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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1928)
6 THE OREGON STATESMAN FARMING AND INDUSTRIAL MAGAZINE SECTION WHERE THE VEGETABLES COME FROM MID HOW OLD YOUR FAVORITES M ! Watermelons, Apples, Onions and Spinach Are of Ancient S Descent-Potatoes and Cranberries Are American and the; r. n i ax n knki., n. iwJ fumpiun a vsiii .ucumucrs vere i uuouii uum an -dia. Lettuce Is Ancient, and Peanuts Are a Produt of the New World (Peter Roman Sterling, in the current number of the National Republican, Washington, has the following on the origin of some of the principal vegetables: ) The watermelon, that juicy ap petizing thing that makes summer joyful, tickled the palates of the Egyptians many centuries before Mr. Columbus steered his craft across the blue and found our land. It is reliably stated that it was the favorite dessert of Cleo patra and other notables of that period. To this day it is popular among the inhabitants of that land of sixty centuries. On ancient tombs may be seen carvings of this melon. The Hebrew naime of watermelon is "Abbatitchim," and it is thus mentioned in the He brew exodus from Egypt. The watermelon grows wild in tropical Africa and Is eaten by na tives and wild animals, Living ston saw thousands of acres of them. They were planted in Am erica by the early settlers. Mas sachusetts had many of them as early as 1 629, and the Florida Indians were raising large quan tities as early as 1664. The Unit ed States produces over 50,000 carloads of melons yearly, exclu sive of local consumption. There are about a thousand melons in each car. a total of 50.000,000. Onions Very Old Onions seem to be almost as old as the hills. They are mentioned in the Rible a one of the things longed for by the Israelites in the wilderness and complained about to Moses. Herodotus says that in his time there was an In scription on the Oreat Pyra mid, stating the sum expend ed for onions, radishes, and garlic, which had been consumed by the laborers during its erection as 1, 600 talents. Ancient pictures show priest holding onions in their hands at the altar. Early explorers, including Co lumbus, brought onion seed to the New World. New Englanders were raising them as early as 1634, and C.eneral Sullivan, In 1779, in his raid against the Indians in central New York, destroyed many onion fields belonging to the savages. Nineteen states now produce large commercial crops of onions. Texas scents up the whole Gulf of Mex ico and the eastern side of the Atlantic with her onion-laden ves sels bound for New York. The Cranberry Native What would be a Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner without a nice dish of cranberry sauce? Mas sacuhsetts. New Jersey, and Wis consin are the three principal commercial cranberry producing states. These three states pro duce more than half a million barrels annually, valued at almost $6,000,000. The cranberry was found grow ing wild "by the New England pioneers, who observed the In dians eating them and decided to follow the example. It did not be come a real commercial crop until about 1830. From old records, we learn that "Mr. F. A. Hayden, of Lincoln. Mass., Is stated to have gathered from his farm .In 1830, 400 bushels of cranberries, which brought him in Boston market $600." Potatoes Sonth .American Potatoes have become almost as popular as bread and ratat. Prac tically every botanist In the world gives the Andean mountains of South America as the original home of this popular vegetable. According to history, It was in troduced into Spain soon after the Spanish invasion in South Amer ica, and from there found its way into Italy and central Europe. A Department of Agriculture expert says that "history records its in troduction into Ireland from Vir ginia in one of Sir Walter Ra leigh's trading vessels about 1586. It is apparent, however, that a discrepancy occurs in this account in that it implies that the potato was a native to Virginia. From the description of the Virginia plant it is quite evident that the historian had In mind a tuberous bearing plant of the pulse family. There is every reason to believe, however, that the true potato wass brought over In one of Raleigh's ships, but that it was obtained at some trading post on the west coast of South America rather than in Virginia." The largest potato-producing states are New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Maine. Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, their total produc tion being 203,167,400 bushels or nearly 40 per cent of the total crop of the country. Apple Oldest Fruit The apple seems to be about the oldest of all fruits. It has gained wide and permanent publicity through its popularity In the Gar den of Eden. The scientific gen tleman tells us that the apple is believed to have been distributed from prehistoric times both in the wild state and in cultivation throughout much of Europe, where it is believed to have been indigenous; also, south of the Caucasus and in northern Russia. It i3 to be noted, however, that with few exceptions the varieties now grown in the United States are of our own origin, the out standing exceptions being some of the early ripening sorts of Rus sian origin. No other, fruit in America has been given so many different names as the apple. No one knows how many varieties ex ist, or have existed. American lit erature records something like 7, 500 varieties. We produce about 175,000,000 bushels of apples an nually. Spinach Crop Large Not so very long ago a lot of people turned up their noses at spinach, declaring it to be fit food only for sheep and pigs. Things have changed. Spinach is now the Beau Brummell of vegetables. Babies are supposed to cry for it and thrive on it. Grown-ups who eat it are declared to be adding to their longevity. Spinach, despite its recent popularity, is one of the oldest known cultivated vegetables. It is mentioned in a Chinese book pub lished a dozen centuries ago. It was known as "a prince of veg etables" in Spain in the twelfth centurv. In England the name "spynoches" occurs in a cook book of 1390, compiled for the use of the Court of King Richard II. There seems to be no early record of its introduction into America. The total annual value of this crop to the farmers is close to $8, 000,000. Cucumbers from India All the world seems to have a "hankering" for cucumbers. About 10.000 carloads are shipped to market annually. This is in ad dition to those grown in green houses and small truck patches and marketed locally, also those GIDEON STOLZ CO. Manufacturers of Vinegar, Soda Water, Fountain Surplie Salem Phone SO Ore. frown for home consumption. , There are historical references to the encumber 3000 years B. C. It is generally supposed to be a native of India, and was brought Into China from the west 86 B. O. Cucumbers were known to the an- cient Greeks and Romans. Pliny mentions their forced culture. Haiti in 1494. There is a record of their production by the Indians In the section now occupied by Montreal, Canada, and by Indians in Flordla. Captain John Smith speaks of growing them in Vir ginia. Rev. Francis Higginson tells of seeing them in Massachu setts In 1629. The Lowly Turnip You surely have missed some thing if you didn't live In the country when a boy or girl and enjoy the pleasure of pulling up a turnip in the late autumn, peel ing it with an old barlow knife, I and eating it like an apple. The cooked turnips served at home never will taste quite so good. The turnip is said to be a na tive of Russia and Siberia and the Scandinavian Peninsula. England got them from Holland In 1550. Virginia cultivated them in 1609. and Massachusetts in 1629. They were plentiful in the farming sec tions around Philadephia in 17 07. Pumpkin Mystery Plant It Is rather regrettable that the pumpkin is surrounded with mys tery. All normal humans are fond of pumpkin pie and would be glad to know something about the ori ginal home of pumpkins. Writers and botanists have been unable to ascertain whether pumpkins are of Old World or New World origin. Soma authorities are of the opin ion that the common pumpkin or iginated in that section of Mexico now known as Texas. It is defin itely known that tbe-pumpkin was in general use in colonial times, but no one seems to know wheth- er the Colonists got the seeds from the Indians or whether the Indians received thorn from their white friends. Lettuce Is Ancient Lettuce, which has recently be come one of the most popular vegetables in America, was among the earliest cultivated plants of the Old World. We find reference to its use by Persian kings about 550 B. C. Aristotle, in 356 B. C, praised it highly.- Hippocrates, about 430 B. C, commented upon its medicinal qualities. The early Romans were Tery fond of it. Its culture In China can be traced to the fifth century. Chaucer in En gland, in 1340, used the word "lettuce" in his prologue, saying: "Well loved he garlic, onions and lettuce." The lettuce farms in the United States aggregate about 100,000 acres, and the annual crop to the farmers is worth about $30,000, 000. About 1,000,000 acrers in the United States are devoted to the raisins of peanuts. About 750. 