186 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



material and should be better known. It is also valuable as a boiled 

 vegetable possessing a distinctive flavor which is generally accept- 

 able, and used in this latter form it is quite a valuable addition to 

 such plants as Swiss Chard and Spinach. 



As a salad plant the value of endive depends largely upon its 

 being properly grown and thoroughly well blanched. Blanching 

 induces delicacy and tenderness of eating and can probably be best 

 effected by bunching up the leaves and tying with string or raffia, 

 or by spreading hay or straw thickly over the plants. Some care 

 must be given to the proper blanching of the plants, for unless this 

 is successfully accomplished endive is not likely to be appreciated. 

 Small quantities of blanched endives are brought to San Francisco 

 by express from New York, where its importation from Belgium 

 and France is regularly made. It comes in 20 Ib. baskets and is 

 sold in San Francisco at 50 to 75 cents per pound. European gar- 

 deners coming to California have tried to displace this importation 

 with a product locally grown in European ways but have not found 

 the undertaking profitable. 



The plant is easy of culture, the methods being essentially those 

 described for lettuce, but chiefly sown in summer and early fall for 

 use in the rainy season. The following varieties most largely use 

 in California: 



Green curled: very curly, midrib whitish, leaves finely divided. 



White curled : yellowish green, very curly and attractive looking. 



Escarole or Batavlan : leaves wider and thicker, dull green, a good variety 

 for boiling. 



Staghorn : strong-growing, leaves curly but less finely divided and thicker, 

 also good for cooking. 



