The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-29
Vegetables in History.

An epicure will feast on a dish Of as
paragus and perhaps think meanwhile that
he is enjoying delicacy which is strictly
product Of the present century, says the
Chicago News, but history shows US that
the plant was grown in all It's perfection 200
Years before the birth of Christ. Accord
ing to Herodotus, lettuce was in use even
earlier than asparagus, for 1t was cuIti-
waited as early as 90 b. C. Not only was ID
grown, but it was so grown as to be had at
all times of the year, and even blanched
to make it white and tender. What better
does the gardener want to-day?
The cucumber is one of the vegetables
named In early Bible history, though some
cialm that melons were really meant. Both
the cucumber and the melon are named,
not only In different places, but the Is
raeiites complained of the lack of the
cucumbers and the melons when they
were with Moses in the wilderness As TO
the melon, the date of its first cultivation
IS lost in antiquity, but Pliny records It's
use, and as he died in A. d. 79, 1t proba-
bly, is as old as the cucumber.
Beets are on record as a highly-priz-
ed vegetable over 1000 years ago, and re-
cieved much notice from early writers on
such subjects
Carrots seem to have come to us from a
time that is imnemorial, while history
proves that turnips were in use as a gar
den vegetable before the Christian era.
NO one seems to have been able to trace
the origin of either the pumpkin or the
squash, but we read that pumkin pies were
made over 300 years ago, after this recipe!
Cut hole in the side, take out the seeds
and fllaments. stuff with mixture of APP
pies and spices, and then bake till done
A book was written on the radish be-
fore the Christian era. The ancient Greeks
used to offer turnips, beets and radishes
In their oblations to Apollo. The first they
offered in dishes of lead, the second in sill
yer, but the third was offered in vessels
of beaten gold"
Parsnips we find mentioned by Pliny as
being brought to Rome from the banks or
the Rhine, at the command of Emperor
Tiherius. for use on his table.
Beans have a history, both long and cu-
rious. Pliny says of them: The pod is
to be eaten with the seed" evidently
speaking of what we know as string
beans"
The Egyptians used the bean as a com-
mon article of food till their religious ideas
concerning IL caused them to desist. Ihey
believed the bean to be created of the same
clemens as man, and, like man, possessed
of a soul which was subject TO the laws
of transmigration. The Egyptian priests
were not allowed to either eat or look at
the bean-a fact which Aristotle explains
by saying that the bean was used as
common means of voting, and the prom
bition was laid on the priests to prevent
them from in any way meddling with the
political affairs Of the day. The roman
priests also had their supershhons con-
corning this vegeta BILE, believing that 'he
blossoms were marked with internal letters
referring TO the dark spots on the Wings
Of the blossoms.
Herodotus writes that In his time '4'0 %
c. there was on the great pyramid az 49, -,
scription telling of the 5000 talents whlen
had been expended for onions leeks anu
garlic with which 10 feed the builders u
the pyramid