286 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 27, 1907. 
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Bdifopiol., 
Nama CompaUVm, fto. 2. 
After issuing a second set of questions 
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prizes without cutting them up into too 
small sums. The results will be found 
fully detailed in another column with an 
announcement as to future competitions. 
as a $oo&. 
On several occasions we have discussed 
the common Bracken (Ptferis aquhina) as 
an article of human food both in this 
country and as used 'by the Japanese. 
Some of our friends give the Ferns a very 
bad name during the process of cooking, 
but possibly they did not adopt the proper 
plan with this particular vegetable. 
An article on the subject under the 
regis of someone in connection with the 
State University, Seattle, Washington, 
appears in the “American Botanist” for 
March. Here the Bracken is very highly 
commended as a nutritious article of hu¬ 
man diet. The principal points to ob¬ 
serve would seem to be to select the ten¬ 
der stems of the Bracken from the time 
they appear above the soil until the frond 
commences to unroll. Even then only 
the tender top portions are selected before 
the tissues become hardened and tough. 
Practically this applies to Asparagus and 
the two would appear to have very much 
in common when cooked. 
Certain people complain of a bitterness 
in taste of these young stems, but the 
Americans have discovered that the bitter¬ 
ness is confined to the hairs covering the 
young stem and frond. The frond itself 
would take too much trouble in prepara¬ 
tion and is therefore rejected. After suit¬ 
able lengths of the young*stem have been 
selected a hard brush is obtained and with 
that the hairs on the stems are brushed 
off. 
To have a dish of Ferns with white 
sauce the stems are cut into pieces i in. 
long and boiled for forty minutes. The 
water is poured off and a white sauce pre¬ 
pared, 'and after seasoning with butter, 
pepper and salt, the Ferns are served 
warm. Fern Greens are dealt with in the 
same way and cooked for forty or fifty 
minutes. The first water is poured off 
and boiling water is added, and the cook¬ 
ing continued for ten minutes. These 
greens are then eaten after seasoning to 
taste. Fern salad has two eggs added, a 
piece of butter about half the size of an 
egg, a teaspoonful of mustard, some pep¬ 
per and salt, and a teacupful of vinegar. 
These are cooked over a fire like a soft 
custard. To get Ferns on toast, the stems 
are cut up into pieces of equal length, 
boiled with a fair quantity of salt, and 
when the Ferns ,are eaten some pieces of 
bread are cut up, toasted, and then dipped 
into the liquid in which the Ferns are 
boiled. The latter are placed on the toast 
and covered with a white sauce or melted 
butter. They are also eaten with eggs, for 
which a recipe is given. 
It is declared that the Fern stems are 
softer than Asparagus, less woody, a'nd 
Japan Quince (Fys-us japonica). 
that the flavour suggests almond to many 
tastes. In food value it is closely similar 
to Cabbage, and in several respects 
superior to Radishes, Asparagus, Tomatos, 
Lettuce, Celery and Cucumbers. We may 
state that the Bracken is a native of Wes¬ 
tern Oregon, Washington and British Co¬ 
lumbia. Under the shade of trees it 
varies from 3 ft. to 8 ft. in height, or even 
to 14 ft. in hollows where the soil is rich 
and moist. It is claimed that the Bracken 
reaches its highest development in that 
part of the world. 
The..; 
Japar? Quipce. 
(Pyrus japonica). 
Though so closely related to the com 
mon Quince used as a stock for the Pear 
this one is grown purelv for ornamenta 
purposes. Since its introduction a larg 
number of varieties have been raised, dif 
fering chiefly in the size and colour 0 
the flowers. In the ordinary form th 
flowers are of a rich scarlet and produce) 
along the stems over a period of severa 
months. In mild winters these commenc- 
to open about Christmas and onwards ii 
the southern counties of England, and 01 
warm sea coasts, where the climate 1 
genial, at that period. From that timi 
the flowers may be produced in successioi 
through the summer, but, as in the casi 
of related plants, the greatest display take: 
place in April. The accompanying illu 
stration shows the character and genera 
appearance of the flowers, except in tht 
matter of colour. 
Other varieties occasionally met with ii 
gardens have larger flowers, while somi 
of them are white, pink, scarlet or crim 
soil Usually these Japan Quinces are 
grown as wall climbers, but they are 
equally well suited for making bushes ir 
the open. Some of them are even of suffi¬ 
ciently dwarf habit to be grown upon 
rockeries for a number of years in quite 
a small state. The flowers that are pro¬ 
duced during a favourable period may be 
followed by fruits known as Quinces, 
which may be used for flavouring Apples 
or Pears that are stewed or preserved. The 
ripe fruits do not possess the peculiar 
odour characteristic of Maule’s Quince, 
so that they would probably suit some 
people’s taste better than that one when 
being used as a preserve. 
In the matter of cultivation it is of the 
easiest, as it will thrive and flower suc¬ 
cessfully in soils of a varied character, 
such as clayey, loamy, sandy and gravelly 
soils. It will succeed best, however, in 
soils of fairly substantial character and 
well drained. 
-- 
Earthing Celery, 
A Letter 
To the Editor. 
There is sound common sense in the 
remarks made by “A. Wells,” respecting 
the above. 
I have adopted the line system for seve¬ 
ral years, with good results, but I might 
add that I generally go through the per¬ 
formance twice, a month or so intervening 
between the two. 
HORTI. 
-f+4-- 
Soldiers as Gardeners. 
Instruction in market gardening is to 
be given to soldiers of the Colchester 
garrison during colour service, in order 
to fit them for employment v.’hen they 
return to civil life, and prizes for the best 
produce will be distributed in the autumn. 
