196 The Horticulturist s Rule- Book. 



Derivation of the Names of Fruits and Vegetables, continued. 



Onion. French, oignon ; indirectly from Latin units, one, 

 tints, oneness, in allusion to a plant of which the bulb was 

 formed of one piece. 



Parsley. From a Greek combination meaning "rock- 

 parsley," a parsley-like plant. 



Parsnip. Latin, pastinaca. 



Pea. French, pots, evidently from Latin pisiun, the pea. 



Pepper. Latin, piper, the true pepper or black pepper, 

 with which the present plant is compared in pungency. 



Potato. Spanish and Portuguese, batata, probably an 

 aboriginal American name. First applied to the sweet 

 potato. 



Pumpkin. French, pompion, from Latin fiepo, a pump- 

 kin-like fruit. 



Radish. Latin, radix, root. 



Rhubarb. French, rhubarbe ; probably indirectly from 

 Latin barbartis, foreign. 



Sage. Latin, salvus, saved, evidently in allusion to 

 medicinal properties of the plant. 



Salsify. French, salsifis. 



Spinach or Spinage. Latin, spinacia, spinach, from spma. 

 a thorn, in reference to the prickly character of the plant. 



Squash. American Indian, asquas/i, a raw or green fruit. 



Tomato. Tomate, of South American origin. 



Turnip. Probably Welsh turn, roand, and maip, turnip. 



4. Periods of Cultivation and Native Countries of Cultivated 

 Plants. 



(Adapted from researches of De Candolle, and Gray and Trumbull.) 



Almond. Over 4,000 years ; Mediterranean basin, west- 

 ern temperate Asia. 



Apple. Over 4,000 years ; Europe, Anatolia* south of the 

 Caucasus. 



