The Carrot, from the quantity of saccharine matter which it contains, is very nutritive, and slightly laxative; but it also possesses a large proportion of fibrous matter, which in some stomachs prevents the digestion of the root, and it passes through the bowels with but little change: to obviate this effect, it ought to be very thoroughly boiled, and it should be eaten when young. It appears to have been introduced by the Flemings, in the reign of Elizabeth. The Turnip is a very excellent vegetable, and, although it has the character of being flatulent, is less liable to disagree with the stomach than the carrot; it ought, however, to be well boiled, and the watery part separated by pressure. Lord Townshend, secretary to Charles I., was the person who introduced its use into England; but it appears that the ancient Romans, in the best period of their republic, lived much upon this root. The Parsnip is nutritive and digestible, although many persons dislike it on account of its sweet flavour. The Jerusalem Artichoke 1 is agreeable, but watery and flatulent; it ought, therefore, never to be eaten without a proper accompaniment of salt and pepper.

Radishes. All the varieties of which have a pungent and acrid taste, in consequence of a peculiar stimulating matter, which resides in the cortical part of the root. They may be said to contain little else than water, woody fibre, and acrid matter, and cannot, therefore, be very nutritive; they may act as a stimulant and thus prove useful, but they ought never to be eaten when old, as the quantity of inert matter in such a condition is apt to disagree with the stomach. From the consideration of radishes we pass, by an easy transition, to that of onions, etc, for they appear to form the connecting link between alimentary roots and those used principally as condiment. The Onion, however, although classed under this latter division, and must be considered as valuable on account of its stimulating matter, certainly contains a considerable proportion of nourishment. This appears evident in its boiled state, by which process its acrimony is exhaled, and a sweet mucilage separated. Sir John Sinclair says, that it is a well-known fact, that a Highlander, with a few raw onions in his pocket, and a crust of bread, or some oat-cake, can travel almost to an incredible extent, for two or three days together, without any other sort of food.

The French are fully aware of the quantity of nourishment this plant affords; hence the soup a I'oignon is considered by them as the best of all restoratives. As a stimulant to the stomach and bowels, the onion, in a raw state, is certainly of value, and this is much enhanced by its diuretic qualities. The leek, garlick, shallot, are of the same species, and possess qualities of the same nature. Horse-Radish1 is a warm and pungent root, and is highly valuable to the dyspeptic as a stimulant; it is, perhaps, the best of all condiments for the prevention of flatulence.

1 The reader is aware, that this root of a species of sun-flower has no botanical relation with the artichoke properly so called; its name is a curious specimen of verbal corruption. The word Jerusalem is a corruption of Gira-sole, Turn-sun, or Heliotrope. It acquires the title of artichoke from its supposed resemblance in flavour to that vegetable.

1 The epithet horse is a Grecism: and :, i. e. horse and hull, when prefixed to any word, were used to express its comparative greatness. We have thus, horse-radish, or the greater radish; horse-mint; hull-rush, etc. The great dock is called hiopo-lapa-thum, and the horse of Alexander, from the size of its head, Bucephalus.