n8 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



working order certainly not later "than the middle of April. The 

 soil should be in a friable condition, and it must be trodden firmly, 

 after the manner usual for an Onion bed. Merely press the bulbs 

 into the soil sufficiently to keep them in position, and put them in 

 rows one foot apart, and nine inches apart in the rows. They should 

 not be earthed up, but, on the contrary, when approaching maturity, 

 the soil should be drawn away so as to expose the bulbs, for this 

 facilitates the ripening process. 



When large bulbs are required for exhibition or other purposes, 

 the cloves as the divisions of each root are called should be 

 planted separately : but for general use moderate-sized bulbs, planted 

 whole, will produce a heavier crop. 



To store the roots for any length of time, it will be necessary to 

 have them well ripened, and this point demands consideration. If 

 dry weather could be insured for harvesting the crop, it might be 

 allowed to finish in the ground : but as this cannot be relied on, it 

 is a wise precaution to lift the crop on some suitable opportunity 

 before it is quite ready, and allow the ripening to be completed in a 

 protected airy place. 



SORREL 



(Rumex scutatus) 



THE large-leaved or French Sorrel is rapidly winning appreciation 

 for its wholesome qualities and distinct flavour. It is not only served 

 as a separate dish, but mingled with Spinach, and also as an ingre- 

 dient in soups, sauces, and salads. Leaves of the finest quality are 

 always obtainable from plants a year old, and when the crop has been 

 gathered the ground may with advantage be utilised for some other 

 purpose. Light soil in fairly good heart suits the plant. The seed 

 should be sown in shallow drills six or eight inches apart, and the 

 seedlings must be thinned early, leaving three or four inches between 

 them in the rows. To keep the bed free from weeds is the only 

 attention necessary, unless an occasional watering becomes imperative. 

 In September the entire crop may be transferred to fresh ground, 

 allowing eighteen inches between the plants, or part may be drawn and 

 the remainder left at that distance. In the following spring, the flower 

 stems will begin to rise, and if these are allowed to develop they 

 reduce the size of the leaves, and seriously impair their quality, hence 

 the heads should be pinched out as fast as they are presented. 



