130 History of Garden Vegetables. [ Feb. 
choice of cultivated seed or that from the wild plant, without in- 
dicating preference. Pliny, who wrote also in the first century 
of our era, says that asparagus, of all the plants of the garden, 
receives the most praiseworthy care, and also praises the good 
quality of the kind that grows wild in the island of Nesidis, near 
the coast of Campania. In his praise of gardens? he says, “ Sil- 
vestres fecerat natura corrudas, ut quisque demeteret passim ; 
ecce altiles spectantur asparagi; et Ravenna ternos libris repen- 
dit.” (Nature has made the asparagus wild, so that any one may 
gather as found. Behold, the highly-manured asparagus may be 
seen at Ravenna weighing three pounds.) This evidences the 
likeness remarked between the wild and the cultivated form, and 
the recognition of the change produced by culture. Palladius,’ 
an author of the third century, rather praises the sweetness of 
the wild form found growing among the rocks, and recommends 
the transplanting to such places otherwise worthless for agricul- 
ture, but he also gives full directions for garden culture with as 
much care as did Cato. Gesner* quotes Pomponius, who lived 
in the second century, as saying that there are two kinds, the 
garden and the wild asparagus, and the wild asparagus the: more 
pleasant to eat. 
The word Asparagus, as used by the Romans, meant the cul- 
tivated form, the word Corruda the wild plant. The original 
meaning seems to have been a succulent shoot, for in this sense 
it was frequently used by the Greek writers. In the European 
languages we have the continuance of the word under various 
forms, as Sperage by Turner, 1538; Asparagus by Gerarde, 1 597 
and to date, as also Sparrowgrass. In Denmark, Asparges ; in 
France, Asperge or Esparge in 1586; in Germany, Zpargen in 
1586, Epargel in 1807, and Spargel at the present time ; in Greece, 
Asparaggia; in Holland, Aspergie in 1807, Aspersie now; in 
Italy, Asparagus in 1586, and Sparagio at present; in Soctagel, 
Espargo; in Russia, Sparsa or Sparsch; in Spain, Asparrago 
and Esparrago; and in Sweden, Sparis or Spargels 
In extra-European languages the following names appear : By 
the Moors, halion or helium, Cam. Epit., 1586; in Arabic, yer- 
er z Pliny, lib, xix. c. a 2 Ib., c. 19. 
3 Palladius, lib. iii. c. 245 lib, iv. c. 9. 
s Rei Rust., 1788, Lexicon, art. 
— oa Niles Di or Gaieraran, Epit. 1586; 1586; Vilmorin, Les PI. Poy 1583 
