originated in that
country, was brought to Europe by
Captain Cook in his voyage around the
world. Another common European pot
herb, though by no means so important
as spinach, is "charlock." It occurs as
weed across the northern part Of the
United States and is troublesome in
wheat growing regions. 1t is a near
| relative Of the black mustard, but may
be distinguished by its large pods, one
to two inches long. In this country II
| Is not utilized at all, anu II Is reputeO
| to be poisonous.
| leaved and the curled, are common
weeds in pastures and fields. Their
root leaves in spring are often used as
pot herb. sometimes mixed with
dandelions. Patience dock" is largely
cultivated in Europe as pot herb, and
In America 1t is grown to q small ex.
tent for the same purpose. Perhaps the
commonest and most widely diffused OF
the weeds which might be used for hu-
man food Is that known as lambs
quarters" 1t is otherwise known as
"goosefoot" In its young stage wher
six to eight inches high, 1t Is tender and
succulent. 1t belongs to the same
family as the beet and spinach. White,
! cress, another valuable pot herb, IL
cultivated to a considerable extent ir
the eastern part Of the United States
The plants here enumerated do not by
might be used as pot herbs. They are
selected by Mr.. F. V. Coville. the bot
anist OF the department Of agricul.
ture, with view to suggesting to peo.
| pie in every part Of this country Ger.
tain plants growing in their own region
| which are available for such purposes
1t Is believed that the common nettle
and milkweed might be utilized pro.
ftably. This is subject on which the
people generally ought to be instruct
ed. in order that they may not allow
valuable foods to go to waste. :.
HERBS FOR ROOT BEER.
Great quantities Of herbs are collect.
ed annually for the manufacture Of roo
beer. They are put up dry in half
mo- rl, ,,,iv i,,