The times., 1897-07-19
Agricultural Department Discoy-
erS New FOed Varieties.
BOTANIST COVILLE'S ADVICE
A Wider Use of Green Vegetables by
Americans Would Be Beneficial,
He Says-Chariock and the Chic
ory Plant should BE ON Our Ta-
bles-Pokeweed and Cowslip.


that in the plant life of tAis continent
may be found many adults ons tossir dietary.
Frederick V Coville, botaniNt Of the de-
partment, has spent Considerable effort
TO examine many OF. the plants now ciassed
as weeds which arc capable OF sus-
tanning vitality III man. He takes the
position that wider use OF green vege-
tables in the detariee of most people,
particularly those with healthy digesIions,
would he marked benefit.
Chemistry has demonstrated largely the
substances which the human system needs,
and Boz anist Coville finds the essentials
present in Ia great many plants, some oi
which are nowhere consider ed as ef-
fectiye food for man, and some of which
have only a local use rs human food
Mr.Covine points outthatwild herbivorous
animals feeG on the fats and carhohy-
drates stored up In plant seeds III the ran.
They fatten on this diet and gather In
bodily fuel for the winter Having ex-
hausted their supply or Tat by spring
they make green herbage their principal
food This renews their muscular yigor
and vitality This dietary system prevails
among savage peoples and is largely fol-
lowed by the Indians Of the Western States
Mans food has grown more artificial with
the advance of civilization, until as Botan-
ist Coville says foods are now selected
more 10y custom than by instinct. The
Eur6pean races are more given TO eating
salads ard boiled green vegetables than
the people OF the United States are. The
Ii. T.S.ls f,of
by Americans is made up OF seeds, roots
aud tubers. Ii is because OF this tildt the
people OF this country are bilious.
The first weed which Botanist Coy.lle
woulG have us eat is chaflock. I his plant
grows as a weed from New England To
The Pacific coast, and is considered
troublesome weed in the wheat districts
OF Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota
1t is closely related To black mustard,
another familiar weed. Chariock is known
in New York State as wild mustaE I'd, and
is considered poisonous. Chariock was u
common pot herb in northern Europe
Centuries ago, but ii has not been recos-
uized a food for man i'll the new world.
The leaves of the cIicory plant are also
good To eat, and in some neighborhoods
-
the Atlantp: and Pacific states and here
and there in the interior. Its leaves grow
In the form OF a rosette after the fashion
OF the dandelion. Yellow rocket is
weed common throughout the Eastern
States which man might eat 1t is closely
allied 10 the winter cress which Is used
| largely as a winter salad and pot hero
III Wa shiiIgton and Baltimore.
The dandelion is a weed which has al
ready gained considerable favor as foed
in the United States, though it is not
grown for market II is very common
throughout the United States, except in
the extreme South and west OF the Great
Plains, though 1T has rooted itself in GER
tain parts OF Washington and California.
| The truckers around Paris have been cul IL
| vating the dandeli0l for many years with
| gooi results and have developed several
| horticultural varieties. There it is used
| largely as a salad, the plants being eaten
| green or blanched-
| The Department OF Agriculture calls es-
| pecial attention TO the dock, two species
| of which the broad leafed and the cnhed.
occur as common, weeds in meadow ws,
| pastures and cultivated fields. Several
l
herb in Europe. Dock was used extensively
by two tribes OF American Indians, the
| Pimas and the Maicopas. Dock grows
| in the ard regions OF Arizona, New Mexico
and Texas, where succulent vegetation is
| rare
| Lambs-qUarters or pig-weed or goose
| foot, Is a weed which belongs Go the
! same plant family as the beet and spinach,
and ought to be used rs a table vegetable
| II is cultivated IN Europe, and is very
| common weed throUgh hout the United
States.
Marsh marigold, or ''cowslip," Is q
| native plant of North America 1t grows
IN swamp land all over the northern part OF
the United States and in British America.
| II has a local use as pot herb, hnt its
| value IN this respect is not generally
| appre ciated. Pigweed occurs in many
| fields all over this country, but the aver
age American does not know its value as
| food plant. 1t is eaten by the Indians
Of the southwest ana by the people OF
| Mexico. in some parts of California II
is cultivated by. the Chinese.
Pokeweed j S used locally in some parts
| OF the South, but It's more general use
| "Vuiu uC EtGIii ing W LIE ShObtiitiN Wv
anists OF the Department Of Agriculture
| The French people have introduced this
-'rt into their country and esteem il
| highly.
The department thinks it probable thai
common nettle, milkweed and round-leafed
mall0w will eventually come to be re
| garded as good food.
The suggestions made by the depart
ment may be offensive TO some people
but then 1T wasn't so very long ago whel
the tomato or love apple was thought
TO be poisonous, when the cucumber was
! looked upon as fatal dose. and when
people ofthe North Were preiudiced against
the banana.