﻿282 
  G. 
  L. 
  Goodale 
  — 
  Possibilities 
  of 
  Economic 
  Botany. 
  

  

  large 
  branching 
  leaves 
  which 
  never 
  form 
  heads 
  are 
  distinguished 
  

   by 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Borecole 
  or 
  Kale. 
  

  

  In 
  some 
  kinds, 
  the 
  flower-stems 
  have 
  been 
  so 
  modified 
  by 
  cul- 
  

   ture 
  as 
  to 
  become 
  transformed 
  into 
  a 
  thick, 
  fleshy 
  tender 
  mass, 
  

   the 
  growth 
  and 
  enlargement 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  produced 
  at 
  the 
  expense 
  

   of 
  the 
  flowers 
  which 
  are 
  absorbed 
  and 
  rendered 
  abortive. 
  Such 
  

   are 
  the 
  Broccolis 
  and 
  Cauliflowers." 
  

  

  But 
  this 
  plant 
  has 
  other 
  transformations. 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  other 
  kinds, 
  the 
  leaves 
  retain 
  their 
  ordinary 
  dimensions, 
  

   while 
  the 
  stem 
  or 
  principal 
  root 
  has 
  been 
  brought 
  by 
  cultivation 
  

   to 
  assume 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  ball 
  or 
  turnip, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  

   plants 
  known 
  as 
  Kohl-Rabi 
  and 
  Turnip-rooted 
  Cabbage 
  or 
  Swedish 
  

   Turnip. 
  And 
  lastly, 
  there 
  are 
  varieties 
  in 
  which 
  cultivation 
  and 
  

   selection 
  have 
  produced 
  modifications 
  in 
  the 
  ribs 
  of 
  the 
  leaves, 
  as 
  

   in 
  the 
  Couve 
  Tronchuda, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  axillary 
  shoots 
  (as 
  in 
  Brussels 
  

   sprouts), 
  or 
  in 
  several 
  organs 
  together, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Marrow 
  Kales, 
  

   and 
  the 
  Neapolitan 
  Curled 
  Kale." 
  

  

  Here 
  are 
  important 
  morphological 
  changes 
  like 
  those 
  to 
  

   which 
  Professor 
  Bailey 
  has 
  called 
  attention 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  

   tomato. 
  

  

  Suppose 
  we 
  are 
  strolling 
  along 
  the 
  beach 
  at 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  sea- 
  

   side 
  resorts 
  of 
  France, 
  and 
  should 
  fall 
  in 
  with 
  this 
  coarse 
  cru- 
  

   ciferous 
  plant, 
  with 
  its 
  sprawling 
  leaves 
  and 
  strong 
  odor. 
  

   Would 
  there 
  be 
  anything 
  in 
  its 
  appearance 
  to 
  lead 
  us 
  to 
  search 
  

   for 
  its 
  hidden 
  merit 
  as 
  a 
  food 
  plant? 
  What 
  could 
  we 
  see 
  in 
  it 
  

   which 
  would 
  give 
  it 
  a 
  preference 
  over 
  a 
  score 
  of 
  other 
  plants 
  

   at 
  our 
  feet? 
  Again, 
  suppose 
  we 
  are 
  journeying 
  in 
  the 
  high 
  

   lands 
  of 
  Pern, 
  and 
  should 
  meet 
  with 
  a 
  strong-smelling 
  plant 
  of 
  

   the 
  Night-shade 
  family, 
  bearing 
  a 
  small 
  irregular 
  fruit, 
  of 
  sub- 
  

   acid 
  taste 
  and 
  of 
  peculiar 
  flavor. 
  We 
  will 
  further 
  imagine 
  

   that 
  the 
  peculiar 
  taste 
  strikes 
  our 
  fancy, 
  and 
  we 
  conceive 
  that 
  

   the 
  plant 
  has 
  possibilities 
  as 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  food. 
  We 
  should 
  be 
  

   led 
  by 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  potato, 
  probably 
  a 
  native 
  of 
  the 
  

   same 
  region, 
  to 
  think 
  that 
  this 
  allied 
  plant 
  might 
  be 
  safely 
  

   transferred 
  to 
  a 
  northern 
  climate, 
  but 
  would 
  there 
  be 
  promise 
  

   of 
  enough 
  future 
  usefulness 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  case 
  as 
  this, 
  to 
  warrant 
  

   our 
  carrying 
  the 
  plant 
  North 
  as 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  food 
  ? 
  Suppose, 
  

   further, 
  we 
  should 
  ascertain 
  that 
  the 
  fruit 
  in 
  question 
  was 
  

   relished 
  not 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  of 
  its 
  home, 
  but 
  that 
  it 
  had 
  

   found 
  favor 
  among 
  the 
  tribes 
  of 
  South 
  Mexico 
  and 
  Central 
  

   America, 
  and 
  had 
  been 
  cultivated 
  by 
  them 
  until 
  it 
  had 
  attained 
  

   a 
  large 
  size; 
  should 
  we 
  be 
  strengthened 
  in 
  our 
  venture? 
  Let 
  

   us 
  go 
  one 
  step 
  further 
  still. 
  Suppose 
  that 
  having 
  decided 
  upon 
  

   the 
  introduction 
  of 
  the 
  plant, 
  and 
  having 
  urged 
  everybody 
  to 
  

   try 
  it, 
  we 
  should 
  find 
  it 
  discarded 
  as 
  a 
  fruit, 
  but 
  taking 
  a 
  place 
  

   in 
  gardens 
  as 
  a 
  curiosity 
  under 
  an 
  absurd 
  name, 
  or 
  as 
  a 
  basis 
  

  

  