1890] . History of Garden Vegetables. 633 
it was introduced into England in 1790. I find no earlier 
references. It is mentioned in 1806 by McMahon as in American 
gardens, and in 1817 there is a record of an acre of this crop in 
Illinois.“ The vernacular names all indicate an origin in Sweden 
or Northern Europe. It is called Swedish turnip or Roota-baga 
by McMahon in 1806, by Miller's Dictionary in 1807, by Cob- 
bett in 1821, and by other authors to the present time. Decan- 
dolle in 1821 calls it zavet jaune, navet de Swede, chou de 
Laponie, and chou de Suede. Pirolle in 1824 Ruta-baga or chou 
navet de Suede,as does Noisette in 1829. In 1821 Thorburn 
calls it Ruta-baga or Russian turnip, and a newspaper writer in 
1835” calls it Ruta-baga, Swedish turnip, Lapland turnip. The 
foreign names given by Don in 1831 include many of the above- 
named and the Italian zavoze di Laponia. Vilmorin,“ in his Les 
Plantes Potageres, 1883, describes three varieties, one with a 
green collar, one with a purple collar, and a third which is early. 
The modern names for the species are: In English, Swedish 
turnip, Ruta-baga ; in England also, turnip-rooted cabbage and 
Swede ; in France, chou-navets, chou-rave en terre, chou turnep ; 
in Germany, kohlrube, erd-oder unter-kohlrabi, wruekenrube ; in 
Flanders, steekrapp; in Holland, oolraapen onder den grond ; 
in Denmark, zoe; in Italy, cavalo navone ; in Spain, col nado, 
nabicol; in Portugal, couve abo ;* in Sweden, rot-kal;* in 
India, Zal shulghum.® 
SAFFRON. Crocus sativus L. 
This plantis hardly deserving of mention, as its presence in 
the kitchen-garden is scarcely ever noted. Saffron, however, ds 
a medicine, condiment, perfume, or dye, has been highly prized by 
mankind from a remote period. Under the Hebrew name, car- 
com, the plant is alluded to by Solomon; and as rokos by 
Homer, Hippocrates, Theophrastus, and Theocritus. Virgil and 
Columella mention it, and Cilicia and Sicily are both alluded to 
by Dioscorides and Pliny as localities celebrated for this drug. 
4 Pat. Of. Rept., 1854, 198. 
4T zn Farmer, May 15, 1845. 
. Hort. Culin., 1764. 
cand Ind, Handb. of Gard., 138. . 
