The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-12
Interesting Points About
Our Vegetables.
Asparagus Regarded q.
Somewhat AriStOcratic.
Plebeian Bean and Verdant Cabbage
Ola Timers in History.

This is the season when we begin
60 get the "fat of the land" in the way
of vegetables OF course tastes differ, but
tis said by dealers that among all tho
vegetables that come TO market none Is
moro generally sought for than asparagus
This vegetable has history and an IN
ferestlng one it is. IL is claimed that
there is something aristocratl0 ABOUT
asparagus, and IL is pointed out that IN
English heraldry il is called sparagus,
sparragus, speragus asparagrass, spara-
grass sporagrass, sparrergrass, sparrow
grass grass. Naturally, disputes nave
sometimes arisen as 10 Its real name.
One authority grayely maintained that
'sparrowgrass' Is the proper pronuncia-
tion, as he had heard 1t SO formed by no
less a personage than the sister OF an
earl" Unfortunately, he adds that the
same lady graciously sanctioned by use
the word "obleege Asparagus belongs
10 the order of the lily, and is first cousin
TO the classical asphodel. lt was intro
duced in England at the close of the SIX
reenth century. In 1911, among the
records of IA Sir John OF Kenilworth Is
set down the following item of exponso:
1.-TWO roots OF sparrowgrass, l2d. This
shows conclusiyely that asparagus came
high in those uays and that his lordship
was trilie "near' and not disposed 20
enter upon tho cultivation of asparagus
.n large scale until he knew what no
was about
Asparagus has always been something
of rich mans vegetable. 1t graced the
banquets of Apicius and Luculus, ana
Cato wrote a pamphlet on It's culture.
They knew, evidently, how asparagus
should bo done TO "a turn, because the
favorite proverb of Augustus was
"Velocius guam aspargi coquantur
(quicker than asparagus should DO
cooked). There is IA very old superstition
that asparagus would grow from rams
horns If they were planted Even Evelyn
mentions IL. Rahelais wrote of 1t:
Take me but these horns and bray them
little with an iron pestle, or.with an
andiron--which you please-it is all one
TO me. Then bury them wherever you
will, provided IL may bo where the sun
shine and water thom frequently. In
few months I'll engage, you will have
the best asparagus in the world, not ex-
cepting those of havenna.
The vegetable has been found growing
wild as a sort Of sea plant on the English
like grass on the salt steppes and cattle
eat IL. France Is pre-eminently the land
of cultivated asparagus, and for many
years the finest and most fabulously eX-
pensive stalks l~s~e been grown there.
There Is an amusing and. thoroughly
"trenchy" story told of Fontenelle and
Cardinal Dubois. Some one sent some ex-
ccptionally fine asparagus TO Fontenelle.
knowing that the cardinal, like himself,
was inordinately fond of the vegetable
Fontenelle invited him To dinner. Eon-
tenelle like asparagus dressed with oil,
while the cardiEal preferred melted but
ter. 30 IL was agreed between them that
shA ht.1f oil
half with butter. just as tho dinner
hour approached a messenger came post
haste with the announcement that the
cardinal was at the point of death, hav-
ing been attacked with fit of apoplexy n
few moments before. Fontenelle immedi-
ately rushed toward the kitchen. shout
ing: "All with oil; all with oiln' AT
ter saving the cardinals half Of tho
asparagus from melted butter Fontenelle
returned to his dining room, lanenting
his trends misfortune Pliny and Gaen
both recommend asparagus for diseases
1t was formerly supposed that If aspara-
gus Juice were rubbed on an aching tooth
1t would be loosened at once. Asparagus
wreaths were formerly presented TO Greek
and Roman brides.
Nor is the plebeian bean lacking in in
teresting history. 1t is mentioned I'm tho
lliad as "a cultivated plant, and some have
UcBu IOuuu In tIe excavations at Troy. III
was an ancient rite of the Romans 10 put
beans in the sacrifices to tho goddess
Carna. The Fabii probably took their
name from "Faba. the botanical nAme
of the beam Ii was an important yege-
table with the Roman. They used IL.
moreover, in counting their votes at clcc-
tions. The bean was known in Egypt,
although 1t is not found I'm sarcophagi for
the reason that the priests considered IL
unclean. They deemed 1t crime to even
look at beans. Herodotus mentions that
the Egyptians at that time did not culti-
vate or eat the bean. putarch, 500 years
later, mentions the cultivation there.
Pythagoras forbade his disciples TO eat
leans because they were formed out OF
the rotten oozc from which man was ere.
ated The Romans ate beans at funerals
with ave- from the idea that the souls of
the dead wero in them. IL is believed bv
the most competent judges that tho team
"faba vulgaris" is indigenous 60 tho re-
gion about the Caspian Sen and TO North
crn Africa. Tho "butter bean" Is a native
CT America.
The cabbage also is an old-tmer in his
tory. IL Is Of European origin. No plant
has produced "A greater number of yarie-
ties by cultivation. IL belongs 10 tho great
order crncilcrdc, 80 named becausP the