The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-08-31
SOME EDIBLE WEEDS.

lieVes that the in the plant life Of t1ls
continent may be found many Rddi
tIons to our dietary. Frederick V. Co
vile, botanist of the Department, has
spent considerable effort to examine
many of the plants now classed as
''weeds" which are capable of sustain
ing vitality in man. He takes the po-
sition that wider use Of green vege
tables in the dietariee of most people,
particularly those with healthy diges-
tions, would be marked benefit"
Chemistry has demonstrated largely
the substances which the human sys
t. m needs, and Botanist Coville finds
the essen kials present in great many
plants, some Of " which are nowhere con
sidered IS effective food for man, and
some Of which have only local use as
human food.
Mr C0gIlIe points out that wild her
hivoruus auimais feed ou the fate and
cas- b bJhydrates stored up in plant seeds
il the fall. They fattan on this diet
aud gather ii bodily fuel for the win
ter. Having exhausted their supply
Of tat By spring shey make green herb
age their principal feed. This reIeSs
Vneir muscular vigor and Wit lity. This
dietary system prevails among savage
peoples, ana is largely followed by the
indians of the Western States. Mans
food has grown more artifciaI With the
advance of civilization, until, as Botan
ist Covill6says, floods are now selected
more by custom than by instinct"
The European races are more given to
eating salads and boiled green vege
tables than are the people of the United
States. The greater part Of the plant
food consumed by Americans is made
up of seeds, roots, and tubers. It is be
cause of this that the people of this
country aro bilious.
TIE first weed which Botanist Co
vile would have us eat is charlock.
The plant grows as a weed from New
England to the Pacific coast, and is
considered a troublesome weed in the
wheat districts of Wisconsin, Mime
Rota, and North Dakota Il is closely
related to bIa k mustard, another
familiar weed. Charlock is known in
New York State as wild mustard"
and is considered poisonous. Charlock
was a common pot herb in Northern
Europe centuries ago, but it has not
bsen recognized as food for man in the
new world.
The leaves of the chicory plant are
also good to eat, and in some neighbor
hoods are thus utilized, Il occurs as
weed in the Atlantic and Pacific Statee,
and here and there in the interior. It's
leaves grow in the form Of a rosette,
after the fashion of the dandelion. Yel-
low rocket is a weed common through
out the Eastern States which man
might eat. 1t is closely allied to the
winter cregs, which is used as winter
salad and pot herb.
The dandelion is a weed which has
already gained considerable favor 8s
food in the United States, though it is
not grown for market, 1t is very com
mon throughout the United States, ex
cept in the extreme South and West Of
the great plains, though it has rooted
itself in certain parts of Washington
aud California. The truckers around
Paris have been cuitivatipg the dande
lion for many years with good results
and have developed horticultural vari
eties. There it is used largely as a
salad, the plants being eaten green or
blanched.
Especial attention is called to the
dock, two species of which, the broad
leafed and the Curled, occur as common
weeds in meadows, pastures, and Guilt
waited fields Several species of dock
are used widely as a pot herb in Europe
Dock was used extensively by two
tribes Of American Indians, the Pimas
and the Maricopas. Dock grows in the
arid regions of Arizona, New Mexico,
and Texas, where gucculent vegetation
ia rare.
Lambsquarters, or pigweed, or
goose foog is q weed which belongs to
the same plant family as the beet and
spinach, and ought to be used as table
vegetable. 1t is cultivated in Europe,
end ls very common throughout the
United States.
Marsh marigold, or ''cowslip." is q
native plant Of North America. I6grows
in swamp land all over the northern
part Of the U1ited States and British
America. It has local use as pot
herb, but it's value in this respect is
not generally appreciated. Pig#eed