550 
THE OXALIS CRENATA AS A VEGETABLE. 
In this brief abstract of the nature of imita- 
tion in Landscape Gardening, and the kinds 
of beauty which it is possible to produce by 
means of the art, we have endeavoured to elu- 
cidate its leading principles, clearly, to the 
reader. These grand principles we shall here 
succinctly recapitulate, premising that a fami- 
liarity with them is of the very first import- 
ance in the successful practice of this elegant 
art : — viz. 
The Laiitation of tite Beaut? of Ex- 
pression, derived from a refined perception 
of the sentiment of nature ; The Recognition 
OF Art, founded on the immutability of the 
true, as well as the beautiful : And the Pro- 
duction of Unity, Harmony, and Variety, 
in order to render complete and continuous 
our enjoyment of any artistical work. 
Neither the professional landscape gar- 
dener nor the amateur can hope for much suc- 
cess in realizing the nobler effects of the art, 
unless he first make himself master of the na- 
tural character or prevailing expression of the 
place to be improved. In this nice perception, 
at a glance, of the natural expression, as well 
as the capabilities of a residence, lies the se- 
cret of the superior results produced even by 
the improver, who, to use the words of Horace 
Walpole, " is proud of no other art than that 
of softening nature's harshness, and copying 
her graceful touch." When we discover the 
Picturesque indicated in the grounds of the 
residence to be treated, let us take advantage 
of it ; and while all harshness incompatible 
with scenery near the house is removed, the 
original expression may, in most cases, be 
heightened, in all rendered more elegant and 
appropriate, without lowering it in force or 
spirit. In like manner good taste will direct 
us to embellish scenery expressive of the 
Beautiful, by the addition of forms, whether 
in trees, buildings, or other objects, harmo- 
nious in character, as well as in colour and 
outline. 
THE OXALTS CRENATA AS A VEGETABLE. 
The Oxalis crenata of Jacquin, (O.arra- 
cacha, G. Don,) introduced from Peru in 
1829, came originally from Lima, where it 
is customary to use the tubers like potatoes. 
Mr. Saunders, an English gardener, grew it 
first at Oxford, in a strong rich soil. He 
planted a single tuber of 28 grains weight, 
and in the August following, the plant 
had grown as large as a gooseberry bush, 
and bore more than 1,000 flowers, which 
had a fine effect ; none of these flowers bore 
fruit, which is not remarkable in a tuber- 
bearing plant. M. Hamilton found the 
fecula of the tubers in proportion to the bulk, 
the same as in the potato. The crenatcd 
oxalis consequently acquired some repute. 
The fact is mentioned of a tuber of 28 
grains in weight having been planted on the 
7th of April, and having produced by the 
14th of December following 605 tubers, 
weighing together 11 lbs. 14 clrs. and 22 grs. 
The difficulty in cultivating the plant was 
this, that these tubers were not formed before 
October and November, but M. Pringle was 
enabled to make them form in -August. It 
was found that the tubers were produced at 
the joints of the stems below ground. 
M. Moreau realized the greatest success in 
the growing of it. In a border four feet broad, 
with a south aspect, in a rich soil, he made a 
drill eight or ten inches deep and about a foot 
broad, sloping on each side. Fifteen oxalis 
bulbs, weighing 8 ozs. at the most, were 
planted at two and a half feet apart in this 
drill, and each was covered with about two 
inches of soil. Fourteen days after planting 
they were above ground. When the stems 
were six or eight inches high, they were 
earthed up like potatoes, keeping the stems 
free. This operation was repeated every ten 
or fifteen days up to the month of August, 
when the tufts of roots had become large and 
covered all the border. The soil was by that 
time earthed up two feet above the level of 
the border. After each earthing the ground 
was watered. By this mode of culture, 
M. Moreau grew from the fifteen tubers 
which he planted, weighing in all 8 ozs. or 
more, about 44 lbs. of tubers, of which many 
weighed from 1 to 2 ozs. each, and some even 
exceeded this latter size. The number of the 
tubers produced from the fifteen originally 
planted, was about 3,000. 
M. Moreau's plantation was gathered from 
on the loth of December, and it was remarked 
that the roots and branches after the last 
earthing up, were covered with from two to 
three feet of earth, which explains why the 
frosts of November and December do not 
touch them. M. Moreau found that at the 
end of their growth, the parent tubers were 
preserved, and these he planted the following 
year — a curious phenomenon in the history 
of reproductive tubers. 
The culture of the oxalis is therefore shown 
to be the same as that of the potato, with an 
additional ridging, leaving the tubers in the 
ground till December, so that they remain in 
the ground six months. This makes it a 
difficult matter to introduce them into agri- 
cultural cropping, but they may be grown as 
a delicacy. 
The tubers when well grown, measure 
about two inches in length and one inch in 
diameter. When cut, they show a distinct 
cortical la} r er covered by a fine pellicle, which 
