ACETARIACEOUS PLANTS. — ENDIVE. 



163 



properly prefer to Russian mats, the most 

 indifferent of all protections, warding off 

 neither cold nor wet in so efficient a man- 

 ner. We have a third mode, by sowing 

 about the middle of September in a cold 

 frame : in about three weeks the plants 

 are of fit size to prick out under glass to 

 gain strength, after which they are trans- 

 ferred to a glass frame, set pretty thickly 

 together, and protected from cold by 

 ample coverings alone." It will be under- 

 stood that these crops are not intended to 

 attain the same size they do with us, but 

 are cut for use while quite young and 

 tender; and by such means we might 

 obtain a better supply of young lettuce 

 for winter use than we do by growing 

 them in boxes, pots, or pans, in the high 

 temperature usually done. This mode, 

 however, imposes a great amount of la- 

 bour in covering and uncovering; and 

 from the high price of labour with us 

 compared with that of France, it would 

 hardly pay the commercial grower. In 

 some few private gardens, such supplies, 

 both of lettuce and endive, are kept up ; 

 but, in general, the demand for glass is so 

 great with us for other purposes that few 

 private families would afford the neces- 

 sary means. Winter salad-growing is the 

 beau ideal of the French gardener ; his 

 mind is, as it were, concentrated on it, 

 and indeed he has little else to think of. 

 Not so with those of Britain, whose win- 

 ter operations are far more multifarious, 

 besides the difference of climate. 



Approved sorts and their qualities. — The endive, 

 like the lettuce, is divided into two very distinct 

 classes — the Batavian or broad-leaved (the Sca- 

 roles of the French, the Breitblattrige-endivie 

 of the Germans), and the curled-leaved (the 

 Chicoree of the French, the Endivien-cichorie 

 of the Germans.) An excellent paper was pub- 

 lished some years ago, in the 4th vol. of the 

 " Transactions of the Horticultural Society of 

 London," on the varieties of endives. The 

 French seed-lists contain many names ; those of 

 Britain contain few, and of those, three or four 

 are all that is in general inquired for. 



The broad-leaved Batavian and small Bata- 

 vian are the only two broad-leaved sorts worth 

 the attention of the general cultivator. The 

 former is known also as broad-leaved endive, 

 common yellow, and double yellow ; the latter 

 is the Scarole petite, Scarole courte, Scarole 

 ronde of the French. The former is that most 

 usually grown, but from careless seed-saving is 

 not always to be procured genuine. The latter 

 has the following merits, which are worth notice, 

 and are thus given by Mr Thompson, from spe- 



cimens grown in the London Horticultural So- 

 ciety's garden : " Leaves pale green, broad, of 

 moderate length, slightly ragged at the edges ; 

 inner leaves hooked at the top, naturally form- 

 ing a good heart ; blanching with little trouble, 

 and is mild and sweet compared with many 

 others." Nearly allied to the broad-leaved, but 

 inferior to it, is the curled Batavian, fine-curled 

 and yellow-curled Batavian, which are all the 

 same. 



The large Batavian is merely a large variety 

 of the small Batavian, inferior to it in not heart- 

 ing so well. It is the Scarole grande, Scarole de 

 Hollande, of the French. 



Lettuce-leaved Batavian. — More tender than 

 the other varieties, therefore not adapted for 

 winter crops or cold localities, unless for early 

 summer use ; the leaves are large, blunt, and cut 

 at the edges : it does not blanch without tying 

 up. It is known as the white Batavian and 

 new Batavian, and is the Scarole a feuille de 

 laitue, Scariole blonde, of the French. The 

 green and white Batavians are only seed-list 

 names, referable to the common broad-leaved 

 sort. 



Large green curled. — An excellent sort, differ- 

 ing from the following only in being somewhat 

 larger in size, and in having its outer leaves 

 more upright. It is known as the green curled, 

 yellow winter endive. 



Small green curled. — With the last, the two 

 best of their class, and most extensively grown. 

 Leaves about 6 or 7 inches long, beautifully 

 curled, the outer leaves lying close to the 

 ground, the inner ones thickly set, forming a 

 compact heart, easily blanched, very hardy, and, 

 with the last, best adapted for winter use. It is 

 the Chicoree frisee, Chicoree de Meaux, Chicoree 

 endive, of the French. 



White curled. — This sort is much used by the 

 French for cutting young, as described in para- 

 graph Forcing. The full-grown leaves are nearly 

 8 inches long, and when grown in the open air 

 they seldom or ever form a heart, and are be- 

 sides tough and bitter. It is the Chicoree 

 blanche, Chicoree toujours blanche, of the 

 French. Certainly not worth cultivating for a 

 general crop. 



Small French green curled. — This sort is much 

 cultivated in France for the earliest crop, heart- 

 ing early, and being less liable to run to seed 

 than some others. It is so small and so prostrate 

 that it is difficult to tie up. It is known as the 

 fine-curled, and is the Chicoree fine d'ete, Chi- 

 coree frisee fine dTtalie, and Chicoree d'ete, of 

 the French. 



Butch green curled. — So near in all respects to 

 the large green curled as not to be worth grow- 

 ing as a separate sort. Like the other, it is 

 hardy, and blanches well. 



Long Italian green curled, or Endivia longa. — 

 Similar, if not inferior, to the following. 



Italian green curled, or Endivia riccia. — So 

 similar to the last as not to be worth cultivating 

 as a distinct sort; indeed, neither is worth cul- 

 tivation in a climate like ours. 



Triple-curled moss. — A curious new sort, ex- 

 ceedingly well curled, and, although a variety of 

 the following, is worth cultivating to a limited 



