92 CULINARY HERBS 



apart, and not more than 1-3 inch deep, or the 

 seed may be scattered broadcast. An ounce will 

 be enough for a bed 10 feet square. When the 

 plants are about 3 inches tall they should be trans- 

 planted 15 or 18 inches asunder in rows 2 to 2^ 

 feet apart. Some growers sow in late summer and 

 in autumn so as to have early crops the following 

 season ; they also make several successional sowings 

 at intervals of one or two weeks, in order to supply 

 the demands of their customers for fresh fennel 

 stalks from midsummer to December or even later. 

 The plants will grow more or less in very cold, that 

 is, not actually freezing weather. 



If sown in place, the rows should be the suggested 

 2 to 2^ feet apart, and the plants thinned several 

 times until the required distance is reached. Thin- 

 nings may be used for culinary purposes. For family 

 use half an ounce of seed, if fairly fresh, will pro- 

 duce an ample supply of plants, and for several 

 years, either from the established roots or by re- 

 seeding. Unless seed is needed for household or 

 sowing purposes, the flower stems should be cut as 

 soon as they appear. 



Uses. — Fennel is considered indispensable in 

 French and Italian cookery. The young plants and 

 the tender leaves are often used for garnishes and 

 to add flavor to salads. They are also minced and 

 added to sauces usually served with puddings. The 

 tender stems and the leaves are employed in soups 

 and fish sauces, though more frequently they are 

 eaten raw as a salad with or without dressing. The 

 famous "Carosella" of Naples consists of the stems 



