THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES. 



471 



second one in June, to give ample pickings all the year 

 round. Thyme is ol two forms, the common, which is 

 rather erect in habit, and Lemon, which has broader 

 leafage, and may be used for edgings, keeping it hard 

 trimmed. Both are easily propagated by means of cuttings 



put into pots in sandv soil in August and si 1 in a close 



frame, or put in under a hand-light. The old plants, il 

 lifted, pulled to pieces, and replanted, also readily increase. 

 T he best Mint is thai known as the Green Spear, having 

 pointed leafage. This can be easily increased by inserting 

 the shoots, when jin. high, as cuttings, in sand)' soil and 

 under glass. Also il the running roots be lilted in 

 the winter, broken up, and replanted, each piece will 

 soon grow. To make a bed in this way, deeply dig 

 and manure the soil, then shovel off iin. of the 

 top soil, place the roots thus broken up evenly over it, 

 spread the removed soil over, and gently pat it down. 

 Do this in February. Sage is of a hard and shrubby 

 nature, but it can be raised from seeds, by putting in tops 

 as cuttings early in the spring or in the autumn, or by 

 lifting and pulling plants to pieces and replanting them 

 with or without roots, as they will soon make progress. 

 Marjoram and Savory are easily raised from seed sown 

 in drills I2in. apart in April. The plants should be 

 well thinned whilst yet small. Tarragon can be increased 

 by division of the roots, and Fennel comes easily from 

 seed. The latter is a tall plant, and one or two 

 plants usually suffice to supply all ordinary domestic w ants. 

 Most of these herbs are useful lor winter purposes ; also, 

 in a dry state, if, when the plants seem in bloom or 

 about at their best, they are cut over, or only partially so, 

 and hall dried, then tied up in large paper bags and 

 hung up in a dry room ; the lealage can be rubbed up 

 small and be used freely in soups or other kitchen com- 

 positions. Herbs generally should be grown by them- 

 selves, be kept quite clean from weeds, and have such 

 small attention in hoeing and weeding as they may need. 



HOFSe Radish. — This is frequently much esteemed, 

 especially to accompany roast beef ; but its method of 

 culture certainly needs improvement. Everything in 

 the garden, no matter whether vegetable or fruit, 

 should be well grown or its culture not attempted. As 

 a rule, Horse Radish is placed in an out-of-the-way corner, 

 where it is almost forgotten, and gives poor slicks, unlike 

 the excellent material obtainable when the soil is well 

 prepared. The ground should be open and good, and 

 well trenched, with a layer of decayed manure in the 

 bottom of each trench. Plant the roots in the early year, 

 and they should be straight and about ift. in length. 

 A foot apart each way is the proper distance to put them. 

 The general rule is to dig up the roots as required, but 

 good gardeners lilt them and store in sand, when they 

 can be used as wanted. This is a far better way. 



Kohl Rabi. — 'This very curious member of the Brassica 

 family, commonly grown as a cattle root, has undoubted 

 edible excellence, and when seed of such varieties as the 

 Early Green or Purple is sown in April on good garden 

 soil there is no difficulty in securing nice roots that, 

 having developed quickly, are tender and when cooked 

 distinctly pleasant eating. Seed should be sown in 

 shallow drills where the crop is to remain, the drills 

 being 14m. apart. The plants need thinning down to 

 loin, apart in the rows. But where it is preferred to 

 sow in beds, and transplant, the stems should be fixed 

 into the soil quite shallow, as the edible portion, like the 

 Turnip, swells above the ground. The roots have a 

 distinct pleasant flavour, and should be. eaten before 

 they become too hard. Roots may be pulled early, and 

 having been trimmed may be stored in sand in a cool 

 dry place, and thus be available for use during the winter. 



Leeks. — These are plants that, whilst easily raised from 

 seed, can only be presented fit for table use after 

 some labour and care have been bestowed upon them. 

