374 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the Queen came to the throne, such as Giant and Battersea ; but 

 the greater facilities for reaching the Continent have resulted in 

 the desire to cultivate the varieties which produce the massive 

 sticks so well grown in France. The most popular French strain 

 is the best selection of Argenteuil, and when the English cook 

 has learned to imitate more closely the methods of the French 

 chef we shall doubtless find as delicate and delicious Asparagus 

 in London restaurants as in those of Paris. 



In like manner has the increased taste for Globe Artichokes 

 been formed, a delicacy which was seldom grown fifty or sixty 

 years ago. 



The increased use also of Sugar Peas, Waxpod or Butter 

 Beans, Celeriac, Chicory, Endive, Cardoons, Egg Plants, Silver 

 or Sea-kale Beet, and other kindred subjects may be traced to 

 the same cause. 



We do not appreciate all the ways of railway companies, 

 but they have undoubtedly been the means of introducing us 

 to some of the more delicate and delicious vegetables of the 

 Continent. 



Beet. 



Salads are much more popular now than they were sixty 

 years ago, and as Beet perhaps comes next in importance to the 

 Cucumber and Lettuce, the natural result has been a marked 

 improvement in the varieties grown. In the early days of the 

 Queen's reign "Dwarf Red," "Large Red," and " Turnip-rooted " 

 were the ones in use. Seeing how difficult it is to obtain seed 

 which will produce absolutely uniform results in colour of leaf, 

 &c, it was a happy idea on the part of the seed seller of those 

 days to protect himself by labelling the packets with such com- 

 prehensive names. It is quite certain that even now the 

 description "Large Red " would be very applicable to strains 

 frequently seen growing. In 1841 " Whyte's Black " was intro- 

 duced, a variety almost black in the flesh, but inclined to be 

 coarse in texture as well as strong in growth and with con- 

 siderable variation in the colour of leaf. Notwithstanding these 

 faults it is still to be found in nearly all seed lists, and presumably 

 therefore has its admirers. Of late years a large number of im- 

 proved types of this class have been seen, and those who fancy 

 beets with flesh almost black have no lack of choice. 



Later introductions which remain popular were " Nutting's 



