518 



OBSERVATIONS ON SOME OF THE 



variety of tliis is the Hose Demi-long a bout blanc. The 

 earliest Potato is the Marjolin^ the source of an important 

 culture on the slopes of the hills above the Bois de Bou- 

 logne. It is kept all the winter in the lights and yet free 

 from frost_, so that when planted in spring marketable tubers 

 are quickly produced^ and the ground when cleared of early 

 Potatoes is fit for Haricots in May. Good King Henry (Che- 

 nopodium Bonus Henricus); a really good and delicate herb, 

 is used to some extent in private gardens, but does not form 

 a product of the markets. Arroche or Orach, both of the 

 red and white varieties, is much grown in private gardens. 



Of Chervil there are quantities grown which to us seem 

 incredible. It is much used in salad. One seed house 

 alone sells about 1000 lb. weight of seed of it per annum. 

 Bulbous Chervil is an excellent vegetable not found in the 

 markets^ but which ought to be grown in all private gardens. 

 Such leguminous plants as have curious snail-like seed- 

 vessels are occasionally grown under the name of Chenil- 

 lettes, to decorate salads and form imitation snails. They 

 are of no importance, and with us are rarely seen out of 

 botanic gardens, and not often in them. 



The Ciboule, or Welsh Onion, is grown in quantity for 

 salad. Tarragon is grown in great quantity for use in 

 vinegar, and also in a lesser degree for salads. The Girau- 

 mon Turban Gourd (or Potiron Bonnet Turc) is much used 

 where the Potiron would be too large. Salsify and Scor- 

 zonera are both grown in much larger quantities than with 

 us. Of Corn Salad, so very important an article in the 

 winter salad consumption of Paris, the Mache Konde or 

 Doucette is the best variety for autumn and winter, and 

 the Mache Begence d^Italie for spring use. With Cucumbers 

 we are far ahead ; with Melons we go in quite opposite 

 grooves. The English Melons would not find buyers in the 

 Paris market, nor probably would the French in oui's. 

 They are eaten in quite different ways in the two countries 

 — in France with pepper and salt ; and some people, for 

 whom the rich flavour of the English Melons is too much, 

 can enjoy those of the Paris restaurants. The large kind 

 grown by all the Paris market gardeners is M. Cantaloup, 



