THE FIELD AND GARDEN VEGETABLES OF AMERICA TEXT

and slender; the leaves are heart-shaped and smooth, with irregular, angular lobes; the flowers, which are produced in small groups of three or four, are large, bell-shaped, and of a violet or purple color; the seeds are black, triangular, and retain their vitality two or three years,--twenty-three hundred are contained in an ounce. The plants rarely blossom in the Northern or Middle States, and the perfect ripening of the seeds is of still more rare occurrence. The latter are, however, never employed in ordinary culture; and are sown only for the production of new varieties, as is sometimes practised with the common potato. _Soil, Planting, and Cultivation._--In warm climates, the Sweet Potato is cultivated in much the same manner as the common potato is treated at the North. It succeeds best in light, warm, mellow soil, which should be deeply stirred and well enriched. The slips, or sprouts, may be set on ridges four feet apart, and fifteen inches from plant to plant; or in hills four or five feet apart in each direction, three plants being allowed to a hill. During the summer, give the vines ordinary culture; and late in September, or early in October, the tubers will have attained their growth, and be ready for harvesting. The slips, or sprouts, are generally obtained by setting the tubers in a hot-bed in March or April, and breaking off or separating the sprouts from the tubers as fast as they reach four or five inches in height or attain a suitable size for transplanting. In favorable seasons, the plucking may be repeated three or four times. In setting out the slips, the lower part should be sunk from one-third to one-half the entire length; and, if very dry weather occurs, water should be moderately applied. _Keeping._--The essentials for the preservation of Sweet Potatoes are dryness and a warm and even temperature. Where these conditions are not supplied, the tubers speedily decay. By packing in dry sand, and storing in a warm, dry room, they are sometimes preserved in the Northern States until the time of starting the plants in spring. _Varieties._--Though numerous other varieties, less marked and distinctive, are described by different authors, and are catalogued by gardeners and seedsmen, the principal are as follow:-- KENTUCKY EARLY RED. _Murray._ Red Nansemond. Tubers red, or purplish-red, of medium size; flesh yellow, dry, sweet, and of good quality. A very prolific, hardy variety; recommended as the best red Sweet Potato for Northern culture. LARGE WHITE. Patate-blanche of the French. Tubers from six to ten inches in length,--thickest at the middle, where they measure from two to nearly three inches in diameter; weight from six ounces to a pound and upwards; skin dusky white; flesh nearly white, but with a shade of yellow. Not so fine-grained or so sweet as the Yellow or Purple, but quite farinaceous and well flavored. It requires a long season in order to its full development; but, being remarkably hardy, it will succeed well in any of the Middle States, and attain a fair size in the warmer sections of New England. NANSEMOND. Yellow Nansemond. A variety said to have originated in Nansemond County, Va.; whence the name. Tubers large, yellow, swollen at the middle, and tapering to the ends; flesh yellow, dry, unctuous, sweet, and well flavored. It is early fit for the table; matures in short seasons; is very productive; succeeds well in almost any tillable soil; and, having been long acclimated, is one of the best sorts for cultivation at the North,--very good crops having been obtained in Maine and the Canadas. PURPLE-SKINNED. New-Orleans Purple. Patate violette. _Vil._ Tubers swollen at the middle, and tapering in each direction to a point,--measuring, when well grown, from seven to nine inches in length, and from two to three inches in diameter; skin smooth, reddish-purple; flesh fine-grained, sugary, and of excellent quality. The plants attain a remarkable length, and the tubers are rarely united about the neck as in most other varieties. The Purple-skinned is early and productive, but keeps badly. It would probably succeed much better in cool climates than either the White or the Yellow. It is much grown in the vicinity of Paris. RED-SKINNED, OR AMERICAN RED. Tubers fusiform, long, and comparatively slender,--the length often exceeding twelve inches, and the diameter rarely above two inches; weight from three to ten ounces; skin purplish-red, smooth and shining; flesh yellow, very fine-grained, unctuous, sugary, and farinaceous; plant long and slender. This variety is early, quite hardy, very productive, and excellent, but does not keep so well as the yellow or white sorts. It is well adapted for cultivation in the cooler sections of the United States; where, in favorable seasons, the crop has proved as certain, and the yield nearly as abundant, as that of the common potato. ROSE-COLORED. _Vil._ Tubers somewhat ovoid, or egg-shaped, often grooved, or furrowed, and of extraordinary size. Well-grown specimens will measure eight or nine inches in length, and four inches or more in diameter; frequently weighing two and a half, and sometimes greatly exceeding three pounds. Skin rose-colored, shaded or variegated with yellow; flesh sweet, of a pleasant, nut-like flavor, but less soft or unctuous than that of the other varieties. It is hardy, remarkably productive, and, its excellent keeping properties considered, one of the best sorts for cultivation. YELLOW-SKINNED. Yellow Carolina. Tubers from six to ten inches in length, thickest at the middle, where they measure from two to three inches in diameter, and pointed at the extremities; weight varying from four to twelve ounces and upwards; skin smooth, yellow; flesh yellow, fine-grained, unctuous, and remarkably sugary,--surpassing, in this last respect, nearly all other varieties. Not so early as the Red-skinned or the Purple. When grown in the Southern States, it yields well; perfectly matures its crop; and, in color and flavor, the tubers will accord with the description above given. When grown in the Middle States, or in the warmer parts of New England, it decreases in size; the tubers become longer and more slender; the color, externally and internally, becomes much paler, or nearly white; and the flesh, to a great extent, loses the fine, dry, and sugary qualities which it possesses when grown in warm climates. * * * * * TUBEROUS-ROOTED CHICKLING VETCH. Tuberous-rooted Pea. Eatable-rooted Pea. Lathyrus tuberosus. Perennial; stem about six feet high,--climbing, slender, four-sided, smooth, and of a clear green color; flowers rather large, in bunches, of a fine carmine rose-color, and somewhat fragrant; pod smooth; seeds rather large, oblong, a little angular, of a brown color, spotted with black; root spreading, furnished with numerous blackish, irregularly shaped tubers, which are generally from an ounce to three ounces in weight. The roots are very farinaceous, and, when cooked, are highly esteemed. In taste, they somewhat resemble roasted chestnuts. Where the roots are uninjured by the winter, the plant increases rapidly, and is liable to become a troublesome inmate of the garden. * * * * * TUBEROUS-ROOTED TROPÆOLUM. _Thomp._ Ysano. Tropæolum tuberosum. This is a perennial plant from Peru, and deserves mention as a recently introduced esculent. It produces an abundance of handsome yellow and red tubers, about the size of small pears; the taste of which is not, however, very agreeable. On this account, a particular mode of treatment has been adopted in Bolivia, where, according to M. Decaisne, they are treated in the following manner:-- The tubers designated "Ysano," at La Paz, require to be prepared before they are edible. Indeed, when prepared like potatoes, and immediately after being taken up, their taste is very disagreeable. But a mode of making them palatable was discovered in Bolivia; and the Ysano has there become, if not a common vegetable, at least one which is quite edible. The means of making them so consists in freezing them after they have been cooked, and they are eaten when frozen. In this state it is said that they constitute an agreeable dish, and that scarcely a day passes at La Paz without two lines of dealers being engaged in selling the Ysano, which they protect from the action of the sun by enveloping it in a woollen cloth, and straw. Large quantities are eaten sopped in treacle, and taken as refreshment during the heat of the day. _Propagation and Culture._--The plant may be propagated by pieces of the tubers, in the same manner as potatoes; an eye being preserved on each piece. The sets should be planted in April or May, according to the season, about four feet apart, in light, rich soil. The stems may be allowed to trail along the ground, or pea-sticks may be placed for their support. In dry soils and seasons, the former method should be adopted; in those which are moist, the latter. The tubers are taken up in October, when the leaves begin to decay, and stored in sand. * * * * * THE TURNIP. English Turnip. Brassica rapa. The common Turnip is a hardy, biennial plant, indigenous to Great Britain, France, and other parts of Europe. The roots of all the varieties attain their full size during the first year. The radical leaves are hairy and rough, and are usually lobed, or lyrate; but, in some of the sorts, nearly spatulate, with the borders almost entire. The flowers are produced in May and June of the second year, and the seeds ripen in July; the flower-stalk rises three feet or more in height, with numerous branches; the leaves are clasping, and much smoother and more glaucous than the radical leaves of the growth of the previous year; the flowers are yellow, and are produced in long, loose, upright, terminal spikes; the seeds are small, round, black, or reddish-brown, and are