115 



Lettuce. — These may be had all the year round. Sow the seed in a box. 

 As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle dibble them out in 

 rows in a piece of ground that has been well dug up and manured. As they 

 are of very quick growth, a row of Lettuce may be planted almost any 

 where in the well-tilled garden amongst young cabbage, or between the 

 rows of celery, or leeks. Snails, &c, are very fond of tender Lettuce, but 

 a little soot, lime or wood -ashes placed within the rows, or round the plants 

 will stop their depredations. 



Cabbage Lettuces are best for culture here, as they form heads much 

 more freely than the Cos varieties. 



Parsley. — This should be grown in every garden. The seeds may be 

 sown in drills 10 or 12 inches [apart or along the edges of beds. The 

 ground should be previously dug to the depth of at least a foot and well 

 manured. The plant is biennial and once fairly started into growth gives 

 no further trouble. 



Parsnips. — The ground for these, as for carrots, &c, should be worked 

 deep to allow the roots to penetrate freely, or they are liable to become 

 forked. Sow in drills in March or April, and again in November, 1 inch 

 deep and 1 8 inches apart. All that is needed afterwards is to thin the 

 young plants to about 12 inches apart, and keep them free from weeds. 



Raclislies. — Sow thinly in beds anywhere in the garden. Only sow a 

 little at a time, but success ional sowings should be made every three or 

 four weeks to keep up a constant supply. 



Salsa/ 'ij or Vegetable Oyster. — Sow the seed in drills 10 or 12 inches 

 apart where the plants are to remain. The seedlings should be thinned to 

 6 or 8 inches apart. The roots are eaten boiled, and the young tender 

 leaves make a very good salad. 



Scorzonera. — This requires the same treatment as Salsafy, and is used 

 in a similar way. 



Garlic. — Plant the bulbils in shallow drills, 1 foot apart, and allow a dis- 

 tance of 6 inches between them, and cover to the depth of 2 inches with 

 fiue soil. After the leaves have turned yellow, the bulbs may be taken up 

 dried' and hung up in bunches in an airy room or shed. 



Every garden should have its patch of pot herbs such as Thyme, Sage, 

 Sweet Marjoram, Basil, Borage, Mint, &c. Mustard and Cress should also 

 be sown frequently in every garden. 



I have said nothing here about Tomatoes, Garden Eggs, Melons, Gourds 

 of various kinds, Indian Kale, Kohl Rabi, English Peas, Turnips, Carrots, 

 &c, as their culture is fairly well understood, although they are not much 

 grown. There is no reason, however, why they should not be largely 

 grown, as they are of easy culture and give quick and profitable returns. 

 Excellent Irish Potatoes are grown, but the supply is never equal to the 

 demand, and the prices asked for them are generally exorbitant. 



W. Harris. 



UTILIZATION OF BANANAS FOR MEAL, ALCO- 

 HOL, &c. 



Stanley's work " In Darkest Africa"* called the attention of the 

 world to the dietetic value of bananas, especially for invalids. Since 

 that date experiments have been made for the purpose of so preparing 



♦Page 240. " We had often wondered during our life in the forest region, that 

 " the natives did not appear to have discovered what invaluable nou- 

 "jishing and easily digestible food they possessed in the plantain and 



