thick part into quarters. Put them into a saucepan
of boiling water salted in the above proportion, boil them rapidly until
tender, which may be ascertained by thrusting a fork in them; take them
up, drain them, and serve in a vegetable-dish. This vegetable is usually
served with salt fish, boiled pork, or boiled beef: when sent to table
with the latter, a few should be placed alternately with carrots round
the dish, as a garnish.

_Time_.--Large parsnips, 1 to 1-1/2 hour; small ones, 1/2 to 1 hour.

_Average cost_, 1d. each.

_Sufficient_.--Allow 1 for each person.

_Seasonable_ from October to May.

[Illustration: THE PARSNIP.]

THE PARSNIP.--This vegetable is found wild in meadows all over
Europe, and, in England, is met with very frequently on dry
banks in a chalky soil. In its wild state, the root is white,
mucilaginous, aromatic, and sweet, with some degree of acrimony:
when old, it has been known to cause vertigo. Willis relates
that a whole family fell into delirium from having eaten of its
roots, and cattle never touch it in its wild state. In domestic
economy the parsnip is much used, and is found to be a highly
nutritious vegetable. In times of scarcity, an excellent bread
has been made from the roots, and they also furnish an excellent
wine, resembling the malmsey of Madeira and the Canaries: a
spirit is also obtained from them in as great quantities as from
carrots. The composition of the parsnip-root has been found to
be 79.4 of water, 0.9 starch and fibre, 6.1 gum, 5.5 sugar, and
2.1 of albumen.

BOILED GREEN PEAS.

1133. INGREDIENTS.--Green peas; to each 1/2 gallon of water allow 1
_small_ teaspoonful of moist sugar, 1 heaped tablespoonful of salt.

_Mode_.--This delicious vegetable, to be eaten in perfection, should be
young, and not _gathered_ or _shelled_ long before it is dressed. Shell
the peas, wash them well in cold water, and drain them; then put them
into a saucepan with plenty of _fast-boiling_ water, to which salt and
_moist sugar_ have been added in the above proportion; let them boil
quickly over a brisk fire, with the lid of the saucepan uncovered, and
be careful that the smoke does not draw in. When tender, pour them into
a colander; put them into a hot vegetable-dish, and quite in the centre
of the peas place a piece of butter, the size of a walnut. Many cooks
boil a small bunch of mint _with_ the _peas_, or garnish t