THE FIELD AND GARDEN VEGETABLES OF AMERICA TEXT

plants develop much less rapidly than those of the Common Cabbage, the seed should be sown early. Transplant in rows two and a half or three feet apart, and allow a space of two feet and a half between the plants in the rows. LONG-HEADED SAVOY. _Vil._ Chou Milan à Tète Longue. A comparatively small variety, with an oval, long, yellowish-green, but very compact head; leaves erect, inclining to bluish-green, long and narrow, revoluted on the borders, and finely fretted or blistered on the surface; stem rather high. It is hardy and of excellent quality, but yields less than many other sorts. It is, however, a good kind for gardens of limited size, as it occupies little space, and cabbages well. The plants may be set eighteen inches apart in one direction by about fifteen inches in the opposite. MARCELIN SAVOY. _Thomp._ A new sort, allied to the Early Ulm, but growing somewhat larger. Though not so early, it is next to it in point of earliness; and, if both sorts are sown at the same time, the Marcelin will form a succession. It is a low grower; the leaves are dark-green, finely wrinkled and curled; the head is round, compact, and of excellent quality. When cut above the lower course of leaves, about four small heads, almost equal in delicacy to Brussels Sprouts, are generally formed. This sort is exceedingly hardy; and, on the whole, must be considered a valuable acquisition. The plants should be set eighteen inches by twelve inches apart. TOUR'S SAVOY. Dwarf Green Curled Savoy. _M'Int._ Pancalier de Tourraine. _Vil._ Head small, loose, and irregular; leaves numerous, bright-green, rigid, concave or spoon-shaped; the nerves and ribs large, and the entire surface thickly and finely covered with the blister-like swellings peculiar to the Savoys. It has some resemblance to the Early Dwarf Savoy; but is larger, less compact, and slower in its development. A useful, hardy, smallish sort, adapted to small gardens; requiring only eighteen or twenty inches' space each way. Excellent for use before it becomes fully cabbaged. YELLOW CURLED SAVOY. _Thomp._ Large Late Yellow Savoy. White Savoy. Dwarf, middle-sized, round; leaves pale-green at first, but quite yellow in winter; the heart is not so compact as some, but of tender quality, and by many preferred, as it is much sweeter than the other kinds. It is later and hardier than the Yellow Savoys, before described. * * * * * SEA-KALE. Crambe maritima. Sea-kale is a native of the southern shores of Great Britain, and is also abundant on the seacoasts of the south of Europe. There is but one species cultivated, and this is perennial and perfectly hardy. The leaves are large, thick, oval or roundish, sometimes lobed on the borders, smooth, and of a peculiar bluish-green color; the stalk, when the plant is in flower, is solid and branching, and measures about four feet in height; the flowers, which are produced in groups, or clusters, are white, and have an odor very similar to that of honey. The seed is enclosed in a yellowish-brown shell, or pod, which, externally and internally, resembles a pit, or cobble, of the common cherry. About six hundred seeds, or pods, are contained in an ounce; and they retain their germinative powers three years. "They are large and light, and, when sold in the market, are often old, or imperfectly formed; but their quality is easily ascertained by cutting them through the middle: if sound, they will be found plump and solid." They are usually sown without being broken. _Preparation of the Ground, and Sowing._--The ground should be trenched to the depth of from a foot to two feet, according to the depth of the soil, and well enriched throughout. The seeds may be sown in April, where the plants are to remain; or they may be sown at the same season in a nursery-bed, and transplanted the following spring. They should be set or planted out in rows three feet apart, and eighteen inches apart in the rows. _Culture._--"After the piece is set, let the plants be kept very clean. The earth should be occasionally stirred, when the rains have run the surface together; and, when the plants come up, let them have their own way the first season. As the plants will blossom the second season if let alone, and the bearing of seed has a tendency to weaken every thing, take off the flower-buds as soon as they appear, and not allow the plants to seed. When the leaves begin to decay in autumn, clear them all off, and dig a complete trench between the rows, and earth up the ridges: that is, all the soil you take out must be laid on the plants, so as to pile or bank up eight inches above the crowns of the roots, thus forming a flat-topped bank a foot across; widening a little downwards, so that the edges shall not break away. In doing this, the piece is formed into alternate furrows and ridges; the plants being