CARDOONS. 535 



and horticulture for its fruit, which is used to flavour 

 cakes, to form sugar-plums or comfits, to flavour spirits, 

 and to form a carminative distilled water. 



The seeds should be sown broadcast in March or 

 April ; and when the plants are two or three inches high, 

 they should be thinned out to five or six inches apart. 



They will require no other care than to keep them 

 clean from weeds, till the fruit is ripe in the following 

 summer. 



15. CARDOONS. 



The Cardoon, Cynara Cardunculus, is greatly 

 admired by many, and ought to have a place in every 

 gentleman's garden. The stalks of the leaves, usually 

 called the ribs, when blanched, are the useful part. 

 They grow very large, three, four, or five feet high ; 

 and in autumn, when full grown and blanched, they 

 are tender and well-flavoured. 



The following sorts are grown in France, and are 

 also known in this country : 



1. Common Cardoon. 3. Cardoon of Tours. 

 Cardon Plein Inerme. Cardon de Tours epineux & 

 Cordon Plein sans epines. c6tes tres pleines. 



2. Spanish Cardoon. Cardon Piquant. 

 Cardon d'Espagne. 4. Red Cardoon. 



Cardon a cdtes rouges. 



The French gardeners have for some time cultivated 

 two sorts of Cardoon ; Nos. 2. and 3., the latter being 

 by them considered the best, because, they say, its ribs 

 are thicker, more tender, and delicate. With us, how- 

 ever, the Spanish Cardoon appears the best, as we find 

 the ribs are larger and more solid than the others. One 

 sort is quite sufficient for a garden ; that, therefore, 

 which has its ribs perfectly solid, and at the same time 

 large, is to be preferred. 



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