OEIGIN OF BEANS. 241 



longs to the class of Dicotyledonous plants, that is, plants 

 which have two seed lobes, or cotyledons, to the order 

 Leguminosse, the family Faba Vulgaris, and the species 

 generally cultivated in the fields is Faba Yulgaris Arvensis, 

 that grown in the gardens being called Faba Vulgaris Hor- 

 tensis, while a third species, being capable of cultivation in 

 either field or garden, is called Faba Vulgaris Arvensis vel 

 Hortensis. Not much is known as regards the history of 

 the crop, more, however, relatively, than of other crops per- 

 haps, and at all events more that is interesting and sugges- 

 tive. We find mention made of them in Scripture, and 

 the writings of Eoman authors abound in much that is 

 very suggestive respecting them. The crop appears to have 

 had its origin in Persia, from whence it was taken to Egypt, 

 and from thence it spread to Greece and Spain. Egypt for 

 long, however, was the country in which it was mainly culti- 

 vated, the rich alluvial soil spreading out on either side of the 

 noble Nile being particularly suited to its habits of growth. 

 The Romans, as will have been gathered from what we have 

 said above, deemed it an important crop, and paid great 

 attention to its culture; through them it reached this 

 country at a very early period in its history, where it be- 

 came, and has since continued to be, an important crop. 

 We have said that Eoman writers are found to make fre- 

 quent and singular allusion to beans, and the supernatural 

 qualities they were supposed to possess. Our readers will 

 remember the mysterious precept of Pythagoras, " Abstain 

 from beans," and the not less mysterious, at all events the 

 very curious commentaries upon it, which have been made 

 by learned writers of the middle arid of our own times. 

 The Eomans seemed, however, to have derived their no- 

 tions respecting the supernatural powers of the bean, like 

 many other things, from that land of mystery, Egypt, and 

 to have modified them considerably ; for while they cer- 

 tainly did attribute very remarkable influences to the bean, 

 and considered it unsafe to have much to do with them as 

 an article of food, the Egyptian priests wdlit much farther, 

 and maintained that it was a crime even to look at them. 



