22 ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF OUR GARDEN VEGETABLES. 



is first mentioned by Epicharmus, a Syracusan poet, 500 B.C. Pliny 

 (first century) says " the wild Sisarum is very like the cultivated kind," 

 and attributes certain medicinal virtues to it, equally applicable to the 

 parsnip. As an edible vegetable, Pliny says that " it had its reputation 

 established by the Emperor Tiberius, who demanded a supply of it every 

 year from Germany. It is at Gelduba, a fortress situate on the banks 

 of the Ehenus, that the finest are grown, from which it would appear 

 that they thrive best in a cold climate." He then adds a feature which 

 at once distinguishes the Siser from the modern skirret. " There is a 

 string running through the whole length of the skirret, which is drawn 

 out after it is boiled." This string is characteristic of many wild roots, 

 but is not in the cultivated ones. Moreover, he implies a single root, 

 not a cluster of small ones, which the true skirret of to-day has. Pliny 

 then proceeds: " Still, for all this [i.e. boiling it] a considerable pro- 

 portion of its natural pungency is retained. . . . The larger parsnip has 

 also a similar string inside, but only when it is a year old." When 

 speaking of the Pastinaca or Parsnip, he makes the same remark that 

 after being cooked " it is found quite impossible to get rid of the pungent 

 flavour." 



Coming to the sixteenth century, Matthiolus, in his commentary 

 of Dioscorides (1574), figures the modern skirret with numerous knotted 

 roots, and leaves very like those of a parsnip, under Siser, but adds a 

 second kind which represents the Carrot. He confesses that "it is 

 most difficult to show what the true and legitimate Siser was." 



Dodoens (1559) had already figured the skirret as the Siser of Pliny, 

 and says it was known to the herbalists as Serulum, Seruilla, or 

 "chervil." This name perhaps arose by mistake from some re- 

 semblance of the foliage to that of the true Chervil (Cere folium). In 

 France it was then, and still is, called " chervis." 



Dodoens, in describing the skirret, says the leaves resemble those 

 of the parsnip, with " seeds somewhat broad." That would apply to 

 the Parsnip ; but he adds, " but the Skirwirt that groweth in my garden 

 hath a little long crooked seede." This agrees with the seed of the 

 true skirret. He finally adds: "The roots are white, of a finger's 

 length, divers hanging together." He thus seems to blend the parsnip 

 with the true skirret, or Slum Sisarum. 



Lobel, in his "History of Plants " (1756), figures the skirret as 

 having numerous tuberous roots and leaves like those of the parsnip, as 

 Sisarum, adding the Spanish name Cherivia. He describes the taste 

 as like, but more pleasant than, that of parsnips. 



Gerard (1597) figures Sisarum, and calls it " Skerrets." 



With regard to the country whence the skirret came, none of the 

 sixteenth-century herbalists appear to know. Gerard only observes that 

 it was cultivated in gardens. He seems to think it was the same plant 

 as Pliny's Sisarum or Siser, for he says : " This is that Siser, or Skirret, 

 which Tiberius commanded to be conueied vnto him from Gelduba." 



Lastly, Bauhin (1672) still regarded Sisarum as identical with the 

 Roman plant. 



