198 CARDOON. tETTUCE. 
212. The CARDOON (Cynara cardunculus) is a species of 
artichoke which grozcs wild in the south of France, and has 
smaller flozcers than the common artichoke, and the scales of the 
calyx terminated by long, sharp spines. 
The stems rise to the height of four or Jive feet, and are upright , 
thick, and cottony. The leaves are large and winged, and the 
flowers of Hue colour. 
The parts of the cardoon that are eaten are not those 
belonging immediately to the flower, as of the arti- 
choke, but the roots, stalks, and middle ribs of the 
leaves ; and chiefly the latter, which are thick and 
crisp. But, as all these are naturally very bitter, 
the plants, previously to being used, are blanched, by 
being tied up like lettuces, about the month of Sep- 
tember, and having earth thrown upon their lower 
parts, to the depth of eighteen inches or two feet. 
Cardoons come into season for the table about the end 
of November ; and are either eaten alone, or as a sauce 
to animal food, particularly to roasted meat; or are 
introduced as a dish in the second course. They are, 
however, not so much used in England as on the Con- 
tinent; and this in consequence chiefly of the trouble 
attending their cultivation, and their preparation for 
the table, so as to render them palatable. 
213. LETTUCE (Lactuca sativa) is an esculent vegetable, 
that is cultivated in nearly every kitchen garden in the kingdom. 
The different kinds or varieties of lettuce are ex- 
tremely numerous : but those best known are the cos 
lettuce, and cabbage lettuce, the former having upright 
leaves, and the latter having its leaves folded over each 
other like those of a cabbage. Their culture is very 
simple. The seeds are sown at various seasons of the 
year, that the plants may be ready, in succession, for 
the table. After a while, they are planted out 
from the seed-bed into another part of the garden, at 
a certain distance from each other, to allow of room 
for their expansion and growth. When the cos let- 
