Columbian HorticAiltiiral Soc, Wasthington. 325 



insect tribes, which preyed upon the products of the garden 

 and the orchard, and of such as attack the fruits, particu- 

 larly, he gave a brief description, and spoke of the means 

 adopted to prevent their ravages, at some length. The in- 

 formation he furnished under this head, cannot well be 

 abridged, to be useful. Mr. W. next proceeded to describe 

 a few of the esculent vegetables which have long been, and 

 still continue to be, the favorite food of mankind. Of the 

 nature and properties of these, he gave a rapid history, be- 

 ginning with the beet^ so called, he said, from the shape of 

 its seed-vessel, which resembled the Greek beta. The 

 Greeks offered it, he stated, on silver, to their god Apollo, 

 at Delphos. It was first brought into England in 1548. 

 He next spoke of the asparagits, which derived its name 

 from the Greek asparagos, to spring or sprout. This veg- 

 etable, he said, was a native of the United States, and 

 found wild in different parts of the country. Among the 

 Greeks it was believed that Peregone, who had been pur- 

 sued by Theseus, threw herself into a bed of asparagus, 

 and reeds, and vowed that if these plants would conceal 

 her from him, she would never pull or burn them; and 

 though Theseus succeeded in drawing her from her con- 

 cealment, her descendants were ever afterwards prohibited 

 from burning asparagus. Its use, as an esculent, is of 

 great antiquity, having been first used as a food about 200 

 years before the Christian era. In the time of Pliny, it 

 was carefully cultivated, and attained such a growth that 

 three stalks would weigh a pound, and sell for a Roman 

 as. It is not nutritious, but a promoter of appetite ; an 

 English physician recommends it to be eaten at the begin- 

 ning of dinner. If eaten before, it opens and refreshes the 

 liver, spleen and kidneys, and puts the body in an agree- 

 able state. Its medicinal virtues have been experienced in 

 gravel, and scorbutic and dropsical diseases, and disorders 

 of the eyes, but it is injurious to those afiiicted with gout 

 and dyspepsia. In making asparagus beds, which last for 

 a long time, some being known to have been used for 

 upwards of 70 years, it is recommended to select only the 

 male plants, which throw up a much larger number of 

 shoots than the female, though they are inferior in size to 

 the latter. The bean was next described, as deriving its 

 botanical name from the Falisei in Tuscany, who called it 

 haba., whence faba. In their feasts dedicated to Apollo, 



