156 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



latter. The three varieties are so excellent that 

 either or all may be grown advantageously. 



Bath green cos. — Has great merit as a hardy 

 winter green sort, and nearly related to the old 

 Bath cos, only less brown on the outer leaves, 

 and while it has white seed this has black seed. 

 Hence we have, in seed catalogues, black-seeded 

 Bath cos and white-seeded Bath cos : the latter 

 appears to be the hardiest, while the former 

 seems to be the best. 



Artichoke- leaved lettuce. — Comparatively a new 

 variety of singular habit, having the leaves long, 

 upright, and very much cut at the edges ; it is 

 a hardy variety, blanches well, and does not 

 speedily run to seed. It is the Romaine a 

 feuilles d'artichaut of the " Bon Jardinier." 

 The seeds are black, and should be sown in 

 June and July for autumn and winter use. 



The above may be considered the very best, 

 and the following rank next to them in this 

 respect : new crystal cos ; early green cos, 

 which is identical with the Brighton green cos ; 

 Brighton cos ; Egyptian cos, and Egyptian green 

 cos ; golden cos, the same as the Florence cos ; 

 Alphange cos (of this variety the French cultivate 

 two sub-varieties, the one having black and 

 the other white seed) ; red-spotted cos, the 

 same as Aleppo, bloody, and the Sanguine ou 

 panachee, Romaine panachee a grain blanche, 

 of the French. Seeds white. Seed-lists contain 

 such names as Bearfield cos, Victoria cos, white 

 Brunoy (the latter said to be very large), and a 

 variety of other names, which are either un- 

 known to us, or which are identical with some 

 of the above. 



Of cabbage lettuce we have for summer culti- 

 vation — 



The Neapolitan. — A large, white, crisp, and 

 firm variety of great excellence — we think the 

 best of all others for summer use, as it comes 

 in early, and is long in running to seed, blanch- 

 ing itself naturally ; leaves somewhat curled, 

 toothed at the edges. Seeds white. 



Large white. — Heads large, flat, compact, with 

 smooth leaves and white seeds. Of medium 

 earliness, and not inclined to run to seed during 

 hot weather. A profitable sort. Known as the 

 late cabbage, large mogul, Swedish or sugar, 

 Saxony, and princess, and is the Royal a grainc 

 blanche, Blonde Paresseuse, Blonde d'ete ou 

 Jaune d'ete of the French. 



Malta. — Heads compact and flatfish ; leaves 

 palish green ; blanching naturally ; of a fine 

 pure white colour and tender consistency. An 

 old tried variety. It is the Laitue de Malte of 

 the " Bon Jardinier." 



Versailles. — Not much removed from the 

 Neapolitan ; the leaves are, however, of a paler 

 green, of excellent quality, and cabbaging white 

 and crisp. It is the Laitue de Versailles, Laitue 

 de Versailles blonde, of the " Bon Jardinier." 



Imperial. — An excellent large sort, but infe- 

 rior to either of the above. It is known as the 

 union, and is the Imperiale ou grosse Alemande 

 of the French, and differs only from their Laitue 

 Turque, or Turque a graine noire, in having 

 white instead of black seed. 



Black- seeded yellow. — Very similar to the 

 large white cabbage lettuce, differing chiefly in 



the seeds of the present one being black. It is 

 the Blonde de Berlin, Blonde a graine noire, 

 Royal a graine noire, of the French. 



White Silesian. — One of the largest size. 

 Leaves crumpled or wavy at their edges ; pal- 

 ish green, slightly tinged with reddish brown on 

 their outer surfaces. It is known as the drum- 

 head, large drumhead, or cabbage, Spanish, 

 imperial. A long-cultivated sort. It is the Ba- 

 tavia blonde ou Silesie of the " Bon Jardinier." 



Of other summer cabbage lettuces the fol- 

 lowing rank next to the above : Asiatic, Belle 

 bonne, Ice, Grand admirable, Victoria, Mogul, 

 (which is identical with superfine new French), 

 Laitue de Hollande, Grosse brune paresseuse, 

 and Grosse grise. The Nonpareil of the English 

 is synonymous with the Metrelle of the French. 



Of cabbage lettuce we have, for winter and 

 early spring use — 



Tennis-ball. — A long-cultivated sort. Heads 

 small, firm, white, and crisp ; very hardy, and 

 not apt to run to seed in spring. Very much 

 prized with French cooks, who dress it whole 

 in a variety of ways. This is one of the sorts 

 which should be sown about the 12th or 15th 

 of August. The seed is black. It is known 

 also as green ball or button, and capuchin. 

 It requires little room in frames during winter, 

 and yields a great return in spring, as almost 

 the whole plant is eatable. 



Black-seeded grotte. — An excellent winter let- 

 tuce, somewhat similar to the last. There is a 

 black and white seeded variety, and also various 

 other grotte lettuces, much more cultivated 

 in France than with us, all of great merit. 

 Where small, hard, compact, and delicate sorts 

 are required, this class should be extensively 

 grown; not that they differ much in appear- 

 ance or quality, but by procuring several sorts 

 by name, the chance of disappointment in pro- 

 curing some that are good is lessened. 



Brown Butch. — An excellent hardy free-grow- 

 ing sort, attaining a pretty large size, cabbaging 

 freely, and of good quality. The outside leaves 

 are reddish brown, the centre ones white and 

 delicate. It is less hardy than the others in 

 this class ; but as it is of much larger size, its 

 cultivation is of consequence. 



Hardy-green Hammersmith. — An excellent 

 small hardy green variety, which has long been 

 in cultivation. Leaves much wrinkled and con- 

 cave ; dark green in colour, and thicker than 

 most of this class ; seeds white ; the hardiest 

 sort in cultivation. It is known also as the 

 early frame, early dwarf Dutch, Roman cab- 

 bage, hardy green, green Dutch, and Prussian 

 cabbage. It is the Laitue verde of Continental 

 gardens. 



White Butch. — Leaves yellowish green, some- 

 times tinged with reddish purple at their tips ; 

 seeds white ; cabbages freely, and of excellent 

 quality; somewhat larger than the tennis-ball. 

 Known also as the early yellow, early green 

 forcing, and early cabbage. It is the Laitue a 

 bord rouge, ou Cordon rouge, of the French. 



There are four species of Lactuca cultivated 

 besides L. satita, the presumed type of the cul- 

 tivated varieties described above. These are 

 Lactuca crispa, palmata, intybacea, and quercina. 



