VEGETABLES. 



533 VEGETABLES, PRESERVED. 



classification in sections may be most con- 

 veniently effected as follows : I. Legu- 

 minous Section, including Peas, Broad 

 Beans, and French Beans, both dwarfs 

 and runners. 2. Edible Leaved and 

 Flowered Section, including plants of 

 which we eat the leaves or flowers, or 

 both, being Borecole or Kale, Broccoli, 

 Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Savoys, 

 Couve Tronchuda, Cauliflower, Spinach, 

 Asparagus, Seakale, Globe Artichoke, 

 &c. 3. Edible Rooted Section, including 

 plants of which we eat the roots or tubers, 

 namely, Beet, Carrot, Parsnip, Turnip, 

 Salsafy, Scorzonera, Leek, Onion, Garlic, 

 Potato, Jerusalem Artichoke, &c. 4. 

 Edible Fruited Section, or plants of which 

 we eat the fruit, namely, Capsicums and 

 Chilis, Cucumbers, Vegetable Marrows, 

 Melons, Tomatoes, &c. 5. Salad Section, 

 comprising Celery, Endive, Lettuce, 

 Raddishes, Corn Salad, Mustard and 

 Cress of various kinds. 6. The Mush- 

 room, a nondescript, which cannot be 

 classed under any of the preceding heads, 

 or with 7. Sweet Herb Section, including 

 Parsley and all Pot Herbs, and Sweet 

 Herbs, and Herbs in use for garnishing. 



Vegetables, Constant Supply of. 



It often happens in gardens that at one 

 time there is a superabundance of vege- 

 tables, and that at another there is next to 

 nothing to be had. The young gardener 

 should make a note of this, and endeavour 

 to manage so that there is no flush of 

 vegetables at one time and a dearth of 

 them at others. Particularly let it be 

 borne in mind that we have long cold 

 springs, in which the weather is exceed- 

 ingly variable and mostly ungenial, when 

 vegetation makes very slow progress in- 

 deed : it is then that root crops and 

 Brassicae come in so useful; then that 

 Brussels sprouts, kale, and broccoli, yield 

 a succession of sweet wholesome sprouts, 



that grow almost in the coldest weather, 

 and form the principal supply from Christ- 

 mas to May. In summer is the time to 

 look forward to the requirements of spring 

 and be well prepared for them, so that 

 available space should have been left in 

 which a plentiful supply of the above 

 named can be grown. Ground that has 

 been lying fallow since the winter can now 

 be turned to good account; and be it 

 remembered that fifty firm stocky plants 

 of broccoli will yield a better supply than 

 a hundred plants that have been drawn up 

 between other crops or been crowded. 



Vegetables, Preserved. 



There are several processes, most of 

 them of French origin, by which vegetables 

 of the more delicate varieties, as French 

 beans, green peas, and cauliflowers, may 

 be preserved in their green state, and be 

 nearly as fresh as when first gathered. In 

 the Revue Horticole the following is given 

 as the method employed by M. Gohen, of 

 Montigny, for preserving French beans in 

 a fresh and green state, so as to keep sweet 

 till the following season, when new crops 

 are fit for gathering. The beans for the pur- 

 pose are gathered in dry weather, and after 

 the dews of the night have been evaporated. 

 They are plunged into boiling water, taken 

 out again immediately, and allowed to 

 stand till they are cool, when they are put 

 into a small cask, a layer of vine-leaves 

 being placed at the bottom ; over this is 

 laid a layer of beans 6 inches thick, then 

 another thin layer of vine-leaves, and then 

 beans; and so on alternately, until the 

 cask is nearly full, when the whole are 

 covered with a layer of vine-leaves. A 

 board is now fitted to the cask, neatly 

 fitting into it, and a weight placed over it, 

 sufficient to press the contents of the cask 

 into a compact mass. When the pressure 

 has been on it some hours, a sufficient 

 quantity of salt and water should be poured 



