THE ASPARAGUS. 



HISTORY. 



Asparagus is known to have been cultivated as a 

 culinary vegetable for nearly 2000 years. This culti- 

 vation originated, probably, in Greece, and has thence 

 been diffused to the rest of Europe ; for its name is 

 uncorrupted Greek, signifying a bud before it has 

 fully opened, clearly pointing to the state in which it 

 is used for culinary purposes ; and every nation in 

 Europe knows it by no other names than such as are 

 derived and corrupted from the Grecian. In German 

 it is Spargel ; in Dutch, Aspergie ; in Danish, ^5- 

 pargis ; in Swedish, Sparis ; in French, Asperge ; 

 in Italian, Sparagio ; in Spanish, Asparrago ; in 

 Portuguese, Espargo ; and in Russian, Sparsch, 



Asparagus officinalis, or Wild Asparagus, is found 

 native in Japan, and on the sea-coasts of most parts 

 of Europe ; and from this, there is no doubt, our 

 Garden Asparagus has been raised. High cultiva- 

 tion — the abundant supply of rich appropriate manure 

 — will work strange changes in all plants ; and we 



