ee se 
446 Kitchen Garden Esculents of American Origin. (May, 
people in a raw state or in preserves, and is disliked by others. It 
has a sweet acidulous taste with a pronounced flavor, considered 
by some as agreeable, by others as nauseous. It was not known 
in French kitchen garden culture in 1829 (not being mentioned 
in L'Hort. Francais, 1824-5, Nouv. Dict. du Jard., 1826, nor by 
Noisette, Man. du Jard., 1829), nor was the seed in the catalogue 
of Thorburn in 1828, which would indicate that it was not then 
in American gardens. P., alkekengi, according to Loudon, was 
cultivated in most gardens in England till in the last century, and 
he says several other hardy species, including P. pubescens, also 
produce edible fruit. Alkekengi is described in several varieties 
or species by Burr in his American “ Garden Vegetables,” edition 
of 1863, but I have no opportunities of library conveniences to 
establish when our — first appeared in kitchen garden 
culture. 
Bean: Kidney —We have few vegetables as difficult to trace 
historically as the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris Savi.), on 
account of the confusion which exists not only in the vernacular 
names customarily applied to this group of the Leguminose by 
common people, but also on account of the likeness which ap- 
pears to exist between deans of various botanical genera. Ina 
finely arranged museum collection of substances used in the arts, 
and arranged by a gentleman of unusual scientific attainments, I 
very recently was much surprised to recognize the Soja bean 
under the name “ Beans from Japan,” and also to recognize a 
variety of Dolichos under a similar mislabeling. The bean serves 
as a food, and is carried as provision from place to place without 
destruction of its value as a seed, and hence we should expect a 
more rapid and less recorded introduction to a new locality than 
is generally the case with a desirable vegetable, and this quick 
distribution is illustrated by the mention, by Josselyn, one of the 
early writers of New England, of the “ American beans ” of many 
kinds, and also Bonivis, Calavances and the “ 4idney-bean that is 
proper to Roanoke,” and he adds: “ But these are brought into the 
country; the others are natural to the climate.’ 
In De Candolle’s writings upon geographical botany, he seems 
to ignore authors who might be quoted to fortify an opinion upon 
the American origin of plants, as his references show dependence 
` 1 Hort. Lond., 1860, p. 582. 
_ *Josselyn’s Voyages, pp. 73-74. 
