NEW PLANTS IN THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY S GARDEN. 
515 
Dill should be sown where intended to re- 
main, as it does not bear transplanting, as is 
also the case with nearly all biennial plants. 
Select a light open piece of ground, and sow in 
March or April, in drills, about nine inches 
or a foot apart, and thin the plants out to three 
or four inches asunder, when strong enough. 
If necessary, a sowing may be made in autumn, 
which will stand the winter, and be in early 
For use in spring. A few plants left untouched 
in the spring, will furnish abundance of seed 
lor the next crops. 
CHERVIL. 
The Chervil (Anthrixcics Cerefullum),M not 
a true native of these islands, has, like many 
other plants more in use in ancient days than 
now as condiments, established a strong claim 
to be considered indigenous, occurring in many 
places apparently wild. The young leaves 
were formerly much used in soups and salads, 
but are comparatively seldom asked for now. 
It is an annual plant, growing more than a 
foot high, and flowering in June, or later, 
according to the age of the plants. 
If in request, frequent sowings should be 
made from March to August, but in general 
one or two sowings are enough ; but in sum- 
mer it soon runs to seed, and should therefore 
be sowed often, if wanted at all. Sow the seed 
in shallow drills, about nine inches apart, and 
water if in dry weather ; keep down weeds, 
and thin the young plants if they are too 
crowded. A few plants left will supply plenty 
of seed. There is a variety with very much 
curled leaves in the French gardens. 
SCOKZONERA, SALSIFY, AND SKTRREr. 
The above roots being cultivated in a similar 
manner, and also being in season at the same 
time, as well as being used in nearly the same 
ways, will admit of being treated of under 
one head. 
The Scorzonera (Scorziwcnt hispanica) is 
a native of the South of Europe, and was in- 
troduced to this country before 1.576. It is a 
hardy perennial, the stem in the second year 
attaining a height of three feet, the lower 
leaves are long tod narrow, and the compound 
flowers, which appear in July, are yellow. 
The root is long ami taper, being nearly an 
inch thick at the crown ; it has a very bitter 
taste, so that they require scraping and steeping 
in water before being cooked. 
The Salsify (Ti'agopogoH porrifolius) is a 
rather rare native of England, occurring occa- 
sionally in light moist meadows, and similar 
places. The root is biennial, long, and taper- 
ing ; the stem rises about three feet high, with 
smooth leaves resembling those of the leek, 
even more than do those of the last plant. 
The flowers are purple, expanding in June, 
and the seeds have a feathery down attached 
to them. The young stalks in the second 
season's growth, when the roots are useless, 
may be used as a substitute for asparagus. 
The Skirret (Sium Slsarum) is a native of 
China, and was introduced to this country in 
1548. It is a hardy perennial plant, with a 
stem about a foot high, the leaves near the 
ground are pinnate, and its white flowers are 
produced in July. The root somewhat resem- 
bles that of a small dahlia, each tuber being 
from two to three inches long. 
Although the first and last of these plants 
are perennial, yet in order to obtain the best 
roots it is far preferable to raise the crop from 
seed every year, thus treating them all as 
annuals. A few plants allowed to stand over 
the winter will always furnish plenty of seed. 
They all prefer a rich, light soil, which should 
be trenched previous to sowing the seed. One 
sowing is generally enough, but where it is 
thought advisable to sow again, any time 
from the last week in March, to the first in 
May, will do, the sowings being a fortnight 
or three weeks apart; about the middle of 
April will be soon enough where only one 
sowing is made. Sow in drills, depositing the 
seed not quite half an inch deep. The drills 
should be a foot apart for the two first-named 
plants, and nine inches for the skirret. When 
the plants are well up, thin them out, so that 
they stand as far apart as half the width be- 
tween the drills, and keep them clear of weeds, 
and the ground well stirred amongst them. 
With this treatment some of the roots will be 
lit for use at the end of August, and the others 
will continue the supply until they begin to 
grow again in the spring. They maybe taken 
up when frost approaches, and stored like 
carrots, or as the winters are seldom hard 
enough to kill them, many prefer to leave 
them in the ground till wanted. They are 
boiled or stewed in various ways, and vary 
the supply at table in the winter, although 
they are not so much in demand now as for- 
merly, when the number of vegetables pro- 
curable at that season was not so great as at 
present. 
NEW PLANTS IN THE HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY'S GARDEN. 
One of the most interesting features in the 
new Journal published by the Horticultural 
Society of London, is the account of novelties 
in the shape of plants and fruits, which through 
various channels fall into their hands, and are 
cultivated at Chiswick. From this source, we 
have already on one or two occasions quoted 
the descriptions given of some of these novel- 
ties ; and to the same source we are indebted 
for the following notices : — 
Abutllon rujinerve, (rusty nerved Abu- 
tilon.) —This i s :l half-shrubby downy plant, 
l. i. -2 
