90 Culture of Chicory.^ as a Winter Salad. 



mixture of loam, leaf-moukl, cucumber-soil, and white sand, well incorporated 

 together. The plants must be pricked out into boxes, and, when large enough, 

 potted into small pots well drained ; and they must be shifted as they may 

 require it, till they are potted into 24- and 16-sized pots. They will require 

 to be smoked frequently to destroy the aphides. They are best grown under 

 glass, either in frames, or in a vinery where they can have plenty of air and 

 light. In July they will perhaps require to be placed in a shady place out in 

 the open air ; the pots had better be placed upon boards, slates, or something 

 of that sort, to prevent the roots from getting through ; and occasionally watered 

 with dung-water. 1 always cut off the runners, and likewise the flower stems, 

 till about August ; and I find that the fruit is much improved by thinning out 

 a portion of the blooms and stems ; and by attending to this point there may 

 he good fruit from September to January. I place in August and September 

 a portion of the plants upon a peach-house shelf, where they have always 

 plenty of air and sun, and are sheltered from heavy showers of rain. I keep 

 the plants upon shelves by the front sashes of a fig-house, for the late crops. 

 In 1837, by this method, I had alpine strawberries particularly fine, and till 

 after Christmas ; and at that season of the year they are a great acquisition 

 at a dinner part3^ I gathered a very nice dish on the 31st ult., and have plants 

 in fruit and blossom at this time, 10th January, 1840. 



Alpme Straivberries in the open Ground. — The plants that have been forced, 

 I have planted out in the open quarter in rows 2 ft. 6 in. apart, and plants 2 ft. 

 apart in the rows, in the spring ; the ground being well dunged and dug in the 

 autumn and winter previous. At the time of planting I point in a little sand ; 

 and I put the balls entire from the pots into a trench prepared for them. The 

 runners must always be taken off; and also the flower stems, till they may be 

 wanted for fruit. I let a few plants go to flower, and ripen fruit, to succeed 

 the other sorts ; so that I have had strawberries from the forced plants 

 (Keen's seedling, &c.), till they came from the south borders, quarters, north 

 borders, then alpines ; and, when they were killed by the frost, I then had 

 my plants in pots, ready to succeed them, to this time. I have saved some 

 seed from the alpines, which have been crossed by the old Carolina. I 

 gathered from 112 ft, of rows of strawberry plants, 56 pints of strawberries, 

 besides what were spoiled with rain, &c. I think it would be useful to put 

 straw, fern, &c., between the rows, to keep the fruit clean ; and, if there were 

 a thin board to stand on, the ground would not be trodden so solid. The 

 plant will require plenty of water in hot weather. 



Frithsden Gardens, Ashridge, Jan. 10. 1840. 



Art. X. On the Culture of ike Chicory as a Winter Salad. 

 By James Cuthill. 



The specimen of chicory root which I exhibited in the Horticultural So- 

 ciety's Rooms in December was 15 in. long, and of proportionate thickness; 

 and it was allowed by Dr. Lindley to be a very superior sort of chicory. The 

 doctor, when speaking of it, observed that in general chicory was not liked, 

 on account of its being so very bitter; the same was stated by Mr. Johnson, 

 at a lecture he gave at Kennington Horns : but not a single gardener knew 

 it in either of the rooms, and some went so far as to say that it was a bad 

 specimen of a white carrot. Now, I grew chicory for four years at Dyrham 

 Park, and it was very much liked by all the family, and no one prided himself 

 more on a good salad than Captain Totter; and, on company days, the 

 empty salad bowl showed how much it was liked by the company. Now, I 

 have another proof that chicory is not disliked on account of its bitterness, 

 and that is, my friend Mr. Cockburn at Kenwood has grown it for some 

 years, and his noble master very much approves of it ; and I am sure the per- 

 sons who partake of this salad at Kenwood must be very numerous, I 



