244 THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



swollen, hairy, like the rest of the plant, with a hard membranous 

 lining, each containing two seeds, one of which is often abortive. 

 Seed rounded, but flattened at the sides, and with a kind of beak 

 formed by the projection of the radicle ; its appearance resembles 

 that of a ram's head and horns, whence the specific name of the 

 plant. Its germinating power lasts, like that of all other Peas, 

 for at least three years. 



Culture. — The seed is sown in spring, as soon as the ground 

 is warm enough, preferably in drills i6 to 20 in. apart, and so that 

 the plants will be 8 to 10 in. from one another in the drill. They 

 are treated much in the same way as Dwarf Kidney Beans, and 

 require no attention except the occasional use of the hoe. They 

 bear dry weather better than almost any other kind of leguminous 

 plant. In the south of France the seeds may be sown in February. 



Uses. — The ripe seeds are eaten either boiled entire or made 

 into pea-soup. They are sometimes roasted and used as a substitute 

 for coffee. 



White Chick-pea. — This is the most generally cultivated 

 variety, and, indeed, is the only one that deserves to be con- 

 sidered a table vegetable. There are a great many forms of it, 

 differing slightly from one another in earliness and the size of the 

 seed. In Spain some kinds of remarkable size and beauty are 

 grown. 



There are two varieties of the Chick-Pea grown in the East, one 

 of which has red and the other black seeds. The former is very 

 extensively cultivated in the East Indies, both as a table vegetable 

 and for .feeding cattle, and is one of the kinds known as Horse 

 Gram, as it is very much used for feeding horses. The Black- 

 seeded variety is more curious than useful. 



CHICORY, or SUCCORY 



CicJiorium Intybus, L. Composites. 



French, Chicoree sauvage, C. Barbe-de-capucin. German, Wilde oder bittere Cichorie. 

 Danish, Sichorie. Italian, Cicoria selvatica, Radicchio, Radicia. Spanish, 

 Achicoria amarga o agreste. Fortttguese, Chicorea selvagem. 



Native of Europe. — Perennial. — Radical leaves deep green, 

 sinuated, with pointed, toothed, or cut lobes, and hairy, often red 

 stalks ; stems from 5 to over 6 ft. high, cylindrical, downy, green or 

 red, with spreading branches ; flowers large, blue, axillary, almost 

 sessile ; seed generally smaller, browner, and more glistening than 

 that of the Endive. Its germinating property lasts for eight 

 years. 



The Common Chicory, which is found in almost all parts 

 of Europe in the wild state, has been used from time im- 

 merfiorial for salads, and also as a medicinal plant. When 



