314 
JOURS A L OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 17, 1890 
would thrive under the dead shade of trees, these seem to flourish, 
and their flowers come at a time when they can be the most 
appreciated.— L. Castle. 
CULTURE OF CHICORY. 
Judging from the questions which are from time to time asked 
through the horticultural press for information on this subject 
it would appear that such a valuable salad plant as Chicory is not 
well known in British gardens. The leaves, though bitter, make a 
wholesome and appetising small salad when cut quite young, and 
the blanched growth, known to the French by the name of Barbe 
du Capucin, furnishes an excellent winter salad when dressed in the 
French style. The heads when stewed and served with butter are 
nearly, if not quite, as palatable as Seakale, which they resemble 
very much in flavour. As all the garden varieties of the Chicory 
have originated from the wild plant there is a tendency—more 
marked in some varieties than in others—to degenerate, so that 
care should be taken to obtain seed from a carefully selected strain, 
if not the roots would very likely be worthless for producing heads 
during the winter and spring months. A deep, light, and ordinary 
rich soil, such that the best specimens of Carrots, Parsnips, and 
Beetroot would be expected to result from, is suitable to the growth 
of Chicory. This having been previously dressed with short 
manure and deeply dug into it should be trodden over and raked 
level ; then draw drills, running north and south, about 16 inches 
apart and 2 inches deep, and in these sow the seed thinly any time 
between the middle of April and the middle of May, closing the 
soil in the drills with the feet, treading and raking it level after¬ 
wards. When the young plants have made a couple of inches of 
growth thin them out, first at 6 inches in the row, afterwards 
drawing every alternate plant, should none “ go off ” in the mean¬ 
time. Take advantage of showery weather for doing the work, 
removing seedling weeds at the same time. The Dutch hoe should 
be run deeply between the rows a few times during the summer and 
early autumn months, as much with a view to destroying weeds as 
accelerating growth in the plants. So treated I have known roots 
of Chicory attain to the size of fairly good specimen Carrots. 
The finer the roots are the better specimens of Barbe du Capucin 
or blanched growth may be looked for. 
Taking up and Storing the Boots. 
Towards the end of October or early in November, when the 
leaves of the plants have decayed, the crop should be taken up 
with a digging fork, care being taken to injure the roots as little 
as possible in the operation. They should then be laid in a border 
in a dry situation, the same depth in the soil as they were before. 
Before doing this, however, some calculation as to the probable 
number of roots required for forcing into growth in the Mushroom 
house, cellar, or shed during the interval from the first week in 
December to the middle or end of the following February should 
be made, as the roots required for that purpose may be buried 
closely together perpendicularly in rows about 6 inches apart, and 
at the depth indicated. This would take about one-third of the 
roots. The remainder should be given a distance of 6 inches from 
plant to plant in the row, and 13 inches between the rows, keeping 
the crown of the individual roots half an inch above the soil. 
Early in February place over the plants or roots, or a portion of 
them at short intervals, improvised troughs, about 9 inches wide, 
the same in depth, and 8 feet long, the ends being 1 inch above the 
sides as a means of keeping the board (of the same length and 
width as the individual boxes), forming the lid in position when 
covered with sufficient litter, leaves, fern or leaf mould to exclude 
air, as the assistance of fermenting material is not necessary at 
this time of year to start growth in the roots. Thus grown Chicory 
of the finest size and quality is obtained. 
A covering of long litter or fern may be put over the laid-in 
roots during the winter months as a protection from frost. Ten or 
fifteen days before the first blanched heads of Chicory are required 
the desired number of roots should be taken up and packed about 
4 inches apart in any old shallow boxes that may be at hand, or 
flower pots 9 to 12 inches in diameter, working any kind of light 
soil among the roots up to within half an inch of their crowns. 
Then place the boxes or pots in a Mushroom house or any other 
convenient place where daylight and frost can be completely 
shut out from the plants, otherwise the process of blanching 
will not be thoroughly completed. When the leaves have made a 
growth of from 7 inches to 9 inches they will be fit for use. 
Successional batches of roots should be put in to force every ten 
days or a fortnight, according to the demand and means of produc¬ 
tion. The same roots if allowed to remain in the boxes and pots 
will yield a second, though naturally not so fine a crop, of Barbe du 
Capucin. 
