96 the amateur’s kitchen garden. 
It is always worth considering how the beauty and interest 
of the kitchen garden may be maintained, and therefore it is 
often advisable to grow a few rows of such interesting plants 
as the cardoon, maize, salsify, and scorzonera, and allow them 
to run their whole course naturally. A plantation of arti- 
chokes. and cardoons, displaying their magnificent blue flowers, 
is a sight not to be forgotten in haste, and one that may 
persuade their owner to have a daily walk round amongst the 
seakale, cauliflowers, scarlet runners, and gourds, which are 
also in their way attractive, while suggestive of enjoyments 
of another kind. A certain few of such decidedly ornamental 
plants do serve a place in the shrubbery, and in many in- 
stances, where a proper kitchen garden is scarcely obtainable, 
a dish of asparagus, vegetable marrows, and some few other 
things might be secured without disturbing the place or di- 
minishing the beauty of an ornamental garden — indeed, a 
stout cardoon in flower is as noble a border plant as can be 
provided for the front of a shrubbery. 
Maize or Indian Corn ( Zea Mays) may be sown in April 
where it is to stand, or may be sown in heat in March and 
be planted out in May. The best way to sow is to select a 
piece of deep ground that has been well prepared, and dib 
the seed in about six inches deep in clumps of three to five 
seeds ; the clumps to be a full yard apart. When well up 
thin to three plants each, and if the weather is dry, water 
frequently and liberally. The cobs are cut when quite young, 
and are boiled and served in the same way as asparagus. 
