March 19, issi. ] 
221 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
IS in existence. I have searched old gardening books and have 
made many inquiries, and the evidence is distinctly negative. Yet 
wny should not a double white exist as well as a double red or a 
double blue ? Is there a do&ble angulosa anywhere ? 
The ever-welcome Crocus needs no eloquent pen to tell of its 
beauty, and now all around me it seems to say that my feeble 
powers had better leave untouched the theme. In truth, none of 
the poets can write of the Crocus in sufficiently glowing terms to 
satisfy the exacting votary of the flower. None comes nearer than 
JMilton when he says— 
“ Underfoot the Violet, 
'Crocus and Hyacinth, with rich inlay, 
Broidered the ground, more coloured than with stone 
Of costliest emblem.” 
And what “stone of costliest emblem” can compare with these 
brilliant clumps of gold, of purple, of white, or of lilac, with stripes 
of various hues shown by the fine named Crocuses of Dutch 
•origin ? Almost peerless among the striped varieties is one fitly 
named Sir Walter Scott, the “Wizard of the North,” whose 
romances so entrance the reader, and whose name is fitly associated 
with one of the finest of our garden Crocuses. 
Deeply interesting, too, are the various species, some of which 
nave not yet been used in the production of these florists’ varieties. 
"C. imperati, one of the prettiest Crocuses in the garden, fawn 
coloured, and striped with deep purple or black externally, and 
when open of a fine purple colour. Then we have C. minimus, 
oiily a little inferior to it in beauty ; C. Fleischeri, white, striped 
with deep purple ; C. Sieberi, purple, with a yellow bise, and a 
number of others now in flower. One is sorely tempted to speak 
•of these; but other things also claim a note just now. 
Nestling in a corner of the rockwork is the exquisitely beautiful 
^yclamen coum with bright crimson blossoms well raised above 
its deep yet bright green foliage. It seems to prefer .having the 
corm slightly covered with earth. Few things are brighter ; it 
IS, as a lady said the other day, “ such a bright little thing.” Not 
far from it are a number of plants of Primula Cashmeriana now 
coming well into flower. Some ten or so heads are in flower, and 
there is much beauty in the light green gold-dusted foliage, sur¬ 
mounted by the bright purple flowers. This and P. rosea are 
among the finest of our early spring Primulas. In a cosy spot 
under a tree are a few plants of an early Primrose, kindly sent me 
by Miss Jekyll last year. This, named Muustead Early White, is 
a variety well worthy of propagation. The flowers are large, of 
good substance, and freely produced, besides being of a good colour, 
I purpose propagating for associating with this a yellow seedling of 
my own, which has been in flower all winter, and is now quite 
covered with bloom'. It has large deep yellow flowers, and has been 
tested for about three years. 
The Chionodoxas are late with me this year, and are not fully 
In flower. They seem to be relatively later with me than most 
other flowers. The Scillas are only showing colour. The first of 
the Narcissi flowered on the last day of February. This was 
N. minimus, which flowered with me on 13th January last year. 
It is hazardous to conjecture what may be the next, but it will 
probably be_ N. scoticus or N. minor. N. pallidus prmcox, which 
•does well with me, is “ out of the running,” as also is Ard Righ. 
I expect the early blooming of this variety in some places is due 
tio early lifting and early replanting. 
Saxifraga oppositifolia and S. o. alba are very fine at present. 
The first, which has been established for some years, is now a good- 
sized plant, and the close carpet of dark green foliage and beautiful 
purple flowers hanging over a ledge of limestone is particularly 
beautiful. The earliest of the Saxifragas is S. Burseriana major, 
which is a very desirable plant to grow, 
I have just received the Journal, and have read, with the 
pleasure his articles always give, the notes by “ D., Deal,” on new 
or rare herbaceous and alpine plants. The notes on the Aubrietias 
are especially interesting to me, as they are favourite plants of 
mine. Is what “ D., Deal,” calls A. grmca Ingram! synonymous 
with A. g. pallida raised by Mr. Ingram and offered some time ago 
by a Norwich firm ? A. Leichtlini is a first class plant. I have 
had a few rather interesting results with seedlings of this, one of 
these being what may be called a “ plum purple.” A. rosea is 
sufficiently distinct to grow, but let me warn the grower not to be 
disappointed with it on first coming into flower, as the rosy colour 
is not pronounced at first. I have some seedlings of A. rosea from 
which I hope to have a little variety. I understand that Max 
Leichtlin has a good white Aubrietia in store for us. I am sure it 
will have a hearty welcome when it is sent out. Space will not 
permit of further remarks at present, but permit me to echo the 
recommendation by “D, Deal,” of Gypsophila paniculata. One 
reason it is so little grown is that it does not transplant readily, and 
is best grown from seed. I showed a spike from a plant feet 
high at our local show last year, and it created quite a sensation 
Another recommendation it has—viz,, it is an “ everlasting.”— 
S. Aenott, Rosedene, Kirhhean, N.B. 
AYITLOOF. 
