l62 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



the size of a pea, contains several small, brown, 

 kidney-shaped seeds. We mistake the pod for a 

 seed, unless we open one and explore it. 



The wild parent of all the beets is a weed that 

 grows on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, 

 and also on the Canary Islands, and inland in 

 Eurasia as far as Persia and Babylon. It is found 

 in muddy shore soil in England and parts of Scot- 

 land and Ireland. 



We know that the wild beet has been in process 

 of cultivation a little over two thousand years. 

 This makes the family line of these vegetables 

 very short compared with that of cabbages, which 

 have been grown from ancient times, possibly 

 six thousand years. 



RADISHES 



A familiar and very popular member of the 

 Mustard Family is the radish, grown wherever we 

 see a garden as large as a handkerchief. One of 

 the quickest seeds to sprout, and the earliest 

 vegetable ready for the table is this radish, grown 

 in many varieties, to suit different climates, seasons, 

 and personal preferences. All come from a wild 

 ancestor, probably native to Europe, though that 

 matter is in doubt. The cultivated forms some- 



