ACETAEIACEOUS PLANTS.— ENDIVE. 



161 



all in one piece, ha-ving a knob at top to 

 serve as a handle for lifting tliem off or 

 on. They are from 9 to 12 inches in 

 diameter, and the same in height; are 

 placed over the plants when nearly full 

 grown, the leaves being gathered up with 

 one hand, while with the other the pot 

 is placed over them, so as to enclose them 

 completely, and thus insure their blanch- 

 ing, while they are protected from frost, 

 snow, or rain. The curled-leaved varie- 

 ties are much more readily blanched than 

 the broad-leaved or Batavian sorts, there- 

 fore a corresponding degree of care is 

 required in performing the process. As 

 to the length of time required for blanch- 

 ing, much depends on the season. Dur- 

 ing summer, while the plants are growing 

 vigorously, the process wiU be effected 

 in a week; while towards autumn, and 

 during winter, when vegetation is more 

 sluggish, double or treble that time will 

 be required. The other means employed 

 are to invert empty flowerpots over the 

 plants, taking care to stop up the holes 

 in their bottoms, laying a slate or pan-tile 

 over each plant, particularly the green 

 curled sorts : the Batavian, from its 

 difference in habit, does not admit of this 

 process. Setting two long narrow boards 

 along each side of the row, and bringing 

 them together at top in form of a triangle, 

 and afterwards drawing earth over them 

 to keep them steady ; covering the dwarf- 

 growing sorts with half-decayed leaves, 

 dry tanners' bark, sand (a method in use 

 in the days of Gerard), coal-ashes, or even 

 sawdust, are all had recourse toj but all 

 of these, as will readily be seen, are far 

 inferior to using the blanching-pot, or 

 even the tying-up process. 



For protection during winter, the Lon- 

 don market-gardeners take up their latest 

 crops, and set them thickly on sloping 

 banks, by the sides of hedges, for the sake 

 of shelter ; while others throw up long 

 narrow ridges, in an east and west direc- 

 tion, and plant both sides, which produces 

 a succession — those on the southern side 

 coming in first, while those on the opposite 

 side, if later in arriving at perfection, have 

 often the advantage over the others of 

 withstanding the winter's cold better, be- 

 ing less influenced by the freezing during 

 night, and rapid thawing during the day. 



Partial shelter may be afforded the 

 plants during winter, when planted in the 



open garden, by sticking the ground be- 

 tween and around them with old pea- 

 stakes, branches of trees, furze or broom 

 branches. This wards off cutting winds, 

 and catches the perpendicular frost as it 

 falls; but, in using such means, they 

 should be stuck firmly in the ground, to 

 prevent their being blown about so as to 

 injure the plants by friction ; neither 

 should they be above 2 feet in height, as 

 the lower they are the less effect the wind 

 has upon them. 



The best way, however, to secure fine 

 endive during winter, is to take the full- 

 grown plants up in November, or before 

 severe frosts set in, choosing a dry day, 

 and when the leaves are also dry. Tie 

 the leaves loosely together with matting, 

 first removing a few of the largest and 

 oldest outside leaves ; take them up with 

 good balls of earth attached to them, and 

 carry them to the conservative-pit (fig. 676, 

 vol. i.), or the span-roofed vegetable-pit 

 (fig. 677, vol. i.), and plant them in mo- 

 derately dry sand, in half-decayed peat 

 earth, if it can be procured, which, on 

 account of its antiseptic properties, will 

 resist decay longer. They should be placed 

 closely together, but not so close as to 

 touch each other. In the one case, they 

 will be kept perfectly dry, in consequence 

 of the permanency of the roof, while 

 ample ventilation is secured by opening 

 the sides, as shown in our figure. In such 

 a structure they will enjoy almost as much 

 air as if in the open ground, while they 

 will be completely protected from damp 

 and frost. The conservative-pit (fig. 676, 

 vol. i.) offers also an excellent means of 

 keeping endive, and all similar plants, if 

 taken up with balls, and planted in it. 

 The boarded roofing, which is in conve- 

 nient pieces, keeps the interior dry, 

 while light and air, when wanted, can be 

 fully admitted, by propping it up as shown 

 in our figure. All places for the purpose 

 of keeping esculent vegetables during 

 winter, should be placed in a dry airy 

 situation, and with a northern aspect, so 

 that the sim may rarely shine upon them : 

 during their season of hibernal existence, 

 every stimulus to growth should be guard- 

 ed against. We have recently constructed 

 a very useful pit for this purpose, 150 feet 

 in length, and 7 feet wide. It is simply a 

 brick wall, 15 inches in height, built pa- 

 rallel with an existing north wall, covered 



