850 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 4, 1905. 
Notes oh . . . 
Our Illustrations. 
ON CENTRE SHEET (pages 848 and 849). 
General Remarks. 
In large gardens all the vegetables and 
herbs of which we are about to speak would 
be cultivated, though in some few instances 
the owners, having preferences or likes and 
dislikes, will leave out some of them. All of 
them are excellent in their way, and we heie 
introduce a variety for the purpose of en¬ 
couraging their general cultivation. Even in 
small gardens many of the neglected herbs and 
salad plants may be grown to advantage 
even in preference to the common kinds, 
which are often troublesome to grow in 
small gardens, especially those which have 
been used as gardens for a long period. 
Where facilities exist it might be more profit¬ 
able to cultivate the scarcer plants in small 
gardens, and to buy the common ones in the 
ordinary market or greengrocer’s shop. 
The troubles and difficulties with insect and 
fungoid enemies are often great in small 
gardens, owing to the fact that in the imme¬ 
diate neighbourhood there may be neglected 
gardens where all sorts of enemies are allowed 
to flourish. Most trouble, perhaps, is occa¬ 
sioned with Potatos, Onions and Carrots, 
though we think the difficulties in each case 
may be overcome with close attention and 
perseverance. Many of the less common 
herbs and vegetables have fewer enemies than 
the more generally cultivated ones, so that 
their cultivation would not occasion any great 
difficulty in gardens where light and air—that 
is, exposure—is sufficient for their well-being. 
Even the tables of the humble might be kept 
well supplied with these vegetable delicacies, 
which are both wholesome and serve to give 
that variety which adds relish to the table. 
Chicory. 
The ordinary form of Chicory is a British 
plant, and therefore well adapted for cultiva¬ 
tion in this country. Seeds are always readily 
obtainable, and may be sown in drills, in well- 
prepared soil, 1ft. apart, in May or June. 
When the seedlings are well up they should 
be thinned to 6in. or 8in. apart, leaving the 
stronger plants. If the soil is light, rich and 
open, cultivation will be of the easiest, as 
frequent hoeing is all that is necessary during 
the summer months to encourage vigorous 
growth. 
The leaves of Chicory are sometimes boiled 
whole as a vegetable, but the form in which 
they are most relished is as an ingredient of 
the salad bowl. For this purpose they may 
be had summer and winter. During summer, 
as soon as large enough, the plants may be 
covered with flower-pots or something that 
will keep them dark in order to blanch the 
leaves, or the latter may be tied up and the 
tender central ones only used, much in the 
same way as Lettuce. 
Those who desire to use the leaves in winter 
may do so by lifting some of the roots and 
planting them firmly in boxes—or even in 
pots—of any light soil and placing them in 
heat. Mild heat is sufficient to encourage the 
development of leaves, though it may be 
raised to 55 degs. or 60 degs. to encourage a 
more rapid growth. At the same time the 
plants should be kept in darkness by covering 
them up by any convenient method. The 
boxes may also be placed in the Mushroom 
house, and thus minimise the trouble of 
covering up. As soon as the leaves are large 
enough they are fit for use in the salad bowl. 
A large variety named Witloof is sometimes 
employed for this purpose, but from what we 
know of it it has little advantage over the 
ordinary one. Our illustration shows two 
roots that had been dug up before the leaves 
died down. They were very much forked, but 
this is the usual method of growth, and as 
the roots are not used for the table there is 
no necessity for growing slmpely taproots. 
Tarragon. 
Both this and the above plant belong to the 
composite family, but while Chicory is allied 
to the Dandelion, Tarragon is more closely 
identified with Wormwood and Mugwort. In 
its essential characteristics it is entirely dif¬ 
ferent from either in flavour. The foliage is 
the part used for seasoning various dishes, 
and also for use in the salad bowl. The leaves 
are aromatic and pleasant to the taste, even 
in their fresh state, and therefore vastly dif¬ 
ferent from the bitter taste of Wormwood. 
The plant is a native of Southern Europe, arid 
is somewhat more tender than Chicory. It 
is advantageous, therefore, to place some pro¬ 
tective material around the crowns in winter. 
Seeds of this uncommon herb are not ob- 
tainablej therefore it is necessary to propa¬ 
gate the old plants by division in March or 
April, or by cuttings taken when the plants 
are commencing growth in spring. Shoots 
may also be taken off during the summer 
months, inserted in pots of sandy soil, and 
placed under hand-lights or in a cold frame. 
