66 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



POTATOS, &C. 



Potatos (Solanufii tuherosuni), " SeiuiUiati," are usually planted by 

 themselves, in trenches well-hoed and manured ; in some instances I 

 saw small quantities of artificial manure being carefully placed between 

 the seed potatos in the rows before they were covered up. Broad beans 

 are sometimes sown between the rows of potatos. 



Sweet potatos (Ipomoea Batatas), " Batatas," are planted in wide 

 trenches, and, with a double row of cabbages on the ridge, form a close 

 carpet of vegetation. Often in these trenches (which are in universal 

 use for vegetables for the purposes of irrigation) four crops are growing 

 at the same time: (1) young sugar cane from cuttings, which will 

 not become marketable canes till the next year; (2) sweet potatos; 

 (3) cabbages or cauliflowers; (4) broad beans. The last-named crop 

 comes off first, either as green forage or a market vegetable; then 

 the cabbage or cauliflower, and lastly the sweet potatos, leaving the 

 sugai" cane in possession. 



Broad beans {Faba vulgaris), " Favas," are frequently grown as a 

 terrace crop by themselves, and delicious whiffs of their blossoms' scent 

 are blown to meet one, while bumble-bees are busy sipping the nectar. 



Green peas (Pisiuii sativum), " Ervilhas'^verdes," are an excellent 

 and prolific crop. The top shoots of Arundo Donax, bamboos, and 

 willows are used as peasticks, even sometimes the ends of pine boughs. 

 The French bean (Pliaseolus vulgaris), " Feijdo," naturally luxuriates 

 in a climate like that of Madeira, and is of excellent flavour; it is 

 dressed either whole or sliced. The plant is easily grown and climbs 

 up trellises and reeds, put up in any spare corner. A number of beans 

 and peas are grown and harvested when ripe, and the dried seeds are 

 used in the " sopas " and as vegetables. 



Such are : — 



Dried Peas ... . . ... " ErviUias seccas." 



White Bean ... ... ... " Feijdo branco. 



Haricot Bean ... ... ... " Feijdo carrapato." 



Butter Bean ... ... ... " Feijdo Dianteiga." 



Gicer Pea ... ... ... ... " Grdo de bico." 



Lentil ... ... ... ... Lentilha." 



Tomatos [LycopersicuDi vulgare), " Tomate," and eggplants 

 {Solanmn Melongena), " Fere melange," are placed against sunny 

 banks or odd corners. Lupins [Lupin us Tennis) form an exceedingly 

 pretty crop with their pale blue, or grey and white, flowers and elegant 

 palmate leaves. This is a highly esteemed forage plant. 



Seed Beds, &c. 



The peasants keep seeds, of their vegetables for sowing the next 

 year; thus one sees tall yellow flowering plants of cabbages {Coiive) 

 and cauliflowers {Couve jlor) adorning each man's garden patch, a plant 

 being left here and there to seed where most out of the way of other 



