KtTCHEN-GAfcDEN PLANTS. CHAP. 



agreeable thing unless made white. The manner of 

 bleaching them is this. You take the plant, put your 

 fingers under all the leaves that touch the ground, gather 

 the whole plant up in your hands into a conical form, and 

 then tie it round with matting, which is to go several 

 times round the plant, and which is to cause the plant to 

 end so pointedly at the top as to prevent rain or dew 

 from reaching the inside. When the plant has remained 

 thus for about a fortnight, you cut it off at the stem, take 

 off the matting, and you will find that all the leaves, 

 except those of the outside, are become white and crisp, 

 and free from bitterness of taste. To have a succession 

 of these in good order, you should begin at one end of 

 the bed and tie up a dozen or two once or twice a week ; 

 and, when you cut, always cut those that were tied up first j 

 but it is very important to observe that this work of 

 bleaching or tying- up must never be performed except 

 when all the leaves of the plants are perfectly dry. The 

 great difficulty in the case of endive, is, to have it to use 

 in winter ; for, though it is hardy enough, it will rot, if it 

 stand tied up too long ; and it is difficult to preserve it, 

 on account of this tendency to rot. One way is to take 

 up the roots with balls to them in the month of October, 

 when they are perfectly dry, tying the plants up, as be- 

 fore-mentioned, at the same time, planting these balls in 

 sand or earth, in a shed. But, as this can hardly make 

 the plants reach, for use, beyond the middle of Decem- 

 ber, the only effectual way to have endive in winter, is, to 

 cover them with glazed frames in the fall of the year, or 

 to do the same very well with hoops and mats, taking all 

 covering off in mild weather, just protecting the plants 

 from hard frosts, and going on bleaching and cutting for 



