242 THE LENTIL CHOP. 



THERE are some few other plants, which we ought not to 

 pass quite unnoticed, met with in occasional cultivation, 

 either singly or mixed with others, although they do 

 not assume the importance of being regarded as belonging 

 to our regular " Farm Crops." Of these the more important 

 are the LENTIL, MELILOTS, BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL, and COM- 

 FREY; and of these we shall only give a brief description, 

 so as to enable those who may be disposed to give them 

 a trial, to judge of their respective suitabilities to the soil 

 and climate, and their relative values for the purposes of 

 intended cultivation. 



THE LENTIL. 



The LENTIL, although very rarely now to be met with 

 in field cultivation in this country, is largely grown on 

 the Continent, and in the various countries of the eastern 

 hemisphere, as an article of human food. The use of lentils 

 as a food grain can be traced back to the earliest periods 

 of sacred history ; l and from that period to the present 

 day they have most probably occupied the same position 

 in reference to the wants of the inhabitants of eastern 

 countries. In India 2 they are met with growing abun- 

 dantly in various districts; in Syria 3 and in Persia they 



1 On the authority of the book of Genesis (xxv. SO), lentils formed the mess 

 for which Esau disposed of his birthright. " And Esau said to Jacob, Feed 

 me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage," which, we are informed in verse 

 34, was "pottage of lentils." Again they are spoken of in 2 Samuel xvii. 28; 

 xxiii. 11 ; and Ezekiel iv. 9. 



2 Hooker's Journal of Botany, vol. ii. p. 267. 



3 Robinson's Travels, vol. i. p. 246. 



