150 THE FLORIST. 



ON CULINARY VEGETABLES. 



The culture of these, if not the highest branch of gardening, is cer- 

 tainly the most important, the most generally useful, and the most 

 extensively patronised ; a vegetable-garden being an indispensable 

 appendage to every country residence, both of the rich and the poor. 

 It might therefore naturally be supposed that this branch of garden- 

 ing, considering its importance, would receive the attention, and make 

 the progress in some degree, that the more ornamental but less use- 

 ful branches have done ; one being a luxury for the few, the other a 

 necessary for the many. That the useful has not kept pace with the 

 ornamental, will, I believe, be very generally acknowledged. If we 

 look at the improvement that has taken place within the last few 

 years in the culture of choice exotics, at the number of new and 

 beautiful hybrid varieties of various genera, and at the accession that 

 has been made by the introduction of new plants, the disparity must 

 be apparent to every observer ; for the culinary department can boast 

 of no such advances, not one really new vegetable, useful as an 

 article of food, having recently been added to our list, either by a 

 fresh introduction, or rendering by culture any plant we already pos- 

 sess useful for culinary purposes. 



This being a subject of much importance, I purpose drawing 

 attention to two or three points which deserve consideration ; and 

 afterwards to give a selection of the best vegetables, their culture, 

 and descriptive character, as far as it is possible to do so, with the 

 limited means of observation at the command of any one person in a 

 single locality. 



First : — What improvements have been made in the art of culti- 

 vating culinary vegetables within the last few years, and what further 

 improvements will our present practice admit of ? 



Vegetable culture has so long engaged the attention of market- 

 gardeners — a class of men who would naturally be led to adopt every 

 possible means for the production of large crops which their exten- 

 sive practice might dictate — that the marked improvement which has 

 taken place in plant culture will not be recognised. Nevertheless a 

 great improvement has taken place amongst general practitioners : 

 the advantage of draining, trenching, breaking up the subsoil, sowing 

 seeds in drills, giving plants more space for the admission of sun and 

 air, loosening the earth about the crops frequently, and of mulching 

 with short litter to prevent excessive evaporation during hot weather, 

 has become more generally known and adopted. There are, however, 

 some few who still hold out against these improvements : to sow in 

 drills, they maintain is a loss of ground ; and they will not stir the soil 

 about the crops in summer, because it will let in the drought, with 

 other objections, which I trust will require no argument to satisfy 

 the readers of this work of the fallacy of their observations. Culti- 

 vators of the soil are remarkable for their singular propensity of 

 adhering to old habits and practices ; and although they may witness 



