The Culture of Vegetables 



will consist in keeping the crop clean, and frequently removing the 

 soil away from the plants, for the more they stand out of the ground 

 the better, provided they are not distressed. They must never stand 

 still for want of water, or the roots will not attain to a proper size. 

 The lateral shoots and fibres must be removed to keep the roots 

 intact, but not to such an extent as to arrest progress. When a good 

 growth has been made, and the season is declining, cover the bulbs 

 or stems with a thin coat of fine soil, and in the first week of 

 October lift a portion of the crop and store it in sand, all the leaves 

 being first removed, except those in the centre, which must remain, 

 or the roots may waste their energies in producing another set. 

 The portion of the crop left in the ground will need protection from 

 frost, and this can be accomplished by earthing them over with soil 

 taken from between the rows. 



Celeriac is cooked in the same manner as Beet, and requires 

 about the same length of time. The stems, bulbs, or roots (for the 

 knobs, which are true stems, are known by various names) are trimmed, 

 washed, and put into boiling water without salt or any flavouring, and 

 kept boiling until quite tender ; they may then be pared, sliced, and 

 served with white sauce, or left uncut to be sliced up for salads when 

 cold. 



CHICORY 



Cichorium Intybus 



A VALUABLE addition to our winter and spring esculents. When 

 stewed and served with melted butter, it bears a slight resemblance 

 to Sea Kale. More frequently, however, it is eaten in the same 

 manner as Celery, with cheese, and it also makes an excellent and 

 most wholesome salad. All the garden varieties have been obtained 

 from the wild plant, and some of the stocks show a decided tendency 

 to revert to the wild condition. It is therefore important to sow a 

 carefully selected strain, or the roots may be worthless for producing 

 heads. 



Seed should be sown in June, in rows one foot apart, and 

 the plants thinned out to about nine inches in the rows. The soil 

 must be deep and rich, but free from recent manure, except at a 

 depth of twelve inches, when the roots will attain the size of a good 

 Parsnip. 



In autumn the roots should be lifted uninjured with the aid of a 

 fork, and only a few at a time, as required. After cutting off the tops 



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