Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 107 



About January or February, the crop will be ready to 

 blanch ; this is done by tying the outer leaves up over the 

 inner until the green has disappeared from the latter. It 

 depends much upon the condition of the weather as to 

 the length of time that will be required in blanching ; if the 

 plants are growing rapidly and the weather is warm, 

 only half as much time will be required as when the weather 

 is cold. As soon as blanching is complete, the leaves must 

 be cut, or decay will set in. Transplanted endive has not 

 yielded as well as when not transplanted ; therefore, it is 

 preferable to sow an abundance of seed and then thin 

 out. The marketing is like that of spinach. 



There are two classes of curled endive the yellow and 

 the green; the yellow is probably the more attractive, 

 but there is little choice. 



SPINACH 



Spinach leaves are much used as cooked greens. This 

 easily cultivated plant will stand a hard winter, and may 

 be readily grown in the tropics during the cool season, 

 or at elevations of 2000 feet and more. It forms an agree- 

 able change from the cabbage, which is often the only 

 green vegetable procurable, and that with difficulty, in 

 some tropical countries. 



In the northern United States spinach is largely grown. 

 It does not stand shipping to a distant market very well, 

 and therefore will not come into general favor with truck- 

 growers in the lower South, though a large quantity is 

 shipped from Virginia. 



A warm loam should be selected and fertilized heavily. 



