it26 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



As a vegetable in the sixteenth century, Gerard observes: "The 

 Parsneps nourish more than do th'e Turneps or the Carrots, and the 

 nourishment is somewhat thicker, but not faultie nor bad. . . . There 

 is a good and pleasant foode or bread made of the rootes of Parsneps, 

 as my friend Master Plat hath set foorth in his booke of experiments, 

 which I have made no triall of, nor meane to do," 



In 1730 Tournefort tells us that in his day " they are commonly 

 boiled and eaten with butter in the time of Lent; for that they are the 

 sweetest, by reason the juice has been concocted during the winter, 

 and are desired at that season especially, both for their agreeable Taste 

 and their wholesomeness. For they are not bo good in any respect, till 

 they have been first nipt with Cold. It is likewise pretty common of 

 late to eat them with Salt-Fish mixed with hard-boiled Eggs and Butter 

 , . . and much the wholesomer if you eat it with Mustard." 



{To be continued.) 



