6o4 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



always sinuated or undulated. Skin smooth, red slightly tinged 

 with violet ; flesh white in the interior, and light pink under the 

 skin. This is the variety which is most generally grown by 

 gardeners in the vicinity of Paris. 



Many other varieties of Sweet Potato are cultivated in Algeria 

 and other French colonies, and even in the United States, w^here 

 this vegetable forms an important article of commerce. 



PURSLANE 



Portulaca oleracea, L. PortulacacecB. 



French, Fompier. Genna7i, Vortulsk. Flemish BXid Dutch, VosiQ\\]n. Danish, 

 Portulak. Italian, Porcellana. Spanish, Verdolaga. Portuguese, Beldroega. 



Native of India. — Annual. — The Purslane, which appears to be 

 undoubtedly of East Indian origin, has been naturalised amongst 

 us to the extent of having become a weed. It has a thick fleshy 

 stem, which sprawls on the ground when the plant grows alone, 

 but is unbranched and erect in plants grown closely together. 

 Leaves thick, shortly spathulate ; flowers very small, yellow, 

 growing from the axils of the leaves, and succeeded by rounded, 

 slightly compressed seed-vessels filled with very small, shining, 



black seeds. Their germi- 

 nating power lasts for seven 

 years at least. 



Culture. — The seed is 

 sown, either in drills or 

 broad-cast, in light soil, from 

 May to August, and the 

 leaves and stems may begin 

 to be gathered for use in 

 about two months after 

 sowing. The same plants 

 will yield two or three 

 gatherings, provided they 

 are watered frequently. Sow- 

 ings are often made in frames 

 or on hot-beds, in order to 

 obtain a winter or spring 

 supply. In this case the 

 seed is sown from December 

 to March on hot-beds, as 

 the plant requires a pretty 

 high temperature to grow 

 vigorously, and leaves may be 

 gathered in two months or two months and a half after sowing. 

 Uses. — The leaves are eaten cooked, or raw as salad. 



Green Purslane natural size ; detached 

 branch, \ natural size). 



