278 AGRONOMY 



occurred from time to time, both in cultivation and in the 

 wild, and which have brought to the gardener much better 

 varieties than he could produce by years of selection. 



Edible parts of plants. Instances are comparatively few in 

 which the entire plant is used for food. Young beets and tur- 

 nips are often used in this manner as potherbs, but usually 

 only a part of each plant is considered edible. Ripe fruits are 

 the only parts that seem to have been made to be eaten. The 

 juicy pulp that surrounds the seeds of some species is sup- 

 posed to have been developed for the purpose of attracting 

 animals and thus securing the distribution of the seeds ; but 

 when we eat the seeds themselves, as in the case of peas and 

 beans, or the roots, stems, and leaves of other species, we take 

 what the plant has laid by for itself. There is scarcely a plant 

 part, however, that man does not find edible in some species. 

 In practically every instance, no matter what part is used, it 

 will be found to be that in which the plant stores its reserve 

 food. In the carrot, parsnip, salsify, and radish it is the root 

 that is eaten ; indeed, the word " radish " is derived from a 

 Latin word meaning "root." Stems in general are too tough to 

 be palatable, but we must not overlook in this connection the 

 young stems of asparagus, the swollen stems of kohl-rabi, or 

 the underground stems of the potato and Jerusalem artichoke. 

 Lettuce, endive, chard, spinach, and cabbage are good examples 

 of plants that are eaten for their leaves, while several others 

 are valued for their leafstalks or petioles alone, among which 

 may be mentioned rhubarb, celery, and sea kale. The young 

 flower buds form the edible parts of the cauliflower and globe 

 artichoke. Peas and beans are true seeds, but the grain of 

 corn is a fruit, and so are melons, tomatoes, and peppers. The 

 greengrocer usually divides his wares into the two groups, 

 fruits and vegetables, and while there can be no question about 

 the vegetables, since even the fruits are vegetable in origin, 

 many of the .things he calls vegetables are certainly fruits also. 



