ii2 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



fair share of daylight, it is well to put an empty box or barrel over to 

 promote a certain degree of blanching. 



When raised from seed some interesting varieties may be secured, 

 and as a matter of fact several valuable and distinct varieties have 

 been raised within the past few years. The seed should be sown 

 in spring in any light soil, and the young plants should have frame 

 culture until strong enough to plant out. If a great number are 

 grown, they should all be kept in pots until the end of the season, 

 and then the common-looking and unpromising plants should 

 be destroyed, and the others reserved for planting out the next 

 spring. 



SALSIFY 



( Tragopogon porrifolius} 



SALSIFY may be sown from March to May, but two sowings will in 

 most cases be sufficient. Drill the seed fifteen inches apart and one 

 inch deep. Thin from time to time until the plants stand at nine to 

 ten, or in an extreme case twelve inches. In ordinary soils nine 

 inches will be sufficient. Hoe frequently between, but do not use a 

 fork or spade anywhere near the crop, for the loosening of the ground 

 will cause the roots to branch. 



A deep sandy soil with a coat of manure put in the bottom of the 

 trench will produce fine roots of Salsify. But there should be no 

 recent manure within fifteen inches of the surface, or the roots will 

 be forked and ugly. In a soil that produces handsome roots 

 naturally, the preparation may consist in a good digging only, but 

 generally speaking the more liberal routine will give a better result. 



In November lift a portion of the crop and store in sand, and 

 lift further supplies as required. A portion may be left to supply 

 Chards in spring. These are the flowering shoots which rise green 

 and tender, and must be cut when not more than five or six inches 

 long. They are dressed and served in the same way as Asparagus. 



Salsify is a root of high quality, the growing of which is generally 

 considered a test of a gardener's skill. Perhaps the after-dressing 

 and serving of Salsify may be a test of the skill of the cook, but upon 

 that point we will not insist. It is a less troublesome root than 

 Scorzonera, and superior to it in beauty and flavour in fact, it is 

 often dressed and served as 'Vegetable Oyster,' having somewhat the 

 flavour of the favourite bivalve. 



