SPINACH 



VEGETABLE GARDEN good king henby 1153 



to it a more or less acrid and unpalatable 

 flavour. For summer sowing a cool 

 moist and partially shaded position should 

 be selected if possible, such as between 

 rows of Peas, Grooseberries, Raspberries 

 &e., where they will obtain a little shade 

 from the sun. The last sowing of 

 Summer Spinach will be fit for use up to 

 about the end of October. 



It may be mentioned that market 

 gardeners do not often sow Spinach seed 

 after April, chiefly on account of its 

 proclivity to bolt in summer, when so 

 many other things have to be attended to. 

 And in private gardens it is wise not to 

 make larger sowings from April till July 

 than are sufiioient to produce the amount 

 required. 



Winter Spinach. — From the middle 

 of August to the end of September seeds 

 of a prickly or winter variety, such as 

 Prickly Long Standing, may be sown for 

 winter use. In Scotland and the north 

 of England, according to the weather, the 

 earlier date may be taken for sowing 

 seed, but in the south of England and 

 Ireland the work may be deferred until 

 some time in September. One of the 

 points to remember in sowing Spinach 

 for a winter crop is, not to sow too soon, 

 as then the plants are likely to develop 

 too quickly and run to seed before they 

 are required for use. If sown at the 

 right periods. Winter Spinach will con- 

 tinue in use up to May or June, and may 

 then be replaced by the Summer Spinach 

 sown earlier in the year. 



Sowing the seed dc. — The seeds for 

 summer and winter crops are sown in the 

 same way. Drills one or two inches deep 

 and about 1 ft. apart are opened to a line 

 vnth the corner of a hoe. For the earliest 

 and latest crops warm sheltered situa- 

 tions should be chosen, so that the plants 

 will not sufier so much in the case of 

 severe frosts. The seeds are sown thinly, 

 and when the young plants are well 

 above ground they may be thinned out. 

 During the season the hoe may be used 

 to keep the weeds down, and in the event 

 of very hot and dry weather frequent and 

 abundant waterings will be of the greatest 

 benefit. 



In market gardens, where space is 

 often a great consideration. Spinach is 

 usually sown in beds 4 or 5 ft. wide in 

 the same way as Badishes. An alley or 

 pathway about a foot wide is left between 

 the beds, so that half the crop may be 



picked from one side and half from 

 another. 



Piclcimg Spinach. — To make a crop 

 last a long time a little care must be 

 exercised in picking the leaves. Only the 

 largest and finest should be picked off 

 carefully, leaving the smaller ones for a 

 future picking. It is a good plan to begin 

 at one end of the row or bed and work to 

 the other in a systematic manner, and 

 not to pick a leaf here and there. Some 

 gardeners out the leaves — ^large and small 

 — off with a sharp knife, and then wait 

 for new growths. But this practice is 

 not to be recommended, not only because 

 it seems to be wasteful, but because one 

 has to wait longer for the next crop of 

 I'eaves. 



ORACHE, GRACE, or MOUNT- 

 AIN SPINACH (Ateiplbx hobtensis). 

 This plant belongs to the same group as 

 the ordinary Spinach. It is a hardy 

 annual, native of Tartary, and is recog- 

 nised by its broad, arrow-shaped some- 

 what crimped leaves, which are occasion- 

 ally used as a substitute for those of the 

 ordinary Spinach. 



Culture dc. — Seeds may be sown 

 out of doors in rich and well-manured 

 garden soil about the middle of March 

 and again at intervals of a month or six 

 weeks up to September if a succession is 

 required. The seeds are usually sown in 

 drills about 1 in. deep and 2 ft. apart, 

 and when the seedlings are well above 

 the surface of the soil they are best 

 thinned out 12 to 18 inches apart. Little 

 further attention is necessary beyond 

 pinching out the flower-spikes, and a 

 good watering occasionally in hot dry 

 weather. Seeds are freely produced, but 

 should be collected before quite mature, 

 as they are apt to be scattered by the 

 wind when thoroughly ripe. 



Vaeietibs. — The best known are the 

 White, the Oreen, the Bed, and Dark 

 Bed. The latter is a handsome-looking 

 plant with deep velvety red or purple 

 stems and leaves, which have recom- 

 mended its use as a decorative plant in 

 the flower garden. The red coloiu- dis- 

 appears when cooked. 



GOOD KING HENRY (Cheng 

 PODIUM Bonus-Hbnbicus). — This is a 

 native perennial plant 2-2^ ft. high, with 

 long-stalked arrow-shaped wavy deep 

 green leaves, rather thick and fleshy in 



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