very similar, in size, form, and color, in the different varieties,--ten thousand are contained in an ounce, and they retain their vitality from five to seven years. _Propagation and Culture._--All the sorts are propagated by seeds; which should be sown where the plants are to remain, as they do not generally succeed well when transplanted. Sowings for early use may be made the last of April, or beginning of May; but as the bulbs are seldom produced in perfection in the early part of the season, or under the influence of extreme heat, the sowing should be confined to a limited space in the garden. The seeds may be sown broadcast or in drills: if sown in drills, they should be made about fourteen inches apart, and half an inch in depth. The young plants should be thinned to five or six inches asunder. For a succession, a few seeds may be sown, at intervals of a fortnight, until the last week in July; from which time, until the 10th of August, the principal sowing is usually made for the winter's supply. In the Middle States, and the warmer portion of New England, if the season is favorable, a good crop will be obtained from seed sown as late as the last week in August. _Harvesting._--Turnips for the table may be drawn directly from the garden or field until November, but must be harvested before severe freezing weather; for, though comparatively very hardy, few of the varieties will survive the winters of the Northern States in the open ground. _Seed._--As the various kinds readily hybridize, or intermix, only one variety should be cultivated in the same neighborhood for seed. Select the best-formed bulbs, and transplant them out in April, in rows two feet apart, and one foot apart in the rows, just covering the crowns with earth, or leaving the young shoots level with the surface of the ground. An ounce of seed will sow eight rods of land, and a pound will be sufficient for an acre. _Varieties._--The varieties are numerous, as follow:-- ALTRINCHAM. _Law._ Yellow Altrincham. Altringham. This is a yellow-fleshed, field variety, of rather less than average size. The bulb, however, is of a fine, globular shape, with a light-green top, very small neck and tap-root, and possessed of considerable solidity. BORDER IMPERIAL. Border Imperial Purple-top Yellow. Bulb five or six inches in diameter, nearly spherical, sometimes flattened, and usually very smooth and symmetrical; skin yellow, the upper surface of a bright purple; flesh yellow, firm, and sugary; leaves large. The variety is of English origin, and is recommended for its earliness and great productiveness. CHIVAS'S ORANGE JELLY. _Thomp._ Bulb of a handsome, round form, with a small top; the skin is pale orange; and the flesh yellow, juicy, sweet, and tender. It has very little fibre; so that, when boiled, it almost acquires the consistence of a jelly. It originated in Cheshire, Eng. COW-HORN. Long Early White Vertus. _Vil._ [Illustration: Cow-horn Turnip.] Root produced much above ground, nearly cylindrical, rounded at the end, ten or twelve inches in length, nearly three inches in diameter, and weighing from one and a half to two pounds. The skin is smooth and shining,--white below the surface of the ground, and green at the top; the flesh is white, tender, and sugary. Early, very productive, and remarkable for its regular form and good quality. As a field-turnip, it is one of the best; and, when pulled young, good for table use. During winter, the roots often become dry and spongy. DALES'S HYBRID. _Law._ This variety is of English origin, and is said to be a hybrid from the Green-top Swede and the common White Globe. Its prevailing traits are, however, those of the White Globe; inasmuch as its roots are similar in form and texture. Foliage strong and luxuriant; root large, oblong, pale yellow; the upper surface light green; neck and tap-root small. The form of the bulb, though generally oblong, is sometimes nearly globular; but its more material characteristics, large size, and luxuriance of growth, are uniformly the same. Its reputation as a turnip of very superior quality has not been sustained in this country. EARLY FLAT DUTCH. Early White Dutch. White Dutch. An old and well-known early garden variety; bulb round, very much flattened, and produced mostly within the earth; skin white, somewhat washed with green at the insertion of the leaves, which are of medium size. Before the bulb has attained its full dimensions, the flesh is fine-grained, tender, and sweet; but when ripe, especially in dry seasons, it often becomes spongy and juiceless: in which condition, it is of no value for the table; and, even for stock, is comparatively worthless. Average specimens measure about four inches in diameter, and two inches and a half in depth. EARLY YELLOW DUTCH. Yellow Dutch. This variety has a small, globular root, of a pale-yellow color throughout. It somewhat resembles the Yellow Malta, and is a good garden variety. The