Page:Vegetables and their Cultivation.djvu/10



cultivation of vegetables is, next to that of fruit, one of the oldest phases of the gardening art and craft. The reader has only to refer to the brief historical sketch given in connection with each of the numerous, vegetables described in the following pages, to verify this statement. He will find there that many of the vegetables which are still extensively grown in British gardens, were known to, and grown by, the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks, to a very large extent, as articles of food and physic.

The ancient Romans were certainly adepts in vegetable culture, not only in season, but also out of season, since they well understood the art of forcing, for it is recorded that the Emperor Tiberius had cucumbers produced by artificial heat. To the Romans, no doubt, we owe, in a large measure, the introduction, after their conquest of Britain, of many vegetables and methods of cultivation which formed the foundation of our modern practice.

Concurrently with the introduction of Christianity, and the establishment of monasteries, fruit and vegetable cultivation began in earnest. The monks were keen gardeners, and doubtless grew both vegetables and fruit extensively and successfully. The first record we have of any published work referring to vegetables, appears in the "Synopsis Herbaria," written by one Henry Calcoensis. a prior of the Benedictine Order. This worthy travelled extensively on the Continent to observe and glean what information he could on vegetables and their culture. The date of this work is a.d. 1493. In another work,