SPINACH. 209 



when summer spinach is useless. In England, the seed 

 is usually sown in a pot placed in a melon-frame in 

 March: the seedlings are transplanted singly into small 

 pots, and kept under cover till the beginning of June, 

 when they are plung<3d out at two or three feet apart, 

 and treated somewhat like gourds. In gathering the 

 leaves, care should be taken not to injure the leading 

 shoots. 



QuiNOA Spixach ((77ie?207JO(izi^m Quinoa). This vege- 

 table's a native not only of Chili but of the table-land of 

 Mexico. It is described and figured by Ruiz and Pavon ; 

 and Humboldt informs us that in Mexico the leaves are 

 universally used as spinach or greens, and the seeds in 

 soups, or like rice, so that quinoa there vies in utility 

 with the potato itself. Although the plant had been known 

 in Britain for a number of years, it was only during 

 the autumn of 1834 that any considerable portion of seed 

 was ripened or saved. in this country. This was accom- 

 plished at Boyton in Wiltshire, by Mr. Aylmer Bourke 

 Lambert, tlie well-known patron of botany and horticul- 

 ture. . Considering the elevated region in America in 

 which the quinoa is successfully cultivated, there can 

 be no doubt that its herbage may be freely produced in 

 England ; but it seems probable that in order to' secure 

 the ripening of seeds, it will be requisite to place some 

 plants close by a wall baving a south or south-west as- 

 pect, as is practiced, with seedling onions ; more especi- 

 ally since we arc warned by Willdenow that in Germany 

 "semina sub dionon semper perficit." There are two 

 varie4:ies, the common white-seeded or green quinoa, and 

 the dark-seeded or red quinoa, the former seemingly 

 the more hardy, or at least germinating most freely. 