 Practically, like some other plants of which the stems 

 constitute the edible part, they need blanching, so that the 

 stems may be tender and pleasant eating. There are two 

 or three varieties of Leeks, but these differ only slightly, 

 and even then much depends on the kind of culture 



bestowed upon them. The chief dillerence lies in the length 

 and breadth of the stem, one variety usually having a stout 

 and short stem, the other smaller and longer. Perfect 

 Leek steins, as seen at exhibitions, are about I in. through, 

 and some I2in. to 14m. blanched, being also perfectly 

 firm and of the purest whiteness. To get Leeks early il 

 is well to sow seed in a pan or box in March, to place 

 il in a warm house or frame, and when the seedlings are 

 4in. in height to lilt them with care from the seed pan, 

 and dibble them out at 2in. apart into shallow boxes in 

 good rich soil, and still keep them in warmth and near 

 the light, so that they keep strong and erect ; then, later, 

 pul into a cold frame lor a week, and when hardened 

 they may be transplanted out into the open ground lor 

 summer growth. 'To secure fine earlv stems throw otil 

 the top spit of soil from a trench 2oin. wide on one- 

 side, and break up deeply the bottom spil, a good 

 dressing of half-decayed manure being mixed with il ; 

 then one-half of the top soil should be put back, and 

 more manure forked in with that. 'The plants ma)- then 

 be ] 1 tit out in one row down the centre ol the trench, a 

 shallow drill being drawn with a hoe for the purpose. 

 The plants, being carefully lifted from the boxes w ith good 

 balls ol soil and roots, should be planted at I2in. apart 

 and firmly, a lillle top soil being put in about them to 

 keep them erect. As the plants get good root-hold, 

 occasional soakings of liquid manure may be given, but 

 not too near the stems; indeed, a moulding-up process, 

 which may be done gradually; water should be given 

 in furrows made a few inches from the plants on either 

 side. An occasional dusting with lime helps to keep 

 down slugs. In a lew months fine, well-blanched sterns 

 should result. For succession make a sowing a month 

 after the first, treating the plants in the same way ; and 

 for late winter purposes it is well to make a sowing out- 

 doors early in April, so that the plants may be strong to 

 put out on a good deep well-manured soil about mid- 

 summer or a little later, these being dibbled out deeply 

 into rows 2oin. apart. If the plants be put into the 

 ground several inches, a moderate moulding-up suffices 

 to obtain nice medium-sized stems, well blanched, some 

 loin, to I2in. long. These, too, will siand an ordinary 

 winter very well, and when of about one-half the dimen- 

 sions of the large exhibition stems are much sweeter and 

 pleasanter for cooking and eating. Leeks are undoubtedly 

 delicious vegetables when well grown and properly cooked, 

 and should be far more widely grown. Probably too few 

 persons have learned to appreciate them in England, but 

 they are highly esteemed in Scotland and Wales. Popular 

 varieties are : Prizetaker, Champion, and Lyon. 

 Lettuces. -Whilst ol these leaf-salading vegetables there 

 are but two distinct forms, there are many varieties. The 

 forms are the Cos or erect growers, and the Cabbage or 

 close, compact growers. Of the former there are brown or 

 dark coloured, and green ; of the latter, brown and pale 

 green, and also smooth leaved and rough or curled forms. 

 Cos or tall Lettuces are most generally grown, the best for 

 winter purposes being Hardy Green and Black-seeded 

 Brown Cos as the hardiest, whilst for summer use none are 

 better than the Paris White, of which there are several so- 

 called stocks, differing only in name, and the Champion 

 Cos, a very tall and superb Lettuce, but rather long in 

 coming to perfection. Of the Cabbage varieties, excellent 

 for winter planting are Hardy Hammersmith, Grand 

 .\ linkable, and All the Year Round, and lor summer 

 use Stanstead Park, All the Year Round, Leyden, 

 Model, Continuity, and Crystal Palace are excellent. 

 The latter three have somewhat curled lealage. 

 Lettuces like rich soil that is deeply worked and 

 well manured. It is important, especially during the 

 summer, the time of year when such cool salading is 

 most in request, that it shall be crisp and tender, 

 and that condition can only be assured when the 

 growth is rapid and unchecked. Sowings should be 

 made in February and March, in shallow pans or boxes 

 under glass, and thinly, to enable the seedling plants 

 to become strong before being planted out. From early 

 in April on to the end of September small sowings 



