Erin Kisch, age 12, of  Birmingham, Ala., for her question:

DOES PARSLEY HAVE ANY FOOD VALUE?

Parsley is a biennial vegetable that is sometimes considered an herb. The fresh leaves are used mainly to decorate meat dishes and salads. Parsley, however, is actually an excellent source of vitamins A and C and is rich in minerals, especially iron.

Parsley is usually eaten in such small quantities that it has little effect on a person's health.

Parsley was first grown in Sardinia and southern Italy. Early Romans used parsley to make garlands to crown military and athletic heroes.

The most popular variety of parsley produces a low growing rosette of finely curled and' crumpled green leaves.

A special kind of parsley raised in Germany and occasionally in America, is called Hamburg parsley. This plant produces a long parsniplike root that is used as a soup flavoring.

Parsley is grown in greenhouses, hotbeds or open beds. It sends up leaves slowly and unevenly. The plants can be moved to the garden early in the spring. Sometimes parsley plants are potted and grown indoors in a sunny window during winter and spring.