350 The Principles of Vegetable -Gardening 



greens, although it has never gained much popularity, 

 one reason being that greens are not in great demand in 

 hot weather. 



Drills for spinach are usually 12-18 in. apart. In the drills 

 the plants may stand 4-6 in. apart. For an acre, 10-12 Ibs. of 

 seed is used; 1 oz. sows about 150 ft. of drill. 



Spinach, Spinacia oleracea, is one of the Chenopodiacece, or pig- 

 weed family, allied to beet. It is probably native to southwestern 

 Asia, and appears to have come into cultivation within the Chris- 

 tian era. The plant is annual, sending up its flower-stalk in sum- 

 mer if sown in early spring. There are two races, the prickly- 

 seeded and round-seeded (the "seeds" are really fruits'*, and these 

 are regarded as distinct species by some writers. The prickly- 

 seeded is hardiest and is commonly used for fall sowing. Other 

 standard kinds are Viroflay, Bloomsdale, Round-Leaved. Nineteen 

 varieties were in the American trade in 1889. Goff (6th Rep. N. Y. 

 State Exp. Sta., pp. 225-230) reduces the varieties to 10, divid- 

 ing them into "seeds not prickly" {9 vars.) and "seeds prickly." 

 For history, see Sturtevant, Amer. Nat., August, 1890, pp. 724- 

 726. 



For spinach troubles, see : 



Leaf miner, N. Y. Bull. 99; R. I. Bull. 41. N. Y.: Clean 

 cultivation to destroy all lamb's quarters; late fall or early 

 spring plowing of fields. 



Various fungous diseases, desc. and ill. in N. Y. Bull. No. 70. 

 Mildew, Anthracnose, Leaf Blight, White Smut. Burn 

 all affected parts. Rotation. Treat soil with mixture of 

 flowers of sulfur and air-slaked lime. 



New Zealand Spinach is not a spinach, but a member of tho 

 Fig Marigold family (Mesembryantliemacece) . It is Tetragonia ex- 

 pansa of the botanists. It is annual. It endures hot weather and 

 therefore may be substituted for spinach in summer. Sow at in- 

 tervals, as for spinach. "This plant was first found by Sir Joseph 

 Banks, in 1770, at Queen Charlotte's Sound, New Zealand, and its 

 merits discovered to the sailors of Captain Cook's expedition round 

 the world. It reached Kew Gardens in 1772." Sturtevant, Amer. 

 Nat., Jan., 1890, p. 32. 



