480 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



level of the ground. Sow at the 

 end of May seed of the most early 

 variety. If the weather continues 

 dry, water frequently until the 

 plants are up, which will be in 

 five or six weeks. When large 

 enough, thin them out to 4 or 5 in. 

 apart. Parsley when well up re- 

 quires very little water; the roots 

 should be kept in a rather dry 

 state." A. N. 



"It is thought that Parsley will 

 grow anywhere, but I have found 

 that in some classes of soil the 

 roots are attacked by canker of 

 some kind. The main stem has a 

 rusty appearance, and many of the 

 fibrous roots decay. You should 

 work the ground to the depth of a 

 foot, giving it a good dressing of 

 rotten stable manure. Sow the 

 seeds in March. To make sure of 

 Parsley in winter, the leaves must 

 be cut off about the first week in 



September; this will be the cause 

 of a sturdy late autumn growth, 

 which will stand best through the 

 winter." J. D. E. 



MARKET - GARDEN CULTURE. 

 Parsley is grown to a large extent in 

 some market-gardens about London, 

 whilst in others none can be found. 

 The seed is sown in successional 

 batches from March to August in 

 rich soil, and generally where the 

 plants are to remain, transplantation 

 being considered detrimental to its 

 producing good foliage; it also in- 

 duces the plants to run to seed 

 sooner than they otherwise would 

 do. When up, the young plants 

 are thinned out to a proper dis- 

 tance apart by means of hoes, and 

 some growers protect a large bed 

 of it during winter; but, as a rule, 

 this kind of treatment 'is not con- 

 sidered sufficiently remunerative to 

 be carried out on a large scale. 



USES. The leaves, which are aromatic, are much used, raw, 



fried or boiled, for flavouring, garnishing, etc. 



Common, or Plain, Parsley. The characteristics of this plant 



being exactly the same as those of the typical species described 



above, we need not re- 

 peat them here, and shall 

 merely observe with re- 

 spect to this form of 

 Parsley that it is the 

 only one that might be 

 easily confounded with 

 Fool's Parsley (^Ethusa 

 Cynapium, L.), a native 

 and virulently poisonous 

 plant. The leaves of the 

 two plants are so much 



Common, or Plain, Parsley ft natural size). alik ? that CVen a Poetical 



gardener cannot distin- 

 guish one from the other with certainty unless he tests them by 

 taste and smell. When Parsley is grown for flavouring sauces, 

 etc., every care should be taken to prevent a poisonous plant being 

 mistaken for it This could be done most effectually and easily by 

 making it a rule never to grow any kind except the Curled-leaved 



