438 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Spinach is a favourite English vegetable, and is used in this country 

 much as sorrel is in France, for clearing the complexion. Hence the 

 proverb " Spin, ch and leek keep the skin sleek." The young leaves, 

 and even the stems, are used either boiled or fried with butter, but 

 they are best cooked in a puree. After the stem reaches maturity the 

 leaves become bitter, and are then unfit for use. Its aperient qualities 

 are due to the fact that it consists almost entirely of cellulose, and 

 therefore proves beneficial in habitual constipation. Spinach is pre- 

 pared and cooked in the same way as other green vegetables, except 

 that the wet leaves are put into the saucepan without any water 

 besides that which adheres to them. 



Nettle tops and young bracken shoots serve the same purpose as 

 spinach for purifying the blood, and may be cooked and served 

 after the same methods. Beetroot leaves are also very similar to 

 spinach. The young leaf of the Mangold-wurzel is also excellent 

 when cooked, whilst wild sorrel added to pea- soup makes a pleasant 

 change. 



The many varieties of salad plants may be conveniently classed 

 under one heading, inasmuch as the majority of them are eaten raw. 

 Lettuce stands out pre-eminently as the Queen of Salads ; it is easy of 

 digestion, and exceedingly wholesome. There are three forms, the 

 cabbage lettuce, curly lettuce, and the Cos or Romaine lettuce. Eaten 

 raw as a salad it is considered a cooling, anti-scorbutic, and slightly 

 laxative article of diet, whilst, taken at supper-time, it is said to 

 promote sleep. Lettuce is frequently cooked as a vegetable, or made 

 into soups. Chives, as a salad ingredient or garnish, deserve a greater 

 popularity. The leaves can be used as a substitute for young onions, 

 and if chopped up very finely they also make a splendid flavouring for 

 salads and sauces. Tarragon and Chervil are two little-known but 

 extremely useful salad herbs. Chervil especially has very aromatic 

 leaves, which make a good seasoning and a delicate garnish. The 

 French use it for the ba-is of their dried herbal mixture known as 

 " Fines herbes." Sorrel is another unfamiliar salad plant. In France 

 great use is made of its leaves, but in England it is seldom met with, as 

 it is considered bitter. This, however, may be obviated by using two 

 waters. Cress and Watercress are well-known raw varieties used in 

 salad-making. Both are extremely wholesome, and the latter is often 

 used as a garnish for roast chicken, steak, &c. Endive is particularly 

 useful for winter salads, when lettuce and other similar plants are 

 scarce or unobtainable. It has long been naturalized in this country, 

 but is cultivated much more extensively on the Continent, especially in 

 Belgium. There are several varieties of this plant ; the cut-leaved or 

 curled variety is usually prepared for salads in this country, but the 

 dwarf white Batavian, commonly known as Belgian endive, is more 

 delicate and agreeable in flavour. The petals of dandelions, again, 

 deserve to be much more utilized for salad-making than they are 

 by us in this country. They constitute one of the best of salads. 