As the old plants are liable to die off occa¬ 
sionally, it is well to keep up a stock by 
propagating a few plants every year. This is 
easily done, as the quantity required is never 
a large one, and the plants grow freely during 
summer. 
Those who require a supply in winter may 
lift a plant or two, placing them in a box of 
light soil and standing them in a house with 
a gentle heat in the same way as is done with 
Mint. This boxing up is done before the 
advent of severe weather in autumn, the 
present being the best time for the purpose. 
Tarragon might also be had for seasoning in 
the dry state by cutting the shoots and drying 
them in an airy shed, not exposed to sunshine 
in the same way as is sometimes done with 
Parsley. The dried material would scarcely 
answer for the making of salads. 
Potato Up-to-Date. 
Notwithstanding the reports that this ex¬ 
cellent field Potato had become largely de¬ 
generated and liable to disease, it is still 
extensively cultivated with success, even in 
Ireland, where the conditions of climate are 
highly favourable to the fungus and dis¬ 
advantageous to the Potato. The tubers are 
not always of the same shape, but numerous 
well-formed and pebble-shaped tubers may be 
selected suitable even for exhibition purposes, 
as we had ample evidence at Vincent Square 
on the 24th ult. All the eyes are shallow, and 
more particularly at the apex, where they are 
generally the deepest. The skin is white and 
slightly rough, but not to a great degree, so 
that exhibitors have no difficulty in making it 
look smooth and clean on the exhibition table. 
Its table quality has still much to recommend 
it, and for that purpose we feel sure it will 
be grown for many years yet, provided culti¬ 
vators attend to the rules which govern good 
cultivation and to the selection and change of 
seed. One little fault we should place against 
it is that the tubers are sometimes grown too 
large. 
Carrot New Red Intermediate. 
The above is no doubt a selection from 
James’ Intermediate, which has long been 
grown as a standard variety in this country. 
Tire name “ Intermediate ” is applicable to its 
length, as it is intermediate between that of 
Long Bed Surrey or Altrincham and the horn 
or stump-rooted Carrots. The specimen from 
which our photograph was taken measured 
20in. even after the removal of the tip of the 
root. Its smooth and even or taper form is 
due to the art of the cultivator, who not only 
trenches the soil, breaking it up finely, but 
makes holes at regular intervals apart, so 
that only one root to a hole may be grown. 
The holes are, of course, filled up with finely 
sifted soil consisting of loam, wood ashes, leaf 
mould, and even sand. The sifting is done 
for the purpose of removing all the stones and 
clods of earth, so that there will be nothing to 
impede the progress of the young root when 
penetrating the soil perpendicularly. A 
straight course is essential to the form of the 
root and its length. When the holes are 
filled up with the compost just mentioned it 
is pressed down quite firmly before sowing a 
few seeds on the top. After the seedlings 
have germinated, the strongest one is retained 
and the rest weeded out. A large dibble is used 
for making the holes. This system is seldom 
resorted to except for the production of 
shapely exhibition roots. 
The New Red Intermediate is considered 
superior to James’ Intermediate, as it grows 
about twice the size even under ordinary cul¬ 
tivation. The skin is of a clear bright red 
colour, close in texture, and so thick as to 
leave only a very small core. It is a very 
popular variety for exhibition purposes, and 
is also equally excellent for table purposes. 
For ordinary home consumption roots of suit¬ 
able size and good shape may be obtained 
from ground that is simply trenched and well 
broken up in the usual way. In order to 
favour shapely roots no farmyard manure 
should be put into the ground for some con¬ 
siderable time previous to sowing, and even 
what is given should be put well down. 
Good cultivators will select soil that has been 
well manured for some previous crop. Various 
sowings are made according to the variety, 
in order to keep up a succession of tender 
young roots, but the main crop need not 
be sown before „ the end of March or the 
beginning of April. 
Common Marjoram. 
In British gardens two or three species of 
Marjoram are usually cultivated, namely. 
Common Marjoram and Sweet or Knotted 
Marjoram and pot Marjoram. Sweet Mar¬ 
joram is usually grown as an annual, for the 
simple reason that it is not quite hardy in 
this country. The common Marjoram, which 
we represent, is a native of Britain and 
perennial, so that when once a stock of it has 
been obtained it is only necessary, when re¬ 
newing overgrown beds or patches, to lift the 
plant and cut it up into pieces, using the 
more vigorous young crowns, which may be 