The vegetable or salad known as Endive in Pans, and the exact 
name of which is Witloof, or Headed Common Chicory, so easily 
produced that it is a matter for surprise that it is rarely met with in 
the kitchen gardens of country seats, which are often far from 
any market, and where, therefore, should be made ample provision 
for a supply of vegetables and salads during winter. 
The Witloof is the forced and blanched shoot of the large 
rooted or Brussels Chicory, and can be obtained only from that 
variety, which is characterised by the width of its leaves and the 
great size of their midribs. When blanched by underground 
forcing it forms a kind of head, very compact and firm, of an ivory 
white colour, bearing carriage well, and remaining fresh for several 
days if well treated. The leaves are either used uncooked as salad, 
or boiled and seasoned in different ways. In the first case they 
resemble the Barbe de Capucin salad, and in the second they bear 
some analogy to the coiled curled Endive. But whatever may be 
the way in which they are used, they furnish an agreeable, sound, 
slightly bitter vegetable, which is most delicately flavoured. 
It may interest some of your readers to know how the Witloof 
is produced, and I venture therefore to send the following notes. 
The seed of the large-rooted Chicory, which must be true and 
genuine, should be sown during June or in the beginning of July 
on deeply dug ground in rows 6 to 10 inches apart, and when well 
up the seedlings should be thinned so as to leave twenty to thirty 
roots to the square metre. When the seed is sown too early a 
large proportion of the plants are prone to run to seed the first 
year. 
It is not impossible to prick out the young plants, and that 
operation is even to be commended in market gardening, where it 
is often important that the ground be cleared as quickly as 
possible. In that case we can sow the seed in a reserve bed in 
June, and prick out the seedlings towards the 10th Jul}^, after an 
early crop. The plants are set out about 6 inches in all directions. 
In October they are fully developed, and the roots are of the size 
of a common spade handle. Then is the time to take them up, to 
trim off the leaves about 1^ inch above the neck, and shorten the 
roots by about 6 inches. At the same time any secondary shoots 
are to be removed that may appear on the sides or around the 
principal shoot, which alone should be kept. 
Directly this is finished the roots are placed in an upright 
position, close together, in the trenches prepared for their forcing. 
These trenches, opened in a sound and well-drained part of the 
garden, should be 15 inches deep—viz., 15 inches below the 
surrounding level of the ground. The bottom must be well 
loosened and pulverised to make easy the planting of the root.«, 
and the intervals between the latter are to be filled up exactly 
with the soil from the trenches, so that the roots are well kept in 
place, and the soil covers them well up to the necks, which latter 
should all be placed on the same level. This being done about 
8 inches of rather dry soil is added, if it has been put in a heap 
under cover in a shed or other place a few weeks in advance. 
The trenches, which may be of any length, with a usual width 
of 4 feet, being thus prepared, one forces the various portions 
successively according to the wants. This is very easily done by 
placing on the portion to be forced a layer of 15 to 20 inches cf 
fermenting manure. In twelve to fifteen days the ground is 
sufficiently warm to produce the Witloof, and the manure may ba 
transferred on the following portion of the trench, increasing its 
heating power if necessary by the addition of some fresh dung. 
The heads are usually fully developed only after twenty days, but 
it only requires to cover the portion which has been heatesf vith 
some litter or straw mats to keef up the warmth and finish up the 
blanched heads. 
The latter are cut off with a portion of the neck of the root 
attached, sorted according to size, and packed in the square baskets 
which everybody has remarked on the Parisian market. Thirty 
heads are usually reckoned to weigh 1 kilog., and the wholesale 
price in Paris varies from 80fr. to lOOfr. per 100 kilog^. 
Attempts have been made to force the Brussels Chicory like 
the Barbe de Capucin by placing the manure direct under the 
roots, covering the latter only with a small layer of sand or com¬ 
post ; but the result has not realised the expectations of the 
planters, the heads of the Witloof opening instead of remaining 
conical and folded. The same roots are sometimes planted again 
after the heads have been cut off, and by gently forcing them in 
half darkness they yield a green salad, pretty bitter, but tender, 
called here “ Chicoiee amcdioiee.— Eug. Schaettel, Paris. 
