172 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



Herbal' as growing in Richmond heath, and 

 in Coome parke. They are soon after noticed 

 by Gerard, who says, "These herbes do growe 

 in pastures and corne fleldes almost euery 

 where : there is a field adjoining to Highgate, 

 on the right side of the middle of the village, 

 couered ouer with the same ; and likewise in 

 the next flelde vnto the conduit heads by 

 Maribone, neer the way that leadeth to 

 Paddington by London, and in diuers other 

 places." He adds, " these roots be eaten 

 rawe, or rosted in the embers." 



Dodoens, who was physician to Charles 

 the Fifth, of celebrated memory, mentions in 

 his Herbal, that there is great store of these 

 earth-nuts in some places in England ; he 

 says also, that they grow in Holland and in 

 Zealand, particularly by the river Zoom near 

 Barrow, in Brabant. This author informs us 

 that they were cultivated at Brabant, in the 

 gardens of the herbalist ; and that they were 

 boiled in many parts of Holland and Zealand, 

 and eaten with meat as turnips or parsnips : 

 they are, says this physician, as nutritious as 

 the latter roots, but harder of digestion than 

 the turnip. Both this author and Gerard 

 mention earth-nuts as an excellent diuretic, 

 and good for the bladder and kidneys. The 



