185 
Thumb. The Chinese in Singapore cultivate a common kind 
of lettuce very extensively, but their habit of using night-soil for 
manuring makes it, as well as all other ground vegetables which 
are eaten uncooked, somewhat dangerous to eat. 
Mustard and Cress . — Can be grown by any one, whether they 
have a garden or not. There are several ways of doing it, but 
one of the simplest is to put two or three inches of moss, cocoanut 
fibre or anything that will hold moisture, in a shallow box and 
make it thoroughly wet. On the top of this lay smoothly a piece 
of clean flannel, and on this sow the seeds thickly. Do not allow 
the flannel to get dry, and in three or four days the mustard and 
cress will be ready for use. 
Mustard is also grown by the Chinese for the leaves, which they 
eat cooked. Unlike most European vegetables, it will sometimes 
produce perfectly good seed here. 
Dandelion (Taraxacum ). — Is also a very excellent salad plant, 
either alone or mixed with others. It is grown from seed, and 
pricked out like lettuce. In Europe, several forms are cultivate 
and usually they are improved by blanching and though it 
appears impossible to blanch it properly here, it is well worth c.u * 
tivating. 
Chicory . — Can be grown in the same way, and is an excellent 
addition to a salad. Like dandelion, it is much improved in 
Europe by blanching, but even unblanched it is excellent. 
Lamb's Lettuce or Corn Salad .— Can also be grown here, but 
seems rather more delicate, and liable to injury by heavy ram. 
Pegaga (Hydrocotyle asiatica ). — A common weed with rounded 
leaves, growing on banks and in grass, and much sough ^y na ives 
as a medicinal herb, may be added to salad. It lias h somewhat 
peculiar flavour, which, however, is not unpleasant, an 1 } 
wholesome as a digestive. 
Celery .—Although celery cannot be grown white and crisp here, 
it is most useful for flavouring, and is well worth attention. Sow 
the seeds in boxes or pots, and when big enough, plant them in 
beds or trenches that have been previously heavily manuied, at 
about nine inches apart, cow manure, bone dust, and burnt 
earth may be applied liberally and, during dry weather, hqu 
manure. Vhen about a foot high, the earth should be drawn up 
round the stems and again later on, but care must be taken not 
cover the heart of the plants. A little shade during the middle 
of the day is beneficial. , „ . ,, ,- 11ei 
Celery can be readily grown in this way both m the hills a 
plains, and very good samples are often to be seen a oui 
Shows. It is generally used for flavouring soups. 
Beet .— Can only be grown with success in the hills. It is rare : y 
of any use if grown in the plains. It requires rather a rjci> g _ 
soil, which has been well manured for a previous ct op . 
should be sown in drills about nine inches apart, an , a 
strong enough, the plants thmned out to about six inches ap 
