15 
38 OxALis CRENATA, CCLTURE. In the Botanic Garden, under 
No. 433, we have given various particulars regarding this newly- 
introduced edible plant. We now state our experience in its cul- 
ture, whence such conclusions may be drawn, by our readers, as 
will shorten their path to success. In the first week of April, all 
our tubers were put into small pots of rich compost; a few of them 
being cut into small pieces or sets, as potatoes; the whole of 
these grew, but the plants were less luxuriant than those from 
whole tubers. They were submitted to a hotbed, for six weeks, 
which induced a free vegetation. After this, the following 
methods of further culture were pureued. First, a pit, three 
feet square, and two feet deep, was nearly filled with fresh sta- 
ble manure; on this, a nine-inch stratum of good garden mould 
was laid, and a plant of the Oxalis crenata turned out on the 
centre of it. A second was planted immediately in manure. 
A third on a bed very freely dressed with lime. Two plants 
were turned into a manured trench, a foot deep. Two were 
planted on a ridge, a foot high; and two on the level surface, 
without manure. The soil being deep, rich, and very light, they 
all grew luxuriantly; showing a little difference in favour of 
the most highly manured plants. They had a slight moulding 
up, and their stems increased so greatly, that it was found most 
convenient to tie each plant up to three or four supports. They 
produced verj' few flowers; indeed, some of the plants produced 
none at all. 'flms they continued till the present week, Dec. 20, 
when they were taken up, the tops having been destroyed by 
frost. The produce from the plants, thus differently treated, 
has not varied sufficiently to waiTant any conclusion that either 
one or the other methods of jjlanting, are worthy of im])licit 
imitation. Those in the trench afforded the greatest supply of 
tubers; and one plant yielded loO in number; varving in size 
from a pea to two inches long, the whole weighing a pound and a 
half. Each of the other plants produced about half the quan- 
tity. The difference did not, however, depend on the plants 
having been grown in a trench, but from the trench having been 
filled with soil in the autumn, which formed a late moulding up. 
Here we discover the peculiar economy of this new vegetable. 
Everj" stem is capable of being made productive. In lieu of 
their being tied up, and even espaliered, as was the case with 
ours, it seems to be desirable that they be spread out on the 
lOS 
