THE CULINARY GARDEN. 



287 



chalky rock. By cultivation it has been much improved. In its natural state, it has 

 a small hard root, and of rather an unpleasant taste, but, in its cultivated state, it 

 has a large well-flavoured root, and abounds with saccharine and spirituous proper- 

 ties. It has long been an inhabitant of our gardens, but not so generally cultivated 

 now as formerly. Amongst the Catholics it is a favourite Lent root, being eaten with 

 salted fish. In some parts of Scotland the roots are dressed along \nth. potatoes, and 

 form a good dish for the children of the peasantry. Parsnep-wine is well known. 

 In the north of Ireland, a table-beverage is prepared from the roots brewed along 

 with hops. We have only one variety cultivated, but the French cultivate three : 

 the Siam, the Coqtuiine, and the Lishonaise. Of these, the first is the smallest, but 

 best flavoured ; the second is the largest, and cultivated chiefly in the islands of 

 Jersey and Guernsey, wliere the roots sometimes attaiin the length of four feet, and 

 are often sixteen inches in circumference, and rarely so small as six inches. This 

 variety deserves the attention, not only of our cottagers, but also of our dairy-farmers, 

 few vegetables being better for milch-cows ; and in situations, where the soil is hght, 

 deep, and sandy, probably a better crop could not be grown for that purpose. The 

 third variety, Lisbonaise, is nearly as good as the former, but does not grow to 

 such a length, and probably would be better for field culture. Depth of soil, how- 

 ever, is not so material in the cultivation of parsneps, if all other circumstances be 

 favourable ; for, as has been already observed, their roots penetrate to the depth of 

 three or four feet in solid chalk ; nevertheless, the looser the ground is, the larger 

 they will become. 



Pea, — Pisum Sativum, {Linn.) — belongs to the class and order Diadelpliia Decan- 

 dria, and natural order of Leguminosa. Is a native of the south of Europe, but 

 when introduced into this country we have no certain account. In Queen Eliza- 

 beth's time, peas were brought from Holland, and were considered fit only for the 

 nobility, being brought from so great a distance, and at such a great expense. Nu- 

 merous varieties are cultivated in our fields and gardens, the principal of which are 

 as follow : Bishop's dwarf early, Cormack's double-blossomed early frame, Perkin's 

 early ditto, old or true early frame, early Charlton, early golden ditto, early 

 Nichol's golden ditto, common Charlton, early single-blossomed, Reading hot- 

 spur, golden hotspur, dwarf marrowfat, tall marrowfat, green marrowfat or Pata- 

 gonian. Knight's wrinkled, or marrow ; Knight's new dwarf ditto, Spanish moratto, 

 blue Prus.ian, white Prussian, egg, white rouncival, gray rouncival, tall sugar, dwarf 

 sugar, crown or rose, true dwarf scjmetar, sickle pea, dwarf blue imperial, improved 

 ditto ditto, tall ditto ditto, new green nonpareil, royal dwarf; Leadman's ditto, Spa- 

 nish ditto, prolific ditto, late Spanish ditto, early dwarf frame, for forcing, and Nan- 

 terre, or earliest French pea- Of these, Bishop's early dwarf, a new pea, raised by 

 Mr. D. Bishop, in Perthshire ; the early dwarf frame, true early frame, are the 

 best sorts for forcing, or with the early Charlton, the best for early crops in the open 

 air. The Charltons are profitable, as well as early peas, and are suited for cottagers, 

 and small gardens, as arc also all the varieties of dwarfs, as they occupy little ground, 

 and other crops of vegetables may be planted between their rows. Of the middling tall 

 growing sorts, the blue Prussian, dwarf marrowfat, are excellent bearers, and good- 

 flavoured peas ; and, of the tallest, the tall marrowfat and Knight's wrinkled marrow 

 are the best ; the latter is evidently, under good culture, the best-flavoured and pro- 

 fitable late pea th«t is now known. It is not so profitable to maiket-gardeners, nor 

 to cottagers, as it requires stakes of seven or eight feet in height. Leadman's dwarf 

 is a good late pea, and much esteemed for its flavour. The sugar-pea is used nearly 

 in the same manner as kidney-beans ; the pods being deprived of the inner tou h 

 film render them very tender. It was only introduced about the middle of the last 

 century. It is much used in France. All the culinary plants of the natural order 

 Leguminosa, are of great antiquity, and it is probable that they were among tho 



