CARDOON. 51 



The cardoon, of which the Spanish variety is the 

 best, may be called one of the fanciful vegetables, 

 and is almost exclusively raised for the higher 

 classes, who must sometimes pay a high price for 

 it, though certainly not more than the time and 

 labour expended in its cultivation demand. At 

 best it has but little nutriment. The tender stalks 

 of the inner leaves of the cardoon, rendered white 

 and tender by earthing up, are used by professed 

 cooks for stewing, and for soups and salads, in 

 autumn and winter. 



On the continent, it is in considerable repute, as 

 indeed are many of the salad and pot-herbs, which 

 are comparatively neglected in this country. 



The cardoon is a native of Candia, and was in- 

 troduced into England in 1658, and is known in all 

 the European languages under the same name. 



Culture. This is easily accomplished by sowing 

 the seed about the latter end of April, in the places 

 where the plants are to remain. 



They are found to succeed best on such soils as 

 are of the deep sandy loamy kinds, and which 

 have not been much enriched by manure from 

 long cultivation. 



There are two methods of raising this vegetable 

 from seed. The first is to sow in a bed of common 

 light earth, moderately thin, and to have the seed 

 raked in evenly. When the plants are well up, thin 

 them to three or four inches' distance, to give them 

 room to acquire stocky growth for transplanting, 

 which will be done in about eight weeks, in the man- 

 ner hereafter directed. The opportunity of a moist 

 or rainy time must be taken to transplant them, for 



