On 8/19/07 4:36 PM, in article
, "Billy"
wrote:


The tomato plant was not grown in England until the 1590s, according to
Smith. One of the earliest cultivators was John Gerard, a
barber-surgeon. Gerard's Herbal, published in 1597 and largely
plagiarized from continental sources, is also one of the earliest
discussions of the tomato in England. Gerard knew that the tomato was
eaten in both Spain and Italy. Nonetheless, he believed that it was
poisonous (tomato leaves and stems contain poisonous glycoalkaloids, but
the fruit is safe). Gerard's views were influential, and the tomato was
considered unfit for eating (though not necessarily poisonous) for many
years in Britain and its North American colonies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

I noticed that my hands became stained green after handling tomato foliage.
Then, when I washed my hands with soap, the wash water turned to a strong
yellow. Further checking confirmed that whatever the color came from was an
acid/base indicator. Does anyone here know what that tomato plant substance
can be?

Bill
--
Fermez le Bush--less than 18 months to go.