portion of the bulb above ground, and exposed to the sun, is washed with green. It is of medium size, early, tender, rather close-grained, and sugary; better suited for use in summer and autumn than for winter. By some, the variety is esteemed the best of the yellow garden turnips. FINLAND. _Law._ Yellow Finland. [Illustration: Finland Turnip.] This is a beautiful, medium-sized turnip, of a bright yellow throughout, even to the neck; somewhat similar to a firm Yellow Malta, but of finer color. The under part of the bulb is singularly depressed: from this depression issues a small, mousetail-like root. It is somewhat earlier, and also hardier, than the Yellow Malta. The flesh is tender, close-grained, and of a sweet, sugary flavor; the leaves are small, and few in number; bulb about two inches in thickness by four inches in diameter, weighing eight or ten ounces. An excellent garden variety. FRENEUSE. Root produced within the earth,--long, tapering, and rather symmetrical; size small,--average specimens measuring five or six inches in length, an inch and a half in diameter at the crown, and weighing eight or ten ounces; skin white, or yellowish-white; flesh white, dry, very firm, and sugary; leaves small, deep green, spreading. Half early, and one of the best of the dry-fleshed varieties. GOLDEN BALL. _M'Int._ _Vil._ Yellow Globe. [Illustration: Golden Ball.] Bulb produced mostly within the earth, nearly globular, and very smooth and symmetrical; skin bright yellow below ground, greenish above; leaves comparatively small, spreading; flesh pale yellow, sweet, and well flavored, but not so fine-grained as that of many other varieties. It is a good table turnip; and with the Robertson's Golden Stone, which it greatly resembles, the most valuable for cultivation, where large-sized garden turnips are required. Its size is about that of the last named. Average specimens measure four inches in diameter, nearly the same in depth, and weigh from twelve to fourteen ounces. GREEN GLOBE. _Law._ Green-top White Globe. Roots of a fine, globular shape, with a small neck and tap-root; very white below, and green above, the surface of the ground; of medium size, hardy, and firm in texture, but scarcely so much so as the Green Round; than which it arrives at maturity rather earlier. It is somewhat larger than the White Norfolk; has large, deep-green foliage; grows strongly; and produces extraordinary crops: but it soon becomes spongy, and often decays in autumn or early in winter. A sub-variety, of larger size and with softer flesh, is known by the name of Hungarian Green-top Globe. GREEN NORFOLK. _Law._ Green-top Norfolk. Green Round. A sub-variety of the White Norfolk, of nearly the same form and size; the bulb differing principally in the color of the top, which is green. The Norfolk turnips are all of a peculiar flattish form; rather hollowed towards their neck, as also on their under side. When grown to a large size, they become more or less irregular, or somewhat angular. The Green-top variety possesses these characters in a less degree than the White-top; and is generally round, flattened, but not much hollowed, on the upper or under surface. It is hardier than the White or Red varieties. GREEN TANKARD. _Law._ Roots more than half above ground; oblong, or tankard-shaped; of a greenish color, except on the under surface, which is white; flesh white and sweet, but of coarse texture. The term "Tankard" is applied to such common field turnips as are of an oblong shape, and the roots of which, in general, grow much above the surface of the ground. Such oblong varieties, however, as approach nearest to a round or globular form, are sometimes termed "Decanter," or "Decanter-shaped turnips." In good soils, the Green Tankard sometimes attains a weight of eight or ten pounds. As a garden variety, it is of little value. GREEN-TOP FLAT. Similar in size, form, and quality to the common Purple-top Flat; skin, above ground, green. Long grown in New England for feeding stock; and, in its young state, often used as a table turnip. Now very little cultivated. GREEN-TOP YELLOW ABERDEEN. _Law._ Green-top Yellow Bullock. An old and esteemed variety, similar in size and form to the Purple-top Yellow Aberdeen: the color of the top is bright green. LINCOLNSHIRE RED GLOBE. This variety is remarkable for its large, deep-green, luxuriant foliage. Bulb very large, roundish; skin, below ground, white,--above the surface, purple; flesh white, firm, and, when young, well flavored, and adapted to table use. It yields abundantly; is uniformly fair, and free from small roots; an average keeper; and deserving of cultivation, especially for agricultural purposes. LONG BLACK. Except in the form of its roots, this variety much resembles the Round Black. It possesses the same peculiar, piquant, radish-like flavor; and is served at table in the same manner. LONG WHITE MALTESE. Long White Clairfontaine. _Vil._