406 GARDEN FARMING 



SALSIFY 



Salsify is a hardy plant which lives through the winter to pro- 

 vide an early spring relish. The flavor of its cooked roots resembles 

 that of the oyster, and for this reason it is known by the popular 

 name*" oyster plant." 



Botany. The leaves of salsify resemble those of the leek. The 

 roots are long and slightly tapering and, when grown in rich, well- 

 prepared soil, frequently attain a length of 10 or 12 inches. Salsify 

 is a hardy biennial belonging to the Composites and is known by 

 the name Tragopogon porrifolius. 



Culture. Salsify is a deep-rooted plant and thrives best on a rich, 

 deeply tilled garden loam. The seed should be sown at the same 

 time as early radishes, parsnips, and onions, for germination is better 

 when the soil is moist and cool. If the seed is sown in drills from 

 1 2 to 15 inches apart, and the young plants thinned to 2 or 3 inches 

 apart in the row, ample room for growth will be provided. With 

 frequent surface cultivation to destroy weed growth and preserve 

 a surface mulch, the crop should attain its full development by 

 the last of September or the first of October, at which time it 

 will be ready for use. 



Harvesting and marketing. As salsify is perfectly hardy it can 

 be harvested throughout the winter whenever frost will permit. In 

 order to insure a continuous supply throughout the season it is 

 best to harvest a portion of the crop in the autumn and store it, 

 packed in sand, in a root cellar. 



The roots are prepared for market by removing them from the 

 soil, cutting away all but 2 or 3 inches of the leaves, washing the 

 roots, and tying them in bunches of from 6 to 1 2 each. 



SEA KALE 



This salad plant, which, so far as its season and uses are con- 

 cerned, closely resembles asparagus, is little cultivated in the 

 United States, although extensively grown in its native country, 

 England. 



Botany. Sea kale is a hardy perennial belonging to the Mus- 

 tard family and is known to botanists as Crambe maritima. It can 



