Johnson : ' Good King Henry.' 



And again, it is 'still occasionally boiled in cottages.' Syme 

 and Sowerby (1863) record that Good King Henry 'even in the 

 beginning of the present century (i.e., the igth) was highly 

 esteemed in Lincolnshire and some of the Midland counties, but 

 it is now little used.' Similar quotations might be added, but 

 these will suffice. Dr. Rhind (1874), indeed, says 'Lincolnshire 

 is the county where it is most in request.' ' Occasionally,' 

 'little used,' 'early nineteenth century' — whoever gave this 

 information? Why, Good King Henry is to-day one of the 

 most popular vegetables in the county of the old Lindiswaras. 

 Friends tell me of its being in great demand in the East Riding 

 and in Durham; I believe also, in Norfolk. Whilst .living on 

 the Southern borders of the West Riding, over twenty years ago, 

 I never observed it, either in gardens or on sale in the markets. 

 For some years past I have had supplies sent Southwards, and 

 those who have tried the vegetable pronounce it to be better 

 than the London favourite, the annual spinach, which is also a 

 member of the Natural Order Chenopodiacece. 



For the purpose of information it may be stated that the 

 leaves and stems of Marquery are the parts eaten. The best 

 period for gathering is about the end of May and onwards to 

 mid-June, when the plant has a kind of 'heart' and has not 

 yet begun to flower. When this takes place the stalks tend 

 to become stringy. Writers say that the young shoots are 

 used as a substitute for asparagus, but this has not come with- 

 in the writer's experience. The portions plucked should under- 

 go a series of careful rinsings. The boiling varies according 

 to fancy, about one hour being the average duration. Plain 

 sauce to this plain herb, and we have a dish fit for a prince. 



A few gardeners nip off the flowers of Marquery as soon 

 as they appear, and contrive to get a smaller crop, a sort of 

 aftermath, in late autumn, but this process, of course, im- 

 poverishes the plant for the succeeding year. Marquery may 

 be propagated either from seed or from offsets from the root. 

 By adopting the latter method a good close bed can be secured 

 in two or three years. A few plants of W^hite Goosefoot 

 [C. album) almost inevitably appear in the bed as weeds, and 

 though the horticulturist ruthlessly uproots these it is not likely 

 that they would greatly injure the flavour of the cultivated 

 herb when put into the saucepan. It is passing strange that 

 Southern gardeners have not thought of growing Marquery. 

 Loudon, it is true, actually gives directions for its cultivation, 

 but no one can be expected to grow everything mentioned by 



1004 December i. 



