64 Spinach and Other Greens 



the forms resemble curled endive. Others are " heading " 

 dandelions, the leaves forming a firm tuft or core. 



In cultivation the dandelion is treated as annual, al- 

 though the plant is perennial or biennial. The seed is sown 

 in early spring and the crop is harvested in autumn, or 

 plants are allowed to remain in the ground until the fol- 

 lowing spring. Although dandelion will grow anywhere, it 

 must have deep rich soil and good tillage if it is to make 

 large and succulent foliage. Occasionally the seed is sown 

 in seed-beds or in frames, and the plants are transplanted 

 to the field; but usually the seeds are sown where the 

 plants are to stand. The young plants are thinned until 

 they stand one foot apart in the row. The distance be- 

 tween the rows will depend entirely on the value of the 

 land and the means that are employed for tilling. If the 

 plantation is to be tilled by hand tools, the plants may be 

 allowed to stand as close as one foot each way; but if 

 horse tools are used, the rows should be two or more feet 

 asunder. 



Since the demand for greens is usually greatest in early 

 spring, the plants are generally allowed to stand through 

 the winter. They are then ready for use as soon as the 

 early growth starts. The rosette of foliage should be 

 dense and wide-spreading, covering a space 12 to 20 inches 

 across. The crop is harvested by cutting ofE the rosette 

 of leaves just at the crown. The land is then plowed, 

 and there is no danger that the plant will become a pest. 

 The small and inferior plants not fit for sale should 

 also be cut to prevent them from going to seed and 

 becoming a nuisance. Sometimes a light crop is harvested 

 the first year, the leaves being mown off so as not to injure 