under the centre of the ridges. "As the weather gets warm in the spring, these banks should be watered; and, when the surface is broken by the rising plant, remove the earth, and cut off the white shoots close to their base: for these shoots form the eatable portion; and, being blanched under ground, they are tender and white, and from six to eight inches long. The shoots should be cut as soon as they reach the surface; because, if the shoot comes through, the top gets purple, and the plants become strong-flavored. As all of the shoots will not appear at once, the bed should be looked over frequently, and a shoot cut whenever it has broken the surface of the soil; for, if not taken early, it soon becomes nearly worthless. In the process of cutting the shoots, the earth becomes gradually removed; and the tops of the plants, coming to the surface again, put forth other shoots, which must be allowed to grow the remainder of the summer, only taking off the blossom-shoots as before. When, at the fall of the year, the leaves turn yellow, and decay, earth up again, after clearing the plants of their bad leaves and removing every weed. Before earthing up, fork the surface a little, just to break it up, that the earth may better take hold, and form a regular mass."--_Glenny._ _Pot-forcing and Blanching._--"The ground, once planted, is as good for pot-forcing as for any thing; except that, for pot-forcing, it is usual to plant three plants in a triangle, about nine inches apart. The plants are cleared when the leaves decay, and the ground is kept level instead of being earthed up. Pots and covers (called 'sea-kale pots') are placed over the plants, or patches of plants, and the cover (which goes on and off at pleasure) put on. These pots are of various sizes; usually from ten to fourteen inches in diameter, and from a foot to twenty inches in height. If proper sea-kale pots cannot be procured, large-sized flower-pots will answer as substitutes; the pots being put over the plants as they are wanted, generally a few at a time, so as to keep up a succession. Dung is placed all over them; or, if no dung can be had, leaves are used: and they ferment and give out heat as genial, but not so violent, nor do they command so much influence, as the dung. Some may be placed on in February, and some in March. The dung is removed from the top to admit of seeing if the plant is started; and, by timely examination, it is easily seen when the plant is ready for use. The shoots are as white, when thus treated, as when grown by the other method, because of the total darkness that prevails while they are covered; but there is more air in the empty pots than there possibly could be in the solid earth, and it is considered that the vegetable is not so tender in consequence. However, the greater bulk of Sea-kale is so produced."--_Glenny._ _Taking the Crop._--"The blanched sprouts should be cut when they are from three to six inches in length, and while stiff, crisp, and compact. They should not be left till they are drawn up so as to bend, or hang down. The soil or other material used for excluding the light should be carefully removed, so as to expose the stem of the sprout; and the latter should be cut just below the base of the petioles or leaf-stem, and just enough to keep these attached."--_Thomp._ The Sea-kale season continues about six weeks. "Cutting too much will finally destroy the plants. With one good cutting the cultivator should be satisfied, and should avoid the practice of covering and cutting a second time. The proper way is to cut the large, fine shoots, and leave the smaller ones that come afterwards to grow stronger during the summer." _Use._--"The young shoots and stalks, when from the length of three to nine inches, are the parts used. These, however, unless blanched, are no better than the coarser kinds of Borecole; but, when blanched, they become exceedingly delicate, and are much prized. The ribs of the leaves, even after they are nearly fully developed, are sometimes used; being peeled and eaten as asparagus. In either state, they are tied up in small bundles, boiled, and served as cauliflowers."--_M'Int._ _To obtain Seed._--"Select some strong plants, and allow them to take their natural growth, without cutting off their crowns, or blanching. When the seed is ripe, collect the pods, dry them, and put them into open canvas-bags. The seeds keep best in the pods."