sturtevant's notes on edible plants 129 



sent to a brother ofBcial at Macao for a " pot of the best chaw," and this is supposed to be 

 the eariiest known mention by an EngUshman. Adam Olearius ' describes the use of tea 

 in Persia in 1633, and says his book being published in 1647 " this herb is now so 

 well known in most parts of Eiirope, where many persons of quality use it with good success." 

 In 1638, Maiwielslo ^ visited Japan and about this time wrote of the tsia or tea of Japan. 



Prior to 1657, tea was occasionally sold in England at prices ranging from $30 to 

 $50 a pound. In 1661, Mr. Pepys, secretary of the British Admiralty, speaks of " tea 

 (a China drink) of which I had never drank before," and in 1664, the Dutch India Company 

 presented two poiinds and two oimces to the King of England as a rare and valuable offering 

 and in 1667 this company imported 100 pounds. In 1725, there were imported into Eng- 

 land 370,323 pounds; in 1775, the quantity had increased to 5,648,188 pounds. In 1863, 

 upwards of 136,000,000 pounds were imported of which 85,206,779 pounds were entered 

 for home constmiption. In 1863, the United States received 29,761,037 potmds-and 

 72,077,951 pounds in 1880. 



In 18 10, the first tea plants were carried to Rio Janeiro, together with several hundred 

 Chinese experienced in its culture. The government trials do not seem to have resulted 

 favorably but later, the business being taken up by individuals, its culture seems to be 

 meeting with success and the tea of Brazil, called by its Chinese name of cha, enters quite 

 largely into domestic consumption. In 1848, Junius Smith,^ of South Carolina, imported 

 a ntmiber of shrubs and planted them at Greenville. At about the same time some 32,000 

 plants were imported from China and distributed through the agency of the Patent Office. 

 In 1878, the Department of Agriculture distributed 69,000 plants. In Louisiana, in 1870, 

 a plantation of tea shrubs, three to four hundred in number, is said to have existed. 



Campanula edulis Forsk. Campanulaceae. bellflower. 



Arabia. The root is thick, sapid and is eaten by children.^ 



C. persicifolia Liim. peach bells. 



Europe and north Asia. This plant has been used as food in England but has long 

 since fallen into disuse.' In France it is called cloche and is grown as a flowering plant.' 



C. rapunculoides Linn, creeping bellflower. 



Europe and temperate Asia. This plant may be substituted in cultivation for rampion. ^ 

 It has long since fallen into disuse.' 



C. rapunculus Linn, rampion. 



Europe, Orient, north Africa and northern Asia. This biennial plant was formerly 

 much cultivated in gardens for its roots as well as its leaves. Loudon says the latter are 

 excellent, eaten raw as a salad or boiled as a spinach, and the root, which has the flavor 



I Enc. Brit. 1:88. i860. 8th Ed. 



Enc. Brit. 21:89. i860. 8th Ed. 



U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt. 7. 1859. 



Don, G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 3:753. 1834. 

 'Johnson, C. P. Useful Pis. Ct. Brit. 162. 1862. 



Vilmorin Fl. PI. Ter. 217. 1870. 3rd Ed. 

 'Johns, C. A. Treas. Bot. 1:208. 1874. 

 Johnson, C. P. Useful Pis. Gt. Brit. 162. 1862. 



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