160 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



be open and well exposed to the sun, 

 thoroughly manured, and dug or trenched 

 to the depth of 2 feet. Praw drills from 

 12 to 15 inches apart, according to the 

 kind of endive to be planted, as some, 

 like the Batavian or broad-leaved sorts, 

 require more room than the green-curled, 

 and those to be used early in autumn 

 may also be set closer together than such 

 as are to remain till a later period. The 

 drills should be 3 inches deep, which, by 

 the earth falling into them during the 

 process of hoeing, &c, will assist in blanch- 

 ing the crop ; they also render the pro- 

 cess of watering more convenient, and 

 economise the fluid, and afford, as in all 

 cases of drilled crops, greater facility for 

 cleaning the ground and stirring it up, 

 upon which so much of the success of all 

 crops depends. The plants, according to 

 size, as stated above, should be planted 

 with the trowel, at from 9 to 14 inches 

 apart in the row : if the ground is in 

 proper condition, this will not be found 

 too great a distance ; if otherwise, a less 

 distance will suffice. 



In all cold and late situations, the 

 warmest spot in the garden should be set 

 apart for this crop, as it is, with the ex- 

 ception of the kidney-bean and potato, 

 the most tender of all our ordinary escu- 

 lents. The shade of trees should be 

 avoided; and for the latest crops of all, a 

 dry place, and if possible sloping to the 

 south, should be chosen. 



Subsequent cultivation. — The summer 

 crop will require nothing more than atten- 

 tion to watering, and keeping the ground 

 clear of weeds, until it has nearly attained 

 its full size, when a portion of the crop 

 should be blanched ; but this should not 

 be done all at once, only in progression — 

 say from 20 to 50 plants about every third 

 day. The methods of blanching are va- 

 rious. The Belgians, who are the best 

 growers of this crop in the world, com- 

 mence at the end of a row, and, taking 

 the leaves carefully up with both hands 

 first, hold them tight with the left hand, 

 and with the right hand apply a small 

 willow twig, and frequently a leaf of Ju- 

 neus glaucus, which they use largely for 

 all temporary tying purposes, round the 

 leaves at top, thus causing the large outer 

 leaves to blanch the more tender ones 

 towards the heart of the plant. They are 

 methodical in all their gardening opera- 



tions ; and so, in this case, they thus tie 

 up as many plants as will last for six 

 days, at the end of which time they begin 

 to gather the crop, which will be begin- 

 ning to blanch, and will every day be 

 improving. They take up as many as 

 they require for the day's consumption, 

 and with the twigs or rushes now dis- 

 engaged, they proceed to where they left 

 off tying at first, and tie up as many more 

 as they have that day taken for use ; and 

 in this way they go on throughout the 

 whole crop. They also sometimes draw 

 a little earth about the plants as we do, 

 but they prefer the former practice. 



The English practice, in market-gar- 

 dens, is to tie up in the same way, using 

 strands of matting instead of twigs or 

 rushes, performing the operation once in 

 eight or ten days. This operation should 

 in all cases be attended to in dry days, or 

 when the leaves are completely free of 

 damp from rain or dew. In private gar- 

 dens the same plan is followed, though, 

 in some cases, they draw earth around 

 the plants when both are in a dry state, 

 and thus effect the end, although not so 

 completely. Indeed, when the earthing- 

 up system is to be followed, it will be 

 found expedient to tie up the leaves first, 

 and therefore, if this is done properly, 

 earthing up must be superfluous. By ty- 

 ing up the plants while quite dry, drawing 

 the leaves up in a conical form, and tying 

 them tight about 3 inches under their 

 tips, damp is prevented from getting to 

 the hearts, and no deterioration can take 

 place in the flavour ; and therefore, we 

 would say, for summer crops, this is the 

 better way. For autumnal supply, when 

 the weather is less favourable, and every 

 means should be employed to prevent 

 decay taking place, 

 Fig. 59. i n consequence of 



^^jjL damp, in private gar- 



/ ^ftk dens at least, the en- 



/ '^wi f ^ ve blanching-pot, 



/ W\ ^> should be 



/ ilBl use d- These are 



I 'HBSi mere ty modifica- 



Jj ''' 'tlBpw tions of the sea-kale 



%L • ;; "'^Bp^ blanching-pot, fig. 



^^^^^^^^ 39, diminished in 

 endive blanching-pot. size ) and as there 

 is no occasion for a 

 portable top or lid to enable the culti- 

 vator to examine his crop, they are made 



