APRIL 299 



It is also worth knowing that at this time of year, 

 when vegetables are scarce in the country, the fresh 

 green leaves of Rhubarb generally thrown away 

 make an excellent vegetable dressed like Spinach, 

 either with or without a little butter. 



One of the great difficulties in a light soil is a con- 

 tinuous supply of Spinach, and gardeners never will 

 sow a sufficient succession in dry weather, when it 

 must be watered. It has a great tendency to run to 

 seed. In Sutton's book, 'The Culture of Vegetables 

 and Flowers,' he faces the difficulty and gives instruc- 

 tion for its remedy very efficiently. No other Spinach 

 approaches in excellence the real one, Spinacia oleracea ; 

 but for an extension of the supply two others should 

 be grown in every fair -sized kitchen garden. The 

 New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia expansa) nourishes 

 in the hottest weather, and is best started in a box 

 under glass. The perpetual Spinach or Spinach Beet 

 (Beta Cicla) is a most valuable plant for its continuous 

 supply of leaves. Sutton says : 'When the leaves are 

 ready for gathering they must be removed, whether 

 wanted or not, to promote continuous growth.' This 

 is the case with a good many vegetables Garden 

 Cress, Watercress, Chicory, etc. I shall give special 

 attention this year to sowing Spinach in all sorts of 

 places. Aspect and shade make so much difference in 

 the rapidity with which things grow ! 



Purslane is a vegetable not often sown in English 

 gardens, but it makes a good summer salad, and is 

 useful in soup or dressed as Spinach. 



Last year I tried growing several kinds of Pota- 

 toes five or six varieties recommended by Sutton 

 but I do not think any turned out better than, if as 

 well as, Sutton's ' Magnum Bonum,' which we have 

 grown for years. ' Ring -leader' is the one we grow 



