as practised in Belgium. 25 1 



are taken out may be replanted in another place. It is to be 

 understood that the ground must be kept free of weeds, and well 

 watered from time to time. About the end of October, or the 

 beginning of November, forcing begins, when the roots that are 

 too long should be cut off, and all the leaves also, except those in 

 the very centre. The roots are then planted in a bed of earth, in a 

 cellar that is of a moderate warmth and completely dark ; the bed 

 should be broad, and consist of light garden mould, neither too 

 damp nor too dry ; and the plants should be either one foot, or 

 two thirds of a foot, from each other, and watered moderately. 

 In the course of a month, the produce may with certainty be ob- 

 tained. The largest outer leaves should only be taken, and those 

 in the centre left to grow. It may easily be seen from these di- 

 rections that the cultivation of the chicory is very simple ; and I 

 will only add a few words on the subject from my own experi- 

 ence. On my arrival in London, I gave some of the seeds to my 

 esteemed friend and patron, William Christy, Esq., Clapham 

 Road, who permitted his gardener to sow them. Although the 

 seed was sown tolerably thick, on the outer edge of a bed, the 

 plants grew so luxuriantly without any attention or care, that their 

 dark green thick bushes of leaves covered the whole border 2 ft. 

 broad. I think the chicory in this state might be cooked as spinach; 

 but I have not yet tried it, though it is well worth the trouble. 

 The plants, however, would not do so well for producing winter 

 salad if they were to be forced, after having been deprived of their 

 leaves in summer for spinach. I found, to my astonishment, in 

 the autumn, that the roots, notwithstanding the plants had been 

 suffered to remain too close together, had grown as thick as the 

 finger, and were from l^ft. to 2 ft. long. I observed two va- 

 rieties amongst the plants ; one had curly leaves, very much cut, 

 and of a uniform green colour ; the other had varied green and 

 brown speckled leaves, quite smooth round the edges. Both 

 kinds equalled my highest expectations. Agreeably to the di- 

 rections, I took off all the outer leaves, and planted the roots in 

 Mr. Christy's cellar. They were sixty in number ; and I planted 

 them half a foot apart: in the course of a month they produced 

 fine strong leaves. The first variety had beautiful pale yellow 

 curly leaves ; but the second was much more splendid, with red 

 and yellow mottled leaves, of a very agreeable bitter taste, and 

 very tender. This salad is not only very wholesome, like all the 

 chicories, but is a true ornament to the table, and has the ad- 

 vantage of being grown very clean. During the space of two 

 months, I never saw a decayed leaf in the cellar, a snail, or any 

 vermin whatever. As I have two plants keeping for seed, if it 

 ripen, I shall be able to give you and other friends of gardening 

 some next year. I only wonder that this chicory is not so well 

 known in France and England as it deserves. I have only to 