--_Thomp._ CHAPTER VI. SPINACEOUS PLANTS. Amaranthus. Black Nightshade. Leaf-beet, or Swiss Chard. Malabar Nightshade. Nettle. New-Zealand Spinach. Orach. Patience Dock. Quinoa. Sea-beet. Shepherd's Purse. Sorrel. Spinach. Wild or Perennial Spinach. * * * * * AMARANTHUS. Chinese Amaranthus. Chinese Spinach. A hardy, annual plant, introduced from China; stem three feet in height, much branched, and generally stained with red; leaves variegated with green and red, long, and sharply pointed; the leaf-stems and nerves are red; the flowers, which are produced in axillary spikes, are greenish, and without beauty; the seeds are small, black, smooth, and shining,--twenty-three thousand are contained in an ounce, and they retain their power of germination four or five years. _Soil and Cultivation._--Any good garden-soil is adapted to the growth of the Amaranthus. Before sowing, the ground should be thoroughly pulverized, and the surface made smooth and even. The seed may be sown in April, or at any time during the month of May. It should be sown in very shallow drills, fourteen to sixteen inches apart, and covered with fine, moist earth. When the plants are two inches high, thin to five or six inches apart, and cultivate in the usual manner. They will yield abundantly during most of the summer. _Use._--The leaves are used in the manner of Spinach, and resemble it in taste. _Varieties._-- EARLY AMARANTHUS. Amarante Mirza. _Vil._ This plant is a native of the East Indies; and in height, color, and general habit, resembles the Chinese Amaranthus. It is, however, somewhat earlier, and ripens its seed perfectly in climates where the Chinese almost invariably fails. Its uses, and mode of cultivation, are the same. HANTSI SHANGHAI AMARANTHUS. Amarante Hantsi Shanghai. _Vil._ Introduced from China by Mr. Fortune, and disseminated by the London Horticultural Society. It differs little from the preceding species; and is cultivated in the same manner, and used for the same purposes. Annual. * * * * * BLACK NIGHTSHADE. Morelle, of the French. Solanum nigrum. An unattractive, annual plant, growing spontaneously as a weed among rubbish, in rich, waste places. Its stem is from two to three feet high, hairy and branching; the leaves are oval, angular, sinuate, and bluntly toothed; the flowers are white, in drooping clusters, and are succeeded by black, spherical berries, of the size of a small pea; the seeds are small, lens-shaped, pale yellow, and retain their vitality five years,--twenty-three thousand are contained in an ounce. _Propagation and Culture._--It is raised from seed, which may be sown in April or May, or in autumn. Sow in shallow drills fifteen or eighteen inches apart, and thin to six or eight inches in the drills; afterwards keep the soil loose, and free from weeds, in the usual manner. _Use._--The French, according to Vilmorin, eat the leaves in the manner of Spinach; while Dr. Bigelow asserts that it has the aspect and reputation of a poisonous plant. On the authority of American botanists, it was introduced into this country from Europe. By European botanists, it is described as a plant of American origin. * * * * * LEAF-BEET, OR SWISS CHARD. Sicilian Beet. White Beet. Beta cicla. The Leaf-beet is a native of the seacoasts of Spain and Portugal. It is a biennial plant, and is cultivated for its leaves and leaf-stalks. The roots are much branched or divided, hard, fibrous, and unfit for use. _Propagation and Cultivation._--It is propagated, like other beets, from seed sown annually, and will thrive in any good garden soil. The sowing may be made at any time in April or May, in drills eighteen inches apart, and an inch and a half deep. "When the plants are a few inches high, so that those likely to make the best growth can be distinguished, they should be thinned out to nine inches or a foot apart, according to the richness of the soil; more room being allowed in rich ground. Some, however, should be left at half that distance, to make up by transplanting any vacancies that may occur. The ground should be kept clean, and occasionally stirred between the rows; taking care not to injure the roots. In dry weather, plenty of water should be given to promote the succulence of the leaves."--_Thomp._ _Taking the Crop._--"The largest and fullest-grown leaves should be gathered first; others will follow. If grown for Spinach, the leaves should be rinsed in clean water, and afterwards placed in a basket to drain dry; if for Chard, or for the leaf-stalks and veins, these should be carefully preserved, and the entire leaves tied up in bundles of six or eight in each."