234 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



Romans in his time ate the young tops as 

 a vegetable, which are, says he, more palata- 

 ble than nutritious. 



Lobel called this plant Vitis Septentriona- 

 lium, the Vine of the northern regions, be- 

 cause we put hops in our malt drink. 



The hop, of which there is but one species 

 discovered, is an indigenous plant of this 

 country, although it is generally stated to 

 have been first brought to this kingdom 

 from the Netherlands, in the year 1524. It 

 is probable that the Dutch gardeners, who 

 came to England in the reign of Henry the 

 Eighth, might have brought over some hop- 

 plants, with other roots and seeds, and that 

 we availed ourselves of their manner of cul- 

 tivating this bitter herb. From them, it ap- 

 pears, we also derived the name, which, in 

 High Dutch, is Hopffen ; and Hoppe, Hop, 

 and Hopcruyt in Dutch. 



The first English treatise written express- 

 ly on the culture of hops, was by Reynolde 

 Scot, printed in 1574, in 63 pages, black 

 letter, entitled, " A perfite platforme of a 

 Hoppe Garden." He complains that * the 

 Flemmings envie our practice herin, who 

 altogither tende their owne profite, seeking 

 to impownde us in the ignorance of our com- 



