HERBS AND SMALL SALADS. 



55 



very remote introduction, and has been acclimatised 

 in some parts of tlie country. The young leaves 

 are used for salads, &c., the seeds being in great 

 demand by druggists, distillers, &o. The height of 

 the plant, when full-grown, is about two feet, 

 having double pinnated leaves. A light sandy soil 

 is suitable, and periodical sowings, commencing in 

 March, should be made, according to the demand 

 for it. A late sowing should be made during the 

 earlier part of the month of August, to produce 

 plants for winter and early spring use. 



Cress {Lepidium sativam). French, Cresson; 

 German, Kresse ; Spanish, Mastrueo. — This simple 

 plant, so useful for salads, is called Pepper -wort. 

 Pepper-grass, &c. It is extensively grown through- 

 out the whole land, during the summer months in 

 a partially shaded position, and somewhat moist, out 

 of doors ; and during winter in boxes of rich soil, 

 sifted finely, within glass structures. It requires 

 sowing thickly, and to be only partially covered 

 over with very fine soil, keeping it constantly damp 

 bj' means of superficial waterings. The varieties 

 consist of Plain-leaved and Curled-leaved. 



The Australian, or Golden Cress, is a somewhat 

 more robust plant, the leaves upon which ai-e of a 

 yellow tint of green. To secure good crops of it, 

 sow seeds somewhat thinly upon a rich border at 

 the foot of a south-aspect wall. Keep well watered 

 subsequently, and whilst growing, to deter too quick 

 running to seed. The young leaves require to be 

 picked off singly, when of goodly size, for use as 

 required. 



Dandelion {Taraxacum officinale, syn. Leontodm 

 Taraxacum). French, Dents de Lion ; German, Lowen- 

 zahn; Italian, Fiscia in Letto. — Though usually an 

 extremely troublesome weed, it should be more gene- 

 rally known that it is one of the easiest-grown and 

 prepared plants for salads, being at once piquant 

 to the taste and very wholesome. Our French 

 neighbours, who are large salad consumers, grow it 

 extensively. Seeds should be sown in drill rows 

 two feet apart in the month of March, and the 

 young seedling plants thinned out to eight inches 

 apart as soon as large enough. Care must be taken 

 to cut down the plants when the flowers appear, else 

 seeds resulting therefrom will be dispersed over the 

 whole district. 



Probably the reason why this plant has not re- 

 ceived a larger amount of culture in this country is 

 to be found in the fact that it will not blanch so 

 easily as will some other kinds of plants. Yet the 

 cause is not far to search for. Total or perfect 

 exclusion of the air is all that is needful to secure 

 this. Many devices may be resorted to in furtherance. 



During the winter months inverted pots or boxes, 

 covered over with stable litter, will insure this. The 

 roots may also be dug up and placed in the mush- 

 room house, or some darkened place, covered over 

 from the air. Whenever it is desirable to blanch the 

 loaves during summer, all growth existing upon the 

 plants should be first cut away down to the base, 

 and a box so inverted over them, being somewhat 

 buried in the gxound, as to thoroughly exclude the 

 air. French Large-leaved and Improved Early are 

 the two varieties grown for this piu-pose. 



Dill {Anetimm graveolens). French, VAneth; 

 German, Dill ; Italian, Aneto. — This herb, which is 

 nearly allied to Fennel, is used in a varietj'' of ways 

 by chefs de cuisine ; it is a biennial, and a native of 

 Spain, and is of upright growth, somewhat re- 

 sembling the Fennel. Seeds should be sown in an 

 open sunny situation during the month of April, 

 and when the seedling plants are large enough thin 

 them out to eight inches asunder ; by this means a 

 permanent bed will be made for the following season. 

 As the plant is a biennial, however, it will be de- 

 sirable to sow a sma,ll bed of it annually, in extent 

 according to the demand. 



Fennel (Fceniculum officinale). French, L'Aneth; 

 German, Dillkraut ; Italian, Aneto. — This is the 



Fennel. 



well-known "pot-herb," a perfectly hardy perennial 

 now naturalised in many parts of Britain, and is 

 most easily grown. Seeds are sown verj- thinly, and 

 plants resulting are to bo thinned out to at least 

 a foot apart. The plants readily develop into large 

 stools, more especially if the flower-stalks arc cut 

 down as often as they push up from the base. Besides 



