The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-07

Pot Herbs Which Are Regarded as
Weeds-Some of Them Brought
| Originally From Far-OR Lands.
ingredients of the Mysterious
Root Beer-Ocean Gardening.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Washington, May 30.-The Americans
/ are becoming bilious race 1t is be-
cause 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 Agriculture
| 1t appears that there are lots of useful
/ vegetables growing wild all over the
country. The people, regarding them as
| weeds, pay ne attention to them. in other
parts of the world the value of many of
/ them is justly especially in
/ Europe Savage races in general have a
habit of utilizing green herbs in spring
! time. That tired feeling so much adver-
/ tised in the newspapers at this season
/ of the year. would not be so prevalent
/ if the consumption Of fresh YARDS" from
| field and meadow were more common
/ The worst state Of affairs exists in the
| south, where an unvarying diet of corn
/ bread bacon and molasses has produced
a widespread and chronic condition of bill
/ iousness.
g There is a great deal that is very inter-
estng 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 gath
eter and sold in the markets The dan
ieNoG is a native plant on our higher
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 Dartg of this fa
not common plant in and west Ofthe
great plains nor in the extreme south
| hood of Paris have been cultivating the
/ dandelion for the last twenty-five years
and three recognized Horticultural varie-
/ ties have been developed within that
/ time. In Paris dandelons are eaten as
salad, green or blanched. When they
are employed as pot herb the water
in which they are boiled is changed two
or three times during the process, in order
! to remove the bitter taste.
The common garden purslane, more
! commonly known as ''pusley," occurs as
a weed in almost every garden in the
United States; yet rarely does one meet
/ with person who has ever eaten it or
| who knows of it's usefulness as pot
! deners, being difficult to eradicate: as
/ Charles Dudley Warner says its roots
/ take hold on hi The plant is a native
/ OF India, where It has been cultivated
/ from the earliest times, and was such an
! early accompaniment of civilization as
1 to have a Sanscrit name. 1t was carried
/ westward to Europe and has there been
! in use for centuries as a salad and Dot
| herb. Indeed, several varieties are now
/ known in cultivation. In this country
! however, It is known only as a weed
/ It's principle economic value being sup
/ posed to be as a food for hogs-a purpose
| to which large quantities of it are de-
/ voted AS a pot herb It is very palatable
! retaining, when cooked slightly acid
/ taste.
| Kale-a species of cabbage that does not
form a heads very common pot herb
/ Like cabbage, it requires thorough cook
! ing and 1t Is not remarkably dgesti-
| bic. The young leaves Of the every day
| turnip, either green or blanched. are fire.
/ quently used as pot herb, especially
in the, south. Among country people the
favorite pot herb lr This plant o IS a native
! OF the Northern United States and Brit
! ish America, extending from New Eng
! land northwes tward to Alaska 1t grows
! in cold swamps and wet meadows, shoot
/ ing up in the spring through the shallow
! water. 1t is gathered when in bud or
! just as the flowers are beginning to
/ open.
The common garden spinach cultivated
! 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 eastward, ultimately find
! ing its way to China as well as to America
! Several varieties of spinach are known in
/ cultivation-for eX%mple. prjckly-sseded
! spinach, Flanders spinach and lettuce
! leaved spinach. The New Zealand spin
! was brought to Europe by Capt. Cook
! in his voyage around the world. Another
! common European pot herb, though by
/ no means so important as spinach is
"charlock." 1t occurs as a weed across
| the northern part of the United States
| and is troublesome in the whea t-growing
! regions. 1t is near relative of the black
mustard, but may be distinguished by its
! large pods, one to two inches long. In
/ this country it is not utilized at ali, and
/ it is reputed to be poisonous
! Two species Of dock the broad-leaved
| and the curled, are common weeds in
pastures and fields. Their root leaves in
! spring are often used as a pot herb, some
! times mixed with dandelions Patience
! dock is largely cultivated in Europe as
/ a pot heT6' and IN America it is grown
! TO a small extent for the same purpose
! Perhaps the commOnest and most widely
| dtfused of the weeds which might be
| used for human food is that known as
"goosefoot." In its young stage, vben
six to eight inches high, 1t is tender and
succulent 1t belongs to the same family
another valuable pot herb is cultivated
! to a considerable extent in the eastern
! part of the United States. The plants
! here enumerated do not, by any means
! comprise all the species that might he
! used as pot herbs. They are selected bv
! Mr.. F. V. Coville, the botanist of the dc
! partment of agriculture, with a view to
! suggesting to people in every part of this
/ country certain plants growing in their
! purposes. It is believed that the common
nettle and milkweed might be utilized
! probably. 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.
great quantities of herbs are collected
! annually for the manufacture of roof
! beer, They are put up dry in half-pound
! packages, mixed in proper proportions
ana sent all over the United States. They
/ are obtained chiefly from North Caro-
| INA, especially among the Black moun-
! talns, where is the most wonderful re-
| Elon in the world for medicinal plants
There they are gathered by Indians, who