VEGETABLES SCORZONERA SEA KALE. 283 



make a soup, which has a decided flavor of the oyster. 

 It is also eaten as a salad, sliced and dressed with vine- 

 gar, salt and pepper. There are no varieties. 



SCORZONERA-BLACK SALSIFY, 



(Scorzonera Hispanica). 



Very similar fco the above in general character, and of 

 the same culture and use. It is not, however, so gener- 

 ally esteemed as the Oyster Plant, and is not grown ex- 

 cept for private use, and even for that purpose sparingly. 



SEA KALE, (Crarribe maritima). 



This vegetable is much esteemed and grown largely for 

 market purposes, both in England and France, and no 

 private garden of any extent in either country fs consid- 

 ered complete without it. Here, however, even yet we 

 seem to make but little headway in its cultivation. I 

 have rarely seen it offered for sale in our markets, and 

 its culture is practiced in but few private gardens. 



There is an impression that it is difficult of culture in 

 our climate ; this is not so by any means ; it is equally 

 as easy to grow it here as it is in England, only that, 

 like all vegetables requiring artificial heat for its per- 

 fection, its cultivation is attended with more expense 

 than that of vegetables that we plant in the open ground, 

 without other care than to keep them clear of weeds. 



It is increased either by roots or by seed ; when roots 

 can be obtained to start with, they are quicker. The 

 manner of operating with them is as follows : In fall, a 

 few old plants of Sea Kale are dug up, and the roots 

 cut in pieces of from two to three inches in length ; 

 these are placed in boxes of sand in a dry cellar until 



