The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-12-06

of the American Army in the war or
the Revolution. has left the statement
that the principal vegetables of his
time were cabbage and turillns.
DR.. Rush also SAYS that the first real
gardens in America were made by the
Hcssian prisoners.
In 1000 the city OF Philadelphia main
tanned n town bull
Sixty years ago the tomato was cn-
tivated as an ornamental plant. under
the name of "lOve apple" The fruit
was then thought to be poisonous.
It Is said that timothy grass seed was
Grst collected something over 100 years
ago in a swamp In New Hampshire.
From that first seed this valuable plant
has been spread all over the country.
The first Seckel pear tree was dscov-
cred in a thicaet near Philadelphia.
The first Jeffries apple tree grew il a
clearing near West Chester, Pa.
The first Concord grapevine was
discovered near Concord. y. II. The
Bartlett and Kieffer pears were both
discovered near Philadelphia. The
most OF our valuable fruits are
"chaEce" products and gifts Of nature.
DR.. Benjamin Franklin was prom-
hent in his efforts to induce the farm
ers of his time to use land plaster
ground gypsum.
AT the time Of the Revolution all
farm laborers wore leathern aprons,
similar to those now worn by black
smiths.
The seed Of the first rice grown in
America came from Madagascar. 1t
was a Chance importation.
Among the farmers of Cuba and
Porto Rico the wooden plow formed OF
q natural crooked stick found in the
woods is still in common use.
The OK yoke used all around the Med
1terranean Sea and in Spanish America
consists of straight stick of wood
tied to the horns or foreheads Of tine
cattle. Bows are not used in this yoke
at all.
Tobacco. the deadly nlghtslladc. the
tomato. the potato, the eggplant. the
cayenne or red pepper, the deadly
Jamestown weed (datura) and the Car
olina nettle all belong to the same
family. 1t 10 strange association of
the noxious and the wholesome.
A black walnut has been discovered
ii Pennsylvania which has the shell of
y hickory nut.
Rice Is the cereal most in use by the
human family. It is not so nutritious
as wheat, by which 1t is being dis
placed. for the use of wheat -four is
extending into the rice eating coun-
In Jarsn the burdock is considered
valuable vegetable. The pigweed,
the purslane. the pol1eweed, docks and
other plants We call weeds are eaten
W. some people.
TIC peach derived its name from
Fcrsin, where 1t was first cultivated. |
The apricot Is named from Armenia.
The cherry from Cerrasus. a city in
Western Asia, where the Romans
found It In one of their campaigns.
Il IL not known who introduced the |
f,otrto into Europe from America. nor
Is II known that any tribe Of Indians
cultivated this tuber. The whole mat
ter Of Its Introduction is a mystery.
lie turkey is so c:.,ed because 1t
was supposed to have come fro the
Turxc.
Indian corn was once called Turkey
corn. under the belief that it came
Ircnl the Turks. In Europe 1t is now
known by Its Indian name. maize. In
Spanish America 1t is known by no
other name.
In Porto Rico In 1898, with 1 900. 600
there was not a single
power mill for grinding grain. The
work was all done In hand mills.
Gomez was introduced from Arabia
md tea from China. Sugar came
from the East Indies. Foar hundred
Tears ago our ancestors used neither
ea, coffee nor sugar.
Before the Introduction of tea and
,onec our ancestors used various kinds
Il beer. and their only substitute for
ugar was honey.
Buckwheat was introduced into En-
ore from Thibct about 400 years ago.
hen We may suppose they first had
uckwheit cakes and honey.
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