122 



MY GARDEN. 



freely seeded, and I hope to have better success. The seed should be 

 sown in August, as soon as ripe. The roots boiled are an excellent 

 vegetal. 





FIG. 176. Tuberous-rooted Chervil. 



FIG. 177. Salsify, diani. 



FIG. 178. Scorzonera, du 



Salsify (Ttagopogim porrifolius, fig. 177) may be regarded as another 

 fancy vegetal. The roots are boiled, and as cooked by our neighbours 

 are excellent. The seed is sown in March, and, like parsnips, this 

 vegetal is in use all the winter. 



Scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica, fig. 178) is used in the same way 

 as salsify, and is of no more importance, but is nevertheless an 

 excellent vegetal. 



The Chinese Yam (Batatas edulis) is another vegetal which does 

 not give sufficient produce with me ; but probably if more attention 

 had been paid to its cultivation it would have succeeded better. All 

 the varieties of .sweet potatoes of the West Indies will grow during 

 the summer, but they form no tubers. The Chinese Yam is a trailing 

 plant with a tuber which grows downwards. It is propagated by little 

 bulbs formed in the axils of the leaves, or by division of the tuber : 

 it requires very deep ground. The tubers are cooked like potatoes. 



