22 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[January, 
spring the seed is planted, the larger will be the 
plants in the fall; hut if other work is pressing 
at the time, the seed will not spoil, for I have 
left a portion of mine that I washed out last 
.spring for three weeks after they had sprouted, 
and then sowed them. To all appearances every 
one grew, but the plants are not as large as 
those that were sown first. I sowed but a 
small patch, as I was afraid they would not grow, 
but from my little spot I have just plowed up 
7,508 No. 1 plants. In setting out hedge-plants 
I never use a dibbler, or dibble, as some ad¬ 
vocate, but plow a land and make a dead 
furrow where I want the liedge-row, then 
plow in the bottom, or, in other words, subsoil 
the dead furrow ; in this I set my plants 18 inches 
apart. Some set only 8 inches apart, but I think 
the fence made in my way is the cheaper in the 
end, and equally good. By so doing the roots 
can be placed somewhat as nature placed them, 
but this cannot be done when they are poked 
into a small hole made by a dibble. Turn on 
the soil with the plow or shovel, and pack it 
with the foot; keep the ground clear from weeds 
by the use of tools, or by a mulch; let the plants 
grow without trimming until large enough to 
slash (that is, cut partly off, and bend over). I 
have plants that I cut nearly off near the 
ground last spring and lapped, that have borne 
hedge apples of full size the past summer.” 
The Swiss Chard, or Leaf Beet. 
Mention has been made of the Swiss Chard 
several times, and now that those who take an 
interest in their gardens are deciding on what 
to plant next spring, we wish to describe it more 
particularly, and press its claims more forcibly. 
The Swiss Chard, also called Leaf Beet, White 
Beet, and Sea-kale Beet, is so different in appear¬ 
ance from the common 
beet, cultivated for its 
root, that some have 
considered it a dis¬ 
tinct species, but it is 
now regarded as on¬ 
ly a marked variety, 
in which the leaves 
are remarkably devel¬ 
oped at the expense 
of the root. The root 
of the Swiss Chard is 
small, badly shaped, 
tough, and worthless. 
The leaves have re¬ 
markably large stalks, 
and the leaf proper is 
very fleshy and succu¬ 
lent. The engraving 
gives a leaf much re¬ 
duced in size. There 
are white, yellow, 
and red varieties, the 
white being the best. 
The red kind is some¬ 
times used in Eu¬ 
rope, for its fine color, in planting ornamental 
beds. The sowing and culture are the same as 
with the common beet, and to get a rapid 
growth of leaves the soil should be pretty rich. 
The great value of this plant is that it produces 
a supply of the finest greens during the hot sum¬ 
mer months, when spinach cannot be had. The 
outer leaves are pulled off for use, leaving the 
central ones to develop. In cooking, the 
entire leaf may be boiled, or the green por¬ 
tion cut away from the stalk, and each part 
cooked separately. The green portion or blade 
of the leaf, cooked and dressed precisely as 
spinach, forms a most acceptable substitute for 
that vegetable. The stalks, tied in bundles, 
boiled and dressed the same as asparagus, are 
liked by most persons. These stalks are called 
in France the “Poor Man’s Asparagus.” We 
believe that the seed of the Swiss Chard is kept 
at ‘-all the seed stores, and we recommend all 
lovers of good vegetables to make a trial of it. 
Our Native Cactuses—Prickly-Pears. 
Northern Mexico and parts of Arizona are 
the “ head centres ” of the Cactus family, where 
it often makes up a large share of the vegeta¬ 
tion. These singularly shaped and often terribly 
spiny plants present a great variety in form and 
size, some being only an inch or two high, while 
others tower up to forty feet or more, and by 
their often brilliant and showy flowers at sea¬ 
sons, make gay the otherwise dreary wastes they 
inhabit. The number of species rapidly dimin¬ 
ishes as we come northward, and in the North¬ 
ern States we have only three species, all oi 
them being low-growing Opuntias. The com¬ 
monest one is the well-known Prickly-Pear, 
(Opuntia vulgaris), which is not rare in the vicin¬ 
ity of New York, and is hardy considerably 
north of that. Another is Rafinesque’s Prickly- 
Pear, (Opuntia Rafinesquii), found in Wisconsin 
and westward, and the third, fhe Missouri Prick¬ 
ly-Pear, (Opuntia Missouriensis), found also at 
the far West. These have a close resemblance 
in general appearance, but differ in their spines 
and other particulars. The engraving shows 
the common and Rafinesque’s species. Their 
flattened, jointed stems are very striking. These 
stems, being flat and green, are popularly consid¬ 
ered as leaves. The proper leaves are very 
small, being only about a quarter of an inch 
long. They are only to be noticed on the young 
growths, as they soon fall off, and usually leave 
a tuft of bristles or a few stiff spines to show 
where they stood. The common species is less 
spiny than the other two. The flowers of all 
three of our species are yellow, Raflnesque’s 
sometimes having a red center; they open several 
days in succession. The berry is of the shape 
shown in the drawing, and when ripe, is edible 
in the two species there given. It has, how¬ 
ever, no very marked flavor, but the fruit of 
some of the natives of warm countries is really 
delicious. In eating the fruit, care is requisite to 
avoid the spines with which it is beset. The 
Revue Horticole, a journal usually very accu¬ 
rate in its statements, had an article some 
months ago on Rafiuesque’s Prickly-Pear, in 
which it stated that it is abundant around 
New York, 'and that the fruit is to be found 
in the markets, where it is regarded as a deli¬ 
cacy for children. This is as far from true as 
can be. These Prickly-Pears form dense, spread¬ 
ing tufts, and, being perfectly hardy, they are 
of easy cultivation. 
Their odd forms, and 
the fact that they will 
live in the most un¬ 
promising places, 
make them well suit¬ 
ed to plant upon 
rock-work. These 
plants should be 
handled with care, as 
their minute bristles 
easily penetrate the 
skin and cause troub¬ 
lesome irritation. 
The Mexicans plant a 
large species with for¬ 
midable spines upon 
the top of their mud 
fences, where it forms 
an effectual barrier 
to fruit-stealing boys. 
Many of the Cactus 
family are cultivated 
for the beauty of their 
flowers, and belong 
to different genera 
from these native species. Tiie Epiphylums, 
popularly known as Crab's-claw Cactuses,” on 
account of the shape of their jointed stems, 
are desirable winter-blooming plants. Several 
species of Cereus produce flowers of great size 
and of gorgeous coloring. These are summer 
blooming, and during the winter should be kept 
nearly dry and at rest. In summer they pro¬ 
duce a fine effect set upon the piazza, or they 
may be placed in the border with the pots 
plunged in the soil up to the rim. The rare 
Night-blooming Cereus requires a hot-house. 
PRICKLY-PEARS—COMMON. KAPINESQUE’S. 
