Botany. 165 



cultivation and investigates their history and origin. This book 

 treats of a hundred less known or only locally known alimentary 

 plants^ records the results of trials in cultivating a considerable 

 number of them, indicates those which promise well, and tells us 

 how they may best be cooked. It aims to extend the domain of 

 V horticulture potagere in Europe by introductions from foreign 

 parts of plants which various people regularly use for food, trust- 

 ing that some of them may prove to be valuable acquisitions. 

 Let us note, as having for us a certain interest, the North Ameri- 

 can plants which our authors take into consideration. They are 

 Apios tuberosa, which was vaunted as a most hopeful substitute 

 for the potato in the days of potato-rot in France, but which, 

 naturally came to nothing, which, indeed, would never have been 

 thought of except for the tradition of its use by the aborigines of 

 New England. Gamassia esculenta, the Quamash, upon the 

 bulbs of which the Indians of Oregon were largely nourished. 

 Introduced iuto France, these bulbs were pronounced to be a 

 dainty dish ; but our author's attempts to cultivate them on a 

 large scale completely failed. Claytonia perfoliata, which, as a 

 succedaneum for spinach in summer, is said to furnish " un aliment 

 acceptable." Melothria pendula, the berries of which have been 

 highly recommended for pickles ! Naturally our authors do not 

 recommend them. Phytolacca clecandra, the spring shoots just 

 pushing from the ground, used in the manner of asparagus, so 

 used indeed in some parts of the United States. It seems that of 

 late they have been largely supplied to the Paris market. M. 

 Paillieux reports that some people seem to like them, that he 

 finds them rather tasteless, and that he has eaten them, in small 

 quantity indeed, without any ill effects. Probably the largest 

 use of our Poke in France is for the rich coloring matter of the 

 berries in wine-making. JPsoralea esculenta, of the Upper Missouri 

 region, the tuberous roots of which, being very farinaceous, were 

 introduced into France, forty years ago, to be a substitute for the 

 failing potato, but which, as might have been expected, proved 

 an utter failure. In fact the contributions of North America to 

 the kitchen-garden (deduction made of Helianthus tuberosus) 

 amount to nothing. The authors of this work evince a wonderful 

 hopefulness by asking (in a private communication) to be sup- 

 plied with the means for making trial of some other Indian food 

 plants, such as Lewisia, the tuberous-rooted species of Callirhoe, 

 Balsamorrhiza and Peucedanum, Valeriana edulis, etc. They 

 even ask for Asclepias tuberosa. This reminds us that — judging 

 from the recollections of boyhood — the vernal shoots of Asclepias 

 Cornuti, our common milk-weed, make the best of substitutes for 

 asparagus. 



More important plants than these, mainly from tropical or sub- 

 tropical regions, are reported on in this book, some of them, such 

 as the various kinds of Yam, at full length. The volume is rather 

 a series of reports, than a treatise. The practical and also truly 

 scientific work is Vilmorin's Plantes Potageres. a. g. 



