208 Encyclopaedia of Gardening 



KITCHEN GARDEN continued. 



superphosphate per square yard may also be dug in. The seed 

 should be sown thinly, and covered with about half an inch of soil. 

 The seedlings may be thinned to a few inches apart, and then left to 

 grow, with the result that there will soon be a splendid row of Parsley. 

 Parsnip (Peucedanum sativum). If not one of the most popular 

 vegetables the Parsnip is certainly one of the most nourishing, and 

 is worthy of culture in all kitchen gardens. The seed is light and 

 soon loses its vitality ; it should therefore be sown as early in spring 

 as the state of the soil will permit. Ground that was cropped with 

 Peas the previous year, or that has been cleared of Celery, will 

 generally give a good crop of Parsnips without further manuring, 

 but it is a good plan to dress the ground with soot and lime, which 

 may be spread on at the rate of % Ib. each per square yard and 

 dug in towards the close of winter. When the ground is dry enough 

 to crumble in March or early April, draw drills 18 ins. apart and an 

 inch deep, sprinkle the seed in thinly, and cover. The plants may 

 be thinned to 9 ins. apart. They ought to be ready for pulling in 

 October, but they improve in flavour as the autumn wears on, so 

 that there should be no hurry in removing them from the ground 

 except in such quantities as are required for immediate needs. 

 Parsnips are often attacked by a fungoid disease on the root, called 

 " rust." Liberal dressings of soot and lime, and the avoidance of 

 fresh manure, will keep it in check. A leaf-mining maggot some- 

 times attacks the leaves, and it should be met by crushing the 

 affected leaves immediately and spraying with a solution of soft 

 soap in which a wineglassful of paraffin oil has been stirred. The 

 following are good varieties: Hollow Crown, Maltese, Student, 

 Tender and True. The fourth of these is the best flavoured. 



Pea, Green (Pisum sativum). The Green Pea is one of the oldest 

 of vegetables, but it did not come into general cultivation in Great 

 Britain until the seventeenth century, and very little progress was 

 made in the improvement of varieties until the beginning of the 

 nineteenth, when Knight raised the first wrinkled-seed marrowfat 

 variety. The number of sorts which combine delicious flavour 

 with abundant podding is now considerable, and the Pea lover has 

 a choice that is so wide as to be almost embarrassing. Some varie- 

 ties pod early and some late, so that crops may be had over a long 

 period. In early districts the first outdoor crop will be ready in 

 June, and in late ones the last may be in use in November. The 

 best crops are generally secured in July and August. Those who 

 want an early crop and have no glass should choose a sheltered 

 place with a south or south-west aspect, and sow as soon as the 

 ground becomes crumbly after the end of February. It is a mistake 

 to sow when the soil is sodden and pasty. Thereafter sowings 

 may be made every 10 or 14 days until June. A warm border 

 under a south wall will sometimes yield early Peas in 13 weeks, 

 but often 15 are required. Later in the year, when the soil is 

 warmer, crops can be secured in 3 months or less. The soil for 

 Peas should be dug deeply or trenched (see Soil), and manured 

 liberally (see Manures and Rotation cropping). In the case of 

 heavy soil the seed may be covered 2 ins. deep, and in light 3 ins. 