--_M'Int._ _Seed._--During the first season, select a few vigorous plants, and allow them to grow unplucked. Just before the closing-up of the ground in autumn, take up the roots; and, after removing the tops an inch above the crown, pack them in dry sand in the cellar. The following spring, as soon as the ground is in working order, set them out with the crowns level with the surface of the ground, and about two feet and a half apart. As the plants increase in height, tie them to stakes, to prevent injury from wind; and in August, when the seed is ripe, cut off the stems near the ground, and spread them entire, in an airy situation, till they are sufficiently dried for threshing out. The seed, or fruit, has the appearance peculiar to the family; although those of the different varieties, like the seeds of the Red Beet, vary somewhat in size, and shade of color. An ounce of seed will sow a hundred feet of drill, or be sufficient for a nursery-bed of fifty square feet. _Use._--"This species of Beet--for, botanically considered, it is a distinct species from _Beta vulgaris_, the Common or Red Beet--is cultivated exclusively for its leaves; whereas the Red Beet is grown for its roots. These leaves are boiled like Spinach, and also put into soups. The midribs and stalks, which are separated from the lamina of the leaf, are stewed and eaten like Asparagus, under the name of "Chard." As a spinaceous plant, the White Beet might be grown to great advantage in the vegetable garden, as it affords leaves fit for use during the whole summer."--_M'Int._ The thin part of the leaves is sometimes put into soups, together with sorrel, to correct the acidity of the latter. The varieties are as follow:-- GREEN OR COMMON LEAF-BEET. Stalks and leaves large, green; the roots are tough and fibrous, and measure little more than an inch in diameter; leaves tender, and of good quality. If a sowing be made as soon in spring as the frost will permit, another in June, and a third the last of July, they will afford a constant supply of tender greens, nearly or quite equal to Spinach. For this purpose, the rows need be but a foot apart. LARGE-RIBBED CURLED. Curled Leaf-beet. Stalks white; leaves pale yellowish-green, with broad mid-ribs, large nerves, and a blistered surface like some of the Savoys. It may be grown as a substitute for Spinach, in the manner directed for the Common or Green-leaved variety. LARGE-RIBBED SCARLET BRAZILIAN. Red Stalk Leaf-beet. Poirée à Carde rouge. _Vil._ Leaf-stalks bright purplish-red; leaves green, blistered on the surface; nerves purplish-red. A beautiful sort, remarkable for the rich and brilliant color of the stems, and nerves of the leaves. LARGE-RIBBED YELLOW BRAZILIAN. Yellow-stalked Leaf-beet. Poirée à Carde jaune. _Vil._ A variety with bright-yellow leaf-stalks and yellowish leaves. The nerves of the leaves are yellow, like the leaf-stalks. The color is peculiarly rich and clear; and the stalks are quite attractive, and even ornamental. Quality tender and good. SILVER-LEAF BEET. Great White-leaf Beet. Swiss Chard. Sea-kale Beet. Large-ribbed Silver-leaf Beet. Stalks very large; leaves of medium size, erect, with strong, white ribs and veins. The leaf-stalks and nerves are cooked and served like Asparagus, and somewhat resemble it in texture and flavor. It is considered the best of the Leaf-beets. * * * * * MALABAR NIGHTSHADE (WHITE). Climbing Nightshade. White Malabar Spinach. Baselle blanche. _Vil._ Basella alba. From the East Indies. Though a biennial plant, in cultivation it is generally treated as an annual. Stem five feet and upwards in length, slender, climbing; leaves alternate, oval, entire on the borders, green and fleshy; flowers in clusters, small, greenish; seeds round, with portions of the pulp usually adhering,--eleven to twelve hundred weighing an ounce. They retain their vitality three years. LARGE-LEAVED CHINESE MALABAR NIGHTSHADE. Large-leaved Malabar Spinach. Baselle à Très Large Feuille de Chine. _Vil._ Basella cordifolia. A Chinese species, more vigorous and much stronger in its general habit than the Red or the White. Leaves as large as those of Lettuce,--green, round, very thick, and fleshy; flowers small, greenish; seeds round, nearly of the same form and color as those of the White variety, but rather larger. The species is slow in developing its flower-stem, and the best for cultivation. * * * * * RED MALABAR NIGHTSHADE. Red Malabar Spinach. Baselle Rouge. _Vil._ Basella rubra. From China. Properly a biennial plant, but, like the White species, usually cultivated as an annual. It is distinguished from the last named by its color; the whole plant being stained or tinted with purplish red. In the size and color of the seeds, and general habit of the plant, there are no marks of distinction, when compared with the White. _Propagation and Cultivation._--All of the species are easily grown from seeds; which may be sown in a hot-bed in March, or in the open ground in May. They take root readily when transplanted; and may be grown in rows like the taller descriptions of pease, or in hills like running beans. Wherever grown, they require a trellis, or some kind of support; otherwise the plants will twist themselves about other plants, or whatever objects may be contiguous. All are comparatively tender, and thrive best, and yield the most produce, in the summer months. _Use._--The leaves, which are put forth in great profusion, are used in the form of Spinach. The juice of the fruit affords a beautiful but not permanent purple color. * * * * * COMMON NETTLE. Large Stinging