OLERACEOUS PLANTS.— PARSLEY. 



233 



Sowing. — Sow early in February, if the 

 ground is dry ; if not, from thence till 

 the end of March. Another sowing 

 should be made in May, and another in 

 July, for young plants to stand over win- 

 ter. To insure the finest curled varieties, 

 the plants should be transplanted once 

 at least; and if oftener, it is said, the 

 more certain will be the result. Sow, 

 therefore, either thinly broadcast or in 

 drills, covering, in either case, to the 

 depth of three-quarters of an inch. When 

 the plants are fit to handle, take them 

 carefully up, preserving their long tap- 

 roots quite entire, and transplant them 

 in lines 18 inches asunder; but where 

 the ground is rich, and the variety extra 

 curled, 2 feet will be a more proper dis- 

 tance. Set the plants carefully with the 

 dibble, at first 3 inches apart ; and after 

 they have commenced growing for a 

 week or so, thin out to 6 inches, mak- 

 ing new lines with the thinnings; and in 

 three weeks afterwards, finally thin to 12 

 inches, plant from plant, in all the rows. 

 By this means, and in a highly-manured 

 deeply-trenched soil, we have grown the 

 plants so large as completely to cover the 

 surface of the ground. 



Some have recommended cutting over 

 the old plants in autumn, to secure a 

 supply in spring. It is much better to 

 depend on an autumnal sowing, provided 

 the seed is sown before the end of July. 

 In small gardens, parsley may be sown as 

 an edging to walks or footpaths, to eco- 

 nomise space, as well as to be readily got 

 at when wanted for use. 



Subsequent cultivation. — Keeping the 

 plants clear of weeds by deeply hoeing 

 between them, and pulling up any that pre- 

 maturely run up to seed, is their summer 

 routine. On the approach of winter, cut 

 off a supply of leaves for drying, as al- 

 ready noticed ; remove decaying leaves, 

 to prevent damp ; and shelter the winter 

 standing-crop by the best means at com- 

 mand — of which few are better than 

 sticking the ground around them pretty 

 thickly with short branches of deciduous 

 trees or broom, stuck firmly in the 

 ground, so as not to be blown about by 

 the wind. Cover the surface between the 

 rows with finely-sifted coal-ashes, to coun- 

 teract damp, and to keep the leaves clean. 

 In some situations it is necessary to take 

 up a portion of the crop, and to pot it, or 



plant it in light dry soil under frames 

 and sashes. In neither way does it do so 

 well as protected where it has been grown. 

 It is in such cases that drying the leaves 

 and bottling them becomes necessary; 

 but even in this way the dried leaves can 

 only be used for seasoning : for garnish- 

 ing they become entirely useless. 



Soil and manure. — The first cannot be 

 too rich, and the second should be the 

 most potent that can be applied, particu- 

 larly to summer crops ; but both must be 

 more sparingly employed in the case of 

 crops to stand over winter. 



Talcing the crop, and subsequent preserva- 

 tion. — The leaves should be cut over by 

 the foot-stalk, and not plucked over by 

 the middle, as so often carelessly prac- 

 tised. Each leaf should be cut by itself, 

 and the larger and more fully developed 

 bottom ones taken first. When removed 

 to the vegetable-house, they should be 

 rinsed in clear water, and the foot-stalks 

 of the leaves cut close off, and the leaves 

 placed in a clean salad-basket ready for 

 use. 



Approved sorts and their qualities. — The ori- 

 ginal old plain-leaved is hardier than the fine 

 curled sorts, on account of its being less succu- 

 lent, and less liable to retain moisture. It is 

 desirable to sow it in cold situations, particularly 

 for winter and spring use ; but for all other 

 seasons and purposes, 



The fine curled, or triple curled, should be 

 preferred ; and of these we have, amongst other 

 names in seed-catalogues, the following: Myatt's, 

 garnishing, very dwarf, and exceedingly curled. 



Engelfield extra curled. — Very large and finely 

 curled. 



Reid's fine curled. — A variety we received 

 some years ago from Mr Keid of Rise Park, 

 Yorkshire, which is hardy, standing the damp 

 cold of the Holderness, as well as that in many 

 parts of Scotland which it has reached. By 

 carefully selecting from any of the last three 

 varieties, and by repeated transplanting and 

 high cultivation, the finest curled parsley may 

 be obtained. 



Hamburg parsley (Apium petroselinum, var. 

 Tuberosum, "Bon Jardinier") is a variety of 

 the common parsley cultivated for its large 

 fusiform roots, as already described. It is used 

 for all the purposes of the common parsley ; 

 and in addition, the roots are served at table as 

 a separate dish, like the Feltow turnip or pars- 

 nip. The leaves are much larger than those of the 

 common plane parsley, and fully as little curled. 



The Naples parsley, or, as it is often called, 

 celery parsley, appears to be a hybrid between 

 the Hamburg parsley and the celery. In 

 France and Italy the foot-stalks of the leaves 

 are much used as a substitute for celery, and its 

 cultivation is much the same. It is only in 



