2S2 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



it. It is sometimes used as a salad, and as an ingredient of soups. In Essex, and 

 some other places, it is extensively cultivated for the seed, which is used by confec • 

 tioners, druggists, and distillers. 



Corn-salad, or Lamb-lettuce, — Valeriana Lontsta, (Linn.) — belongs to the 

 class and order Triandria Monogynia, and natural order Dipsaceee. Is a native of 

 Britain, and was cultivated as a salad in the days of Gerrard, who says, that fo- 

 reigners, while in England, using this salad, were the cause of its being cultivated in 

 our gardens. It has long been a favorite salad in France, but is now little used here. 



Cress, American, — Erysimum prcrcox. (Smith.) — belongs to the class and order 

 Tetradynamia Siliquosa, and natural order Crucifercp. Is a native of Britain, grow- 

 ing by the sides of ditches, and long supposed to be a variety of the Erysimum Bar- 

 haria. It is a biennial, fonning an excellent and useful addition to our winter and 

 spring salads, being extremely hardy, and is fit for use during the whole of the 

 winter, if grown in any sheltered spot- It is sold in the seed-shops under the names 

 of American cress, black cress, and French cress. 



Cress, winter, — Erysimum Barbaria, (Linn, and Smith,) Barharia Vulgaris 

 (Unrt. Kew.) — belongs to the same class and order with the last species. This is found 

 in situations similar, and often with the latter, by which reason they have been, till 

 lately, confounded together. It is also a useful and hardy salad. 



Cress, garden, — Lcpidium sativum, (Linn.) — belongs to the class and order Te- 

 tradynamia siliquosa, and natural order Cruci/era. Its native country is unknown, 

 but it has been cultivated in this country since 1548. It is the principal of all the 

 small salads, and is in very general cultivation. The varieties in culture are, the 

 common plain-leaved cress ; this is most extensively cultivated, but not by any means 

 so fine as the Normandy or curled cress, which is not only a better salad and gar- 

 nish, but much hardier and not so apt to run up into seed. If sown at the bottom 

 of a south wall, it will stand all the winter, and come in at the spring with the Ame- 

 rican and winter cresses already noticed. It is not so good, however, for forcing as 

 the common cress, being more likely to damp, in consequence of its larger and 

 more succulent growth, unless it be sown very thin. The other sort of cress cul- 

 tivated is, the broad-leaved; it is not much grown for a salad, but generally for rear- 

 ing turkies, S:c. 



Cress, Indian, or Nasturtium, — Tropoeolum magus, (Linn.) — belongs to the 

 class and order Octandria monogynia, and natural order Geraniaceo". Is a native of 

 Peru, and cultivated here since 1686. The Tropoeolum minus was introduced from 

 Peru nearly a century before this sort, but, owing to its small size, is not cultivated 

 for culinary purposes. The Tropoeolum mngus is here treated as an annual, but in its 

 own country lasts for several years. The flowers are used for garnishing, and some- 

 times, with the young leaves, as a salad. The berries are gathered green, and pickled, 

 and are in that fonn a good substitute for capers. 



Dandelion, — Leoyitodon Taraxacum, (Linn.) — belongs to the class and order 

 Syngenesia jEqualis, and to the natural order Cichoracea. Is a native of Britain, 

 and a well-known weed. When blanched, however, it makes an excellent addition 

 to our spring salads ; and the roots are considered as good a substitute for coffee as 

 chiccory. It may be stored in cellars, or barrels, fike chiccory, for producing winter 

 salads. 



Dill, — Anethum graveokns, (Linn.) — belongs to the class and order Pentandria 

 Trigynia, and natural order Umhellifera. Is a native of Spain, and introduced in 

 1570. It is used in soups and sauces, and other culinary preparations. It is not 

 generally cultivated. 



Egg-plant, — Solanum Melongena, (Linn.) — belongs to the class and order Pen- 

 iandria Monogynia, and natural order of Solanacea. Is a native of Africa, and in 



