516 



OBSERVATIONS ON SOME OE THE 



to add a few remarks about the culture of any of them 

 where desirable. In this I simply do the best I can 

 for the time^ and believe the subject is far from being 

 exhausted. My acquaintance with it only began in 1867, 

 To save trouble in inquiries^ I add that^ should any reader 

 find difficulties in getting seeds of any subject mentioned 

 in this book true to name, he may be certain of getting 

 them of the best quality from MM. Vilmorin^ Andrieux, 

 and Co. J of the Quai de la Megisserie^ or of MM. Courtois- 

 Gerard and Pavard, Eue du Pont Neuf, Paris. 



Observations on some of the Vegetables of the Paris 

 Market. — The Cardoon is much more grown and eaten in 

 France than in England,, and its culture is well understood. 

 The variety most grown and usually considered the best is the 

 Cardon de Tours (a spiny var.). A spineless variety, Car- 

 don Plein Inerme, is not sufficiently known. It is as good 

 as the former, and preferable on account of not being fiercely 

 armed with spines. The Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) 

 is grown to a very much larger extent in France than in 

 England, and its culture is said to be attended with much 

 profit. It is used in every Parisian restaurant. The variety 

 considered best is the Gros Vert de Laon. Camus de Bre- 

 tagne is the kind that is often used raw. Of Asparagus 

 most people agree in considering that of Argenteuil the 

 best, though of the distinction between the several varieties 

 there is little certainty. Of Beetroots, there is nothiDg to 

 surpass our English varieties; the best French one is the 

 Longue. It is cultivated to a large extent at Les Vertus, 

 near St. Denis, and brought to market cooked, so that the 

 smallest portions may be sold with salad. It is used much 

 more than with us by the poorer classes, especially with 

 Barbe de Capucin in the winter. 



The little Carrot which is grown to such unvarying per- 

 fection is the Bouge Courte a Chassis. This and the so- 

 called choice varieties of Carrots are far from being always 

 obtained true. Cultivated as it is in Paris it is infinitely 

 preferable to the larger and coarser sorts grown with 

 us, but the diSerence is chiefly owing to the mode 

 of growing it. The best salads known are grown in 



