THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF OUR GARDEN VEGETABLES. 596 



Chard. 



We have seen under Beet that in ancient times and up to the 

 sixteenth century only the leaves were eaten, and that it was not till 

 the close of the sixteenth century that the root became an article of diet. 

 With regard to Chard, I extract the following succinct account from 

 Mr. Booth's article in the " Treasury of Botany." ** The large white 

 or Swiss chard Beet {B. cicla var.) is a very distinct variety, remarkable 

 for the thick midribs and stalks of its large upright leaves. It is the 

 Poirde a Garde of the French, with whom it is a favourite vegetable 

 served as asparagus." 



Fig. 178. — Swiss Chard or Spinach Beet (Burpee). 



The illustration (fig. 178) is a peculiarly interesting form of Swiss 

 Chard or " Spinach Beet " sent out by Mr. W. A. Burpee, Phila- 

 delphia. He calls it Lucullus, and describes the leaves as follows : 

 " The leaves are sharply pointed, the texture is heavily crumpled or 

 * savoyed ' . . . the leafy portion of the foliage is served as spinach, 

 the stalks being served separately." 



(To be continued.) 