000,000 pounds are raised yearly. The Popular Peanut The peanut is a product of the New World. Scientists have found them in ancient mummy graves in Peru. Tradition tells us that peanuts were introduced Into Vir ginia in colonial times, presum ably br slave traders as food for the slaves. Thomas Jefferson, in 1781. makes mention of peanuts. The industry was started in the vicinity of Jamestown, where soil and climatic conditions are ideal. In the early days they were grown largely in gardens and in small DIXIE HEALTH BREAD Ask Your Grocer patches. and a few were roasted and sold ou the streets in Virginia towns, and later In New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia and other eastern cities. Most people, in that period, called them "ground nuts." It was not until after the Civil War that the peanut was devel oped into a worthwhile commer cial crop. Necessity for some crop that would yield a cash return in duced the farmers of Virginia and North Carolina, to go strong on peanuts. They were wise. Thomas Rowland, of Norfolk, Va., is re ferred to as the father of the pea nut industry in America. The fanners brought their crops to his place in small boats and he paid them cash. They brought seventy five cents a bushel. Evidently farm relief was needed then as well as now. WASHINGTON, May 5 (AP) Noting a 281 per cent increase in the importation of white or Irish potatoes, the National Grange has called upon the United States tariff commission for an Investi gation and possibly a 50 percent Increase In tariff rates. Official reports, the Grange says, show that during the two cal endar years 1926 and 1927, the the importation of white or Irish potatoes into the United States amounted to a total of 10, 935,062 bushels,, valued at $13. 575.293, an increase of 281 per cent as compared with the volume imported from 1924 and 1925. It asks the commission to make an Investigation of the cost of pro duction In this country and abroad, and if the finding so war rant, to recommend a 50 per cent increase In the tariff rate. NEBRASKA 4-f BOYS ALBION, Neb.,"May 5. (AP) Eager that America retrieve her lost laurels, the state board of ag riculture and the Nebraska state dairymen's association are helping to raise $3,000 to send America's 4-H champion dairy cattle judging team to the International dairy judging contest at Wye, England, this summer. The members of the team are Jesse Bilyeu, Joe King, and Russell Hughes, all of Albion. America has won five of the seven contests, but England won the last two. Don't delay orders for seeds and bulbs another day. This is the rush season so don't be impatient If there is delay in receiving your or der. Ornamental gourds will be a novelty for the back fence. CHERRY CITY NURSERY Sales Yard 275 So. High. Opposite Vick Bros. Garage Nursery on Silverton Highway 7 Miles from Salem Office Phone 2803; Res. 10F4 SILKS PAINTS Any Shade or Kind Made to Order Without Extra Charge Full Line of House and Barn Paint Carried In Stock. Buy Direct Save fl.SO per Gallon Salem's Own Paint Factory J. C. Silk 2640 Portland Road Tel. 2768 ASK HIGHER TARIFF BE PUT ON POTATOES WIN TRIP ABROAD COW IS EFFICIENT IN PRODUCING FOOD She Yields Larger Supply Yearly Than Is In Body of a Fat Steer Many dairymen do not appre ciate the actual output of human food by a good dairy cow within a year, and thus do not feed her suf ficient quantities of a properly bal anced ration. A cow that yields 8. 000 pounds of milk containing about 300 pounds of butterfat pro duces in a year more edible food products for mankind than are contained in the body of a fat steer weighing 1200 pounds. At the same time, the cow builds the hody of her unborn calf. Thus each year she yields more produce than a two year old steer does in 'his entire life, says Lyle W. Terna- han, assistant county agent in charge of cow testing In Snoho mish county, Washington. A cow in milk needs much more feed than is required for mainten ance, as she must get feed to sup ply the raw products from which milk is made. She may be compar ed to a highly efficient machine for converting feed into milk. Just as a certain amount of power is needed to keep a machine In 'mo tion, so a cow must be maintained even if she is dry. Profits in, dairying are influ enced by a 'careful selection of feeds. Time, effort and large quan tities of feed may be wasted by improperly feeding the herd. NEW DEVICE KEEPS GLASGOW, Scotland. May 5 (AP) A machine which destroys organism in cream so that it win not sour for a week or more has been invented by a Glasgow man The process will keep reani fresh much longer than the pre servations once used, the inventor says. Thousands of gallons of cream have gone to waste in the Glasgow area since doptlon of a pure food law banning the use of preservatives. Already the apparatus is on the market, selling for $17,000. Its capacity is 200 gallons of cream an hour. SALEM NAVIGATION COMPANY Water Transportation Portland Salem Telephone 067 Aiit Painting DONE WITH A GUN M. B. Sanderson 1144 North Cottage Whe-Ta-Lon A superior Breakfast Food A Trial Will Convince You Whe - Ta - Lon Cereal Co. M. A. BUTLER, Manager Telephone lOOO-W MILK FROM SOUR NE