The orange is one of the oldest fruits known in the history of cultivation. As early as 500 B.C. the fruit of the citrus tree was mentioned in a collection of old documents believed to be edited by Confucius himself. In the year A.D. 1178, Han Yen-Chi, a Chinese horticulturist, wrote on the subject of …
Grapefruit
The name “grapefruit” originated in the West Indies in the eighteenth century, perhaps because of the fact that its fruit grows in clusters of three to twelve or more, similar to grape clusters. This citrus fruit was cultivated more than 4000 years ago in India and Malaysia, but it was not until the sixteenth century …
Pomegranate
Mohammad once told his followers: “Eat the pomegranate, for it purges the system of envy and hatred.” The pomegranate is one of the oldest fruits known to man. Frequent references to it are found in the Bible and in ancient Sanskrit writings. Homer mentions it in his Odyssey, and it appears in the story of …
Cranberry
Cranberries are native to the swampy regions of both the temperate and arctic zones of North America and Europe. Because they grow on slender, curved stalks, suggesting the neck of a crane, they were named “crane-berry”. or “cranberry”. Long before the first colonists arrived in this country the cranberry was in common use by the …
Chicory
Chicory is closely related to endive. There are many varieties to chicory. They include green chicory, which is leafy; and radicchio, also a root chicory, which is red and white. Chicory is best when tossed in salad with other vegetables. Green chicory is cultivated primarily in Europe, although varieties grow wild in Europe, Africa, Asia, …
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are said to be native to Brussels, Belgium. They were cultivated in England early in the nineteenth century. Brussels sprouts were not extensively cultivated in this country until the early twentieth century, and were first grown in the delta region of Louisiana. Brussels sprouts are a member of the cabbage family. The plant …
Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a member of the beet family. Unlike most members of this family, chard does not develop an enlarged, fleshy root. Instead it has large leaves with thickened midribs, and both ribs and leaves are edible. The roots are hard and woody. Swiss chard is a temperate zone biennial that withstands rather severe …
Celery
Celeriac is probably more commonly known as celery root. It is a turnip-rooted vegetable, and the root forms a solid knob just below the soil surface. Italian and Swiss botanists gave the first description of celeriac about 1600. It became popular in Europe in the eighteenth century, but has never been popular in England or …
Tomato
It is believed that the present type of tomato is descended from a species no larger than marbles, that grew thousands of years ago. The tomato is native to the Andean region of South America and was under cultivation in Peru in the sixteenth century at the time of the Spanish conquest. Before the end …
Raspberry
The red raspberry was first cultivated about 400 years ago on European soil. Cultivation spread to England and the United States, where the native American raspberry was already well known. In 1845, Dr. Brinkle of Philadelphia became the first successful producer of raspberries in this country, and he originated many varieties. By 1870, this berry …