As everyone desirous of having a supply of blanched leaves of 
Chicory during the winter months may not possess tte necessary 
Mushroom house, cellar, or shed to produce them in I will give- 
a very simple and at the same time almost natural way of 
obtaining the object in view. Instead of taking up the roots- 
allow them to remain undisturbed in the ground, simply removing 
the decayed leaves and any small weeds that may be amongst the 
plants ; then strew a mixture of lime and fresh soot arouna the- 
crown of the individual plants, and cover a few rows at intpvals 
of a fortnight with troughs or narrow boxes of the description 
indicated above, covering these with a few feet thick of fermenting- 
leaves. Of course the plants or roots not covered with boxes or 
pots should be covered with a little litter or fern or sifted coar 
ashes to prevent them being injured by frost. In this -way 
satisfactory results in the way of solid, crisp, and well blanchecb 
heads of ChiCoi-y may be secured. If a constant supply of Chicory 
should be required for small salading the seed should be sown* 
every three weeks from the middle of April to the middle or 
October, the supply during the interval from the end of October 
to the following May being obtained from the blanched leaves. 
The early and later sowings should be made in a warm situation^ 
the midsummer sowings (from the end of June to the end of 
August) being made in a rather moist position. In growing 
Chicory for this purpose the seed should be sown broadcast ana 
thickly. Watering at the roots in dry weather is all that is neces¬ 
sary till the produce is fit for cutting. Do this as soon as the plants 
have made the first three or four leaves. Crimson-flaked Chicory 
and the Large-rooted Brussels (Witloef) are the varieties generally- 
cultivated for salading.—H. W. Ward, Longford Castle, Salisbury~ 
AN AMATEUR’S EXPERIENCE WITH ORCHIDS. 
[Read by the Rev. F. D. Homer at a meeting of the Wakefield Paxton Society.] 
( Continued from page 295 .) 
Temperature. 
As to temperature, I have never subjected the Orchids to any 
extreme in the ranges of either heat or cold. I have no really very 
hard and fast lines in temperatures. Cold winds and bright sun' 
outside will at times run them up and down beyond the norma? 
limits, do what we will, but I take all care to keep well clear if 
danger point either way. I often stretch a point, or rather a degree- 
or two, for the sake of air, it is so much to these air plants. On 
frosty nights all the Orchid houses are covered with sheets of 
strong sacking. I find this a great help and benefit. It saves any- 
forced heating of the pipes, and produces a softer and more kindly 
and more restful warmth than heated pipes alone. I am sure it ra 
more healthy for the plants to keep cold out than to put so much 
pipe heat into the house. Besides which, if anything by mischance 
did go wrong with the fire, or even the boiler itself, on a keen 
winter’s night, the sacking sheets over the glass would save an 
immense amount oc heat from loss by radiation. 
As a rule I have kept near the well known temperatures for 
warm and cool Orchids, only I never have the winter night ten> 
perature in the cool houses lower than 50 , and by day 55 . There 
is no trouble with these in summer but keeping them cool enough,, 
which perhaps we cannot accomplish when outside temperature is 
Rf in the shade. The warm and intermediate night temperatures in 
winter are both much the same, about 60°. I take care to keep the 
Phaljenopsids, Vanda Sanderiana, and some others in the warmest 
quarters, but all the Cattleyas, even C. citrina, Dendrobes, Vandas,. 
Aerides, Angriecums, and a great mixture of other species winter 
well, and indeed always grow together. If winter day temperature 
rises to 65° I try to gain a little fresh air. 
In summer day temperatures I think that beyond 75 fresh air 
is worth much more than greater heat. I have noticed that my 
warm Orchids grow more slowly than with some other cultivators, 
but they make very solid growth, and also that I am often late 
on in the flowering season, but still they come in time. As tho 
Orchids are all close at hand, I have often left the East Indian, 
and other warm species with the house open till almost midnight 
on calm and balmy summer nights— i.e., with an outdoor tempera¬ 
ture not under 60°. Of course I have instrumental help in re¬ 
gistering degrees of heat and moisture, but we may in part be our 
own thermometers in Orchids. If ever we feel faint and stifled 
and uncomfortably heated in an Orchid house, or shivery and cold 
and draught-smitten, we may be sure that so it is also with the 
plants themselves. Of course I am assuming that we are in good 
order and “ set right,” like the thermometer. If the houses are 
comfortable I often never look at the glass. 
Manure. 
This savoury, not to say burning question, is one that happily 
concerns the Orchid grower in a very light and slight degree. 
