478 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



Green Orache, or Lee's Giant Orache. — A very vigorous kind, 

 •with a stout, angular, branching stem. The leaves are rounder and 

 less toothed than those of the White variety, from which they differ 

 also in being dark green. 



There is also a variety grown which has pale red or copper- 

 coloured leaves. This, however, does not possess an\' special merit. 



Within the last few years some persons have spoken very highly 

 of Cheitopodium auricovinni, Lindley — a tall, branching plant with 

 rather small leaves. This does not appear to be in any way superior 

 to the Common Garden Orache, except perhaps for u-arm climates. 



SPANISH OYSTER PLANT.— See Thistle, Golden 

 VEGETABLE OYSTER.— See Salsafy 

 PARSLEY 



Apiuni Petroselinum, L. ; Petroselinum sativum, Hoffm. UrnbellifercB. 



F7-ench. Persil. Gerinan, Petersilie. Flemish and Dutch, Pieterselie. Danish, Petersilje. 

 Italian, Prezzemolo. Spanish, Perejil. Portuguese, Salsa. 



Native of Sardinia. — Biennial. — During the first year of its 

 growth the Parsley-plant only forms a more or less full rosette of 

 long-stalked leaves, which are two or three times divided, and 

 dark green in colour ; the divisions are toothed, more or less 

 entire, or, in some varieties, finely cut. The flower-stem, which 

 does not appear until the second year, is erect, branching, furrowed, 

 and from 2 to over 2\ ft. high. Flowers small, greenish blue in 

 colour, in terminal umbels ; seeds three-sided, grey or light brown, 

 flat on two sides and convex on the third, where they are marked 

 with five prominent ribs. They are strongly aromatic, like all the 

 other parts of the plant. Their germinating power lasts for three 

 years at least. 



Culture. — The seed may be sown in the open air, from ]\Iarcii 

 to August or September, either on the edges of beds containing 

 other plants or in separate beds, in drills lo or 12 in. apart. It is 

 usually rather slow in germinating, seldom doing so in less than a 

 month. If the seedlings are properly thinned, and the beds kept 

 free from weeds and frequently watered, some leaves will be fit 

 to cut in about three months after sowing. It is a good plan to 

 cut only the best-grown leaves one by one, as Sorrel leaves are 

 gathered, as when this is done the plants yield a more prolonged 

 supply than when whole tufts are cut off at once. As Parsley is 

 somewhat sensitive to cold, it is advisable, in order to keep up the 

 supply in winter, to put a frame over a bed in full bearing, choosing, if 

 possible, one containing young plants which were sown about August. 

 Old well-established plants also might be taken up and forced in 

 a plant-house or a hot-bed, in the same way as Asparagus stools. 



