476 
4 inches high, to 20 inches apart in the row. 
Or they may be sown broadcast in a small bed, 
and the young plants transplanted to the above 
distances. A sowing in March, and one in June, 
Fig. 1240.—Orach (Atriplex hortensis). 
for succession, will in general prove sufficient; 
but if in constant demand it must be sown more 
frequently, for it soon runs to seed. Where 
seeds are not to be saved the flowers should be 
pinched off, as the seeds are very light and 
easily carried by the wind; they should be 
gathered before they are ripe, and dried and 
shaken out upon a cloth. There are three varie- 
ties, namely, white, green, and dark-red. 
g! 
Oxalis crenata (fig. 1241).—A tuberous- 
rooted plant, a native of Peru, where it js culti- 
vated under the name of “Oca”. The tubers, 
which are produced in great abundance, seldom 
Fig. 1241.—Oxalis crenata. 
exceed the size of a hen’s egg. They are covered 
with a smooth skin, and have numerous eyes, 
by which the plant may be propagated. 
THE GARDENER’S ASSISTANT. : 
is rather disagreeable; but it may be removed 
by adding a little carbonate of soda to the water 
in which they are boiled. 
According to Mr. Weddell, the Oca is exten-— 
sively cultivated in the temperate parts of 
Bolivia, where several varieties are distin- 
guished. It is sometimes to be found in green- 
grocers’ shops here, but the slightly acid flavour 
of the tubers is disagreeable to some persons. 
This acidity may be converted into a sugary 
flavour by exposing them to the sun, which 
converts the acid into saccharine matter. This 
phenomenon is analogous to what goes on at 
the ripening of most fruits. The Oca, when 
treated in this way, loses all trace of acidity, 
and becomes as floury as the best varieties of 
Potatoes. It should be exposed to the sun from 
six to ten days. In Bolivia this operation is 
performed in woollen bags, which appear to 
facilitate the conversion of the acid. To obtain 
this result the bags should contain no more 
tubers than are sufficient to form a thin layer 
within the bag. If the action of the sun is con- 
tinued for several months the Oca becomes of 
the consistence and sweet taste of dried Figs; 
the tubers are then called “Caui”. They are 
cooked by steam, being placed on a bed of 
straw, which keeps them from contact with the 
water over which they are cooked. In Bolivia, 
and more especially at La Paz, the Oca is culti- 
vated to double the extent of the Potato. The 
price is also twice as high as that of the last- 
named vegetable. 
The plant requires a light rich soil and a 
warm situation. It is propagated by sets like 
the Potato, or by cuttings, which easily take 
root. The sets should be planted on a hot-bed 
in March, and planted out in May, 23 feet apart, 
in rows a yard asunder. 
According to Mr. Maund, the mode of culture 
which is likely to cause the greatest production 
of tubers consists in laying the stems, and 
covering them with light rich mould as they 
proceed in growth, leaving only perhaps 6 inches 
of the end of each shoot out of the soil. A 
similar course is recommended by M. Guesnet, 
who states that the earthing up should be com- 
-menced when the shoots are about 4 inches in 
length, and continued till September, when the 
tubers begin to form. These may be allowed 
to remain in the ground till late in autumn, or 
till the stems are cut down by frost, when they 
should be taken up and preserved in sand in a 
dry place throughout the winter. 
This plant being easily killed by frost, it is 
They possess a somewhat acid taste, which | only in warm seasons that tubers are formed in 
