CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 345 



Blanching requires lo to 20 days or longer in cool 

 (veather. Any means which will exclude the light from 

 the central leaves and keep the hearts dry to prevent 

 rotting will be effective ; the leaves should always be dry 

 when blanching is started. The plants should not be 

 blanched faster than used, because of the danger of the 

 white tender leaves decaying when fully blanched. 



The most common method employed is to tie the tops 

 together with raffia or coarse twine. Covering with 

 boards, tile, flower pots (with the drainage holes closed) 

 or other devices will serve the purpose. Soil is also used 

 sometimes, banking as for celery. Leaves or straw may 

 be thrown over the plants late in the fall when it is 

 desired to leave them in the field until the weather is 

 more severe. Many growers lift the plants with some 

 earth clinging to the roots and reset close together in 

 cool cellars, pits or cold frames, shading them when 

 blanching is desired. Endive may be preserved in this 

 manner until midwinter. 



GARLIC (Allium sativum) 



466. Importance. — This perennial, which is native to 

 southern Europe, is a member of the onion family, but 

 is much stronger than the onion in flavor. It is used 

 mainly for flavoring, especially by the foreign popula- 

 tion. The sales, however, are very limited in American 

 cities. 



467. Culture. — The bulbs are compound, inclosing 

 with a thin, white, membranous covering about 10 bulb- 

 lets, called cloves. Propagation is effected by planting 

 the cloves early in spring or in the fall in mild climates. 

 The soil should be fertile and well drained. Sandy loams 

 are preferred. The cloves are covered with i or 2 inches 

 of soil, 4 to 6 inches apart with about i foot between 

 rows. The plants die down in the early fall, when the 



