DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 
53 
Salsify, or Vegetable Oyster. 
Fr. Sa/si/is. — Ger. Sc Aiua rw urzel. 
The Salsify has a grassy top and 
a long, white, tapering root, nearly 
resembling a small parsnip. It 
closely assimilates to the taste and 
flavor of the oyster, when properly 
cooked, and is a good substitute for 
it. It is very wholesome and nu¬ 
tritious. 
Culture. —This plant succeeds 
best in a light, well enriched soil, 
which, previous to sowing, should 
be stirred to the depth ot twelve or 
fourteen inches. Sow the seed in 
drills half an inch deep, and two 
inches apart, early in the spring. 
Thin them out when an inch high, 
to lour or six inches apart. Keep 
them free from weeds, giving them 
the general culture of carrots. 
I hey are perfectly hardy, and may 
remain out all winter. Store a 
quantity for use packed in earth or 
sand. Those remaining in the 
ground should be dug before com¬ 
mencing growth in the spring. 
| 
SPINAGE. 
Fr. Epinard. —Ger. Spinat. 
The Spinage is very hardy, and consequently a very 
important vegetable for cold climates. It merits atten- j 
tion from being extremely wholesome and palatable, and 
from its green color, even after having been cooked. It 
makes a delicious dish of greens, when served up with 
the gravy of roast meat, melted butter, &c., or simply ; 
boiled and eaten with vinegar. 
Round Summer 
— This variety is 
generally preferred | 
for early sowing 
and is the most 
popular with our 
market gardeners ; 
leaves large, thick 
and fleshy; not 
quite so hardy as 
the Prickly b u t 
stands the w.ntcr ' 
Thick-Leaved Summer. ver y wel1 ' 
I mproved 
Thick-Leaved Summer.—An improvement on the 
preceding, with larger and thicker leaves, and of more 
substance. Particularly recommended for market gar¬ 
den use. 
Savoy-Leaved. — The *c:ives of this variety are large, 
of good substance, 
and much wrinkled 
or curled, like the 
Savoy cabbage. 11 
is a summer variety, 
and growing in fa¬ 
vor ; in the Southern 
States, it is preferred 
to all others. It is 
said by Southern 
o "" , T' market gardeners to 
Prickly Winter. yield twice the bulk 
of leaves of any other sort. 
Prickly Winter.— The hardiest variety, and will 
withstand the severest weather, with only a slight pro¬ 
tection of leave or straw. The seed is prickly. leaves 
triangular, oblo;.g, or arrow-shaped. It is employed 
for fall sowing, which in this latitude, is made about the 
first of September. 
Culture. —For summer use, sow’ in very rich ground 
—the richer the better—in early spring, in drills one 
foot apart. Thin by degrees, commencing w’hen the 
leaves are an inch wide, and continue regularly till the 
plants stand six inches apart. This sowing must be cut 
before the approach of hot weather, or it will run to seed, 
lor early spring use, the seed should be sowm early in 
autumn, and every two weeks thereafter, if a succession 
is desired. In the Northern States, the plants will re¬ 
quire a slight protection of leaves or straw, but in the 
Southern States, no protection is necessary, and they will 
continue their growth most of the winter. 
SQUASH. 
Fr. Courge. —Ger. Kuerbis. 
The Squash is a much esteemed vegetable, and in 
some of its varieties, can be had for the table the greater ' 
part of the year. Being very tender and sensitive of 
cold, it cannot with safety be planted in the open 
ground before the middle of spring. The different vari¬ 
eties of squash intermix so easily that it is very difficult 
to preserve each pure. 
Early Yellow Bush Scallop.—An early, flat, scal¬ 
lop-shaped variety; 
color yellow; flesh 
pale yellow’, tolerably 
fine-grained and wcll- 
flavored; very pro¬ 
ductive; used when 
young and tender for 
boiling, and at matur¬ 
ity for making pics. 
Early White Bush 
Scallop.—I dent ical 
with the preceding, 
except in color, whi.h 
is white. 
Summer Crookneck.—The richest and best sort for 
summer ; very early and productive. It is small,crooked 
neck, covered with warty excrescences, the more the 
better; color bright yellow ; shell very hard when ripe. 
Summer Crookneck. 
It is used only when young and tender, which may be 
known by the pressure of the thumb nail through the 
sk*n. 
improved American Turban.—An excellent vari¬ 
ety for use in the autumn and early winter. Flesh 
orange yellow, thick, fine-grained, sugary and well- 
flavored. Usually of a greenish color, striped with 
white, though often yellowish white, without stripes. 
In form, resembling a turban, or Turk’s cap. This va¬ 
riety is not to be confounded with the French Turban 
variety, which is more showy, but inferior in quality. 
