190 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[July- 



Batavian endive^ the Scaroles of the French. The Batavian 

 sorts are of large size when well gro'sm. That sort called the 

 small Batavian is decidedly the best of the Batavians, as it 

 blanches with little trouble, and is mild \vithout being bitter. 



About the middle of the month, the endive which \\-as sown 

 according to the directions given in June, will be fit to plant 

 out. -Vn open spot of light rich earth must be -chosen, which 

 must be dug a full spit deep. Then some shallow trenches 

 must be fonned with the spade, or large drills made with the 

 hoe, about twelve or fifteen mches asunder. The plants are 

 to be set in these trenches or drills, about nine or ten inches 

 apart, and a moderate watering immediately given to them, 

 which must be occasionally repeated until the plants have taken 

 fi-esh root. 



The tap-root must be a little shortened before planting, 

 as well as the points of the leaves. The reason of plant- 

 ing in deep drills, instead of on the plain surface, as is often 

 done, is, that the leaves may be blanched with little trouble, 

 and the water applied to their roots not be wasted. To have 

 endive large, it is absolutely necessary to plant it in ground 

 of which one half is nearly composed of rotten manure. 



BLANCHING ENDIVE. 



The blanching of endive is firequently performed in the same 

 manner as early cabbages, by tying them up with strands of 

 matting. If, however, the plants be carefully earthed up, 

 the blanching of the curled kinds will be thereby more easily 

 accomplished than by tying up, as they do not come together 

 so well in the hearts. On the other hand, the Batavian kinds 

 thrive better by being tied up, aiising fi-om the more upright 

 manner of their growth. If, however, the plants be set in 

 drills, the process of blanching may be facilitated by adopting 

 either of the methods according to the option of the grower. 



Another method of blanching endive presents itself, which 

 is performed by setting up common roofing tiles over the plants 

 in the form of a triangle, and if tiles cannot be procured, large 

 slates will have the same effect; but a method attended with 

 less trouble is to place some thin boards, about a dozen feet 



