THE AMATEUR’S KITCHEN GARDEN. 155 *' 
is by trenching, and putting a good bed of manure in the 
bottom of the trench. It would be vain to talk of growing 
salsify extra large, for the fact is, it is never large enough, 
and is, therefore, seldom worth having unless grown with 
especial attention to its fullest possible development. Be 
liberal with it, therefore, or do not grow it at all. Prepare 
the ground in autumn, manuring as advised, and sow in 
April, in rows a foot apart at least. If the ground is extra 
strong and liberally manured at the bottom of the trench, 
sow in rows fifteen inches apart, always remembering that 
you cannot grow the root too large. Thin to nine inches or a 
foot when large enough. Take up in November, and store in 
dry earth or sand ; one row may be left in the ground to 
furnish a dish of spring vegetable. This is obtained from 
the rising flower-stems, which are to be cut early or they will 
be stringy, and cooked in the way of sea-kale. The proper 
way to cook salsify roots is to boil them until tender in a 
very small quantity of milk, and then mash them and fry 
them in butter with salt and pepper. But it may be cooked 
in the same way as parsnips, which should be boiled slowly in 
the smallest possible quantity of water, until they are almost 
in a melting condition. If boiled fast in plenty of water, the 
flavour of parsnips and salsify is in great part washed away, 
and lost for ever. 
Scorzonera ( Scorzonera Hispanica ) is cultivated as sal- 
sify, but, being a stronger grower, needs rather more room. 
Scolymus ( Scolymus Ilispanica ), the Golden Thistle, forms 
a root like salsify, and is cultivated in the same manner. 
When skilfully dressed, this root makes a better imitation of 
the buttery bivalve than any other of its class, and may 
therefore be regarded as the true “ Vegetable Oyster.” 
