THE A LIJA CEO US PL A .VZ'.V. j 1 9 



The Romans considered it injurious: "Allium torquet, adurit, enecat." 

 (Pliny, lib. xxv. cap. 13.) Our Continental neighbours 

 use it to such an extent as to be offensive to the Eng- 

 lish, and enough to deter them for ever from using it in 

 cookery. Garlic is grown like shallots or potato onions. 

 A most extraordinary idea is mentioned by Horace, Fl(; ' I<59- ~~ Garlic ' 

 who speaks of garlic as a fit poison for any one who has killed his 



father: 



" Parentis olim si quis impia manu 



Senile guttar fregerit, 

 Edat cicutis allium nocentius." Epode 3. 



MARROWS AND PUMPKINS. 



Marrows (Cucurbita ovifera, fig. 170) are of great use in August, 

 and when the hot weather dries up nearly every other 

 vegetal it makes the vegetal marrow plants thrive and 

 fruit. There are several varieties in cultivation ; but one, 

 the Custard, although very pretty in appearance, we have 

 totally discarded, from its inferior quality at the table. 

 The seed is sown in cold frames in April, and allowed to 

 germinate slowly. At the end of May they may be 

 planted out with a barrow of manure, when they will 

 usefully cover any unsightly object. The more the marrows FlG I70 7_v eg e- 



tal Marrow, 



are cut the greater will be the produce, as a single fruit 



allowed to seed stops the produce of the 

 plant. If at the end of the season a few 

 are allowed to ripen, they will keep, and 

 may be used through the winter. 



We grow Pumpkins (Cucurbita Pepo, fig. 

 171) rather more for the pleasure of seeing 



p lr T _, PntrmVin JL ill mi r i 



them than for their intrinsic value. They 



are used in apple-pies ; but the pies are better with apples alone, 

 without the pumpkins. Pumpkin soup is extremely good, and can be 

 particularly commended. Pumpkins are grown in the same manner 

 as vegetal marrows. Neither our pumpkins nor vegetal marrows 



