Southwest Museum Leaflets 11 



The name strawberry probably was given because the 

 runners of the plant somewhat resemble straws; though it is 

 possible, as popularly believed, that the name came from the 

 custom of strewing straw between the rows to keep the fruit 

 from the ground. 



Pineapples — In his usually accurate Diary, John Evelyn 

 of London wrote: "9th August, 1661. I saw the famous 

 Queen Pine brought from Barbadoes and presented to his 

 Majesty [Charles II]; but the first that were ever seen in 

 England were those sent to Cromwell four years since." But 

 seven years later Evelyn made the entry: "19th August, 1668. 

 In the banqueting house . . . standing by his Majesty at 

 dinner there was that rare fruit called the King Pine, grow- 

 ing in Barbadoes and the West Indies, the first of them I had 

 ever seen. His Majesty, having cut it up, was pleased to give 

 me a piece off his own plate to taste of." 



Pineapples being established by royal favor as a desirable 

 luxury, wealthy families ultimately grew them in England 

 in hothouses. But the growing of pineapples in Europe was 

 largely discontinued when their cultivation had reached ex- 

 tensive proportions in the Canary Islands and the Azores. 



During this century pineapples have been grown so ex- 

 tensively in the Hawaiian Islands as to give the impression 

 that they are native there; however, all pineapples came from 

 tropical America. 



The name pineapple was given because the fruit somewhat 

 resembles a pine-cone, the word apple being used in the old 

 English meaning of fruit. 



Avocados — The Spanish word for advocate is abogado, 

 and as this sounds somewhat like the Aztec name ahuacatl 

 (ah'-wah-cah-tl) , some of the Spaniards used avocado as the 

 name for the pear-shape fruit. By an even more unfortunate 

 corruption the name is transformed into "alligator pear", 

 which botanists hope will be discontinued. 



In its wild state the avocado tree was found in Mexico and 

 Central America, and in South America into Peru and Brazil. 

 It was transplanted by the Indians and cultivated in their 

 orchards. In recent centuries it has been introduced into 

 India, Mauritius, Reunion, and other tropical regions. 



Jerusalem Artichokes — The Jerusalem artichoke did not 

 come from Jerusalem, but probably from Canada and the 

 upper Mississippi valley, where its tuberous roots provided an 



