THE CULINARY GARDEN. 



135 



similar experiments may differ in different situations. A vege- 

 table, which constitutes no inconsiderable portion of the food 

 of man, deserves our utmost care in its improvement, and it is 

 to be regretted, that so few appear, in that point of view, to 

 pay the necessary attention to it. Indeed, to Mr. Knight, in 

 England, and Messrs. Dickson, Crichton, Young, and Shir- 

 reff, in Scotland, we are indebted principally for the improve- 

 ments, which have been made in the culture of this root. 



SPINACH. 



Sow spinach for a successional crop, to come in, in May and 

 June. Where a constarut supply of this plant is required, sow 

 once a fortnight, as the spring sowings soon run up to seed ; 

 the round-leaved spinach is still the proper sort to sow, either 

 broad-cast and raked in, or in shallow drills, or in di'ills be- 

 tween the crops of peas, beans, and such like crops ; the 

 shade afibrded by them will prolong the season of the spinach. 



Hoe the spinach which was sown in the former month, espe- 

 cially the broad-cast sowings : and thin the plants out to three, 

 four, or five inches distant. 



SOWING BEET. 



Beet for a full crop should now be sown ; the ground should 

 be sub-trenched, which will prevent the roots from forking. 

 Sow in drills twelve inches apart, and moderately thin ; cover 

 lightly ; and, if the ground be dry, tread the whole slightly. 

 The true blood-red is the sort most esteemed for its roots ; the 

 other sorts should also now be sown. 



The white beet is cultivated as a substitute for spinach. 

 The great w^hite or sweet beet is cultivated for the midribs and 

 stalks, which are separated fi'om the lamina of the leaf, and 

 are stewed and eaten like asparagus under the name of chard. 

 This sort is much more esteemed and cultivated on the conti- 

 nent than in this country. 



The sort called mangel-root (mangel-wiirzel of the Ger 

 mans) is a valuable agricultural root for feeding cattle, and 

 affords, equally with all the others, a considerable quantity of 



