Many thanks to insidious truth, for putting me onto the hunt for the origin of this quote:
"When I was young, I said to G-d, G-d, tell me the mystery of the universe. But G-d answered, that knowledge is for me alone. So I said, G-d, tell me the mystery of the peanut. Then G-d said, well, George, that's more nearly your size." George Washington Carver.
Carver went on to revolutionize and enrich the lives of poor, southern, black sharecroppers with his bulletin How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption, first published in 1916.
And with similar bulletins about the cultivation and uses of sweet potatoes, alfalfa, wild plum, tomato, ornamental plants, corn, poultry, dairying, hogs, and the preservation of meats in hot weather.
Check out Wikipedia's wonderful article about Carver and his life's work here.
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4 comments:
Great blog post, I especially love the title, and the quote behind it.
History sure is fun, isn't it? And wikipedia is the be all and end all. . .
There was an episode of Seinfeld where Elaine got stuck in a party conversation with a stranger. He went on about George Washington Carver for a bit..."you must really have to love the peanut"
What a great post. So much info, but not TOO much info, you know?
mielikki: Thanks. Wikipedia is pretty darn great, but I've had a few run-ins with high-handed admins there that have been kinda off-putting. If anyone's interested in my take on this, check out my discussion page on Wikipedia. I'm "David in DC" there, too.
e-e: (Hey, I just noticed you have the same initials as one of my least favorite poets.) Never saw that Seinfeld. I'll keep a look out.
Churlita: Thanks. I'm aiming to become the Goldilocks of blogging. :)
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