PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 355 



over all other varieties among people of taste; it is quite hardy, 

 and if planted late in the season and taken up in November, and 

 heeled in some sheltered corner, with a slight covering of salt hay 

 or other litter, it will produce its miniature heads all the winter. 

 To cook, wash well in cold water and boil until tender, then drain 

 the water off and season and stew with cream or drawn butter. 



Spinach. 



New Zeland Spinach, {^Tetragonia expansa). — The advantage 

 which this variety possesses over the common kind of spinach is, 

 that it stands the extreme heat of summer, when the other varie- 

 ties are sure to go to seed. Its leaves are large and very succu- 

 lent. When it was first introduced into Europe by Banks it Avas 

 treated as a green-house plant, but its great superiority for sum- 

 mer use was soon found out. It was thought so much of formerly 

 that it was propagated by cuttings. In cooking use only sufficient 

 water to cover the bottom of the vessel, as the leaves contain a 

 large quantity of water. When done lay them in a sieve to drain. 

 Add cream, in which let it simmer a few minutes; when spinach is 

 cooked in this way it is fit to eat, and not otherwise; the great 

 trouble with vegetables in the city is, that they are at least twenty- 

 four hours old before the purchaser obtains them, and in many 

 cases they are a week old; then again, vegetables are frequently 

 sent to market before they are fully grown; unripe vegetables are 

 as insipid and often as unwholesome as unripe fruit. All vegeta- 

 bles being more or less succulent, their full proportion of fluids 

 are necessary for their retaining that state of crispness which they 

 have when growing; on being gathered for use, evaporation com- 

 mences, and soon the roots or leaves become flaccid and shriveled 

 up; in this state the fibres are less easily divided, and whatever 

 juices may happen to remain, are positively injurious. 



Adjourned. 



February 12, 1867. 

 Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the chair; Mr. John W. Chambers, Sec. 



BucKM^m's Hay Fork. 

 Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter, from the committee to examine Buck- 

 man's hay fork, made a report, recommending that a trial of horse 

 bay forks be held on March 1. They had procured the barn of 

 Mr. Josiah H. Macy, near Rye Station, on the New Haven rail- 

 road, Westchester Co., N. Y. 

 The report was adopted. 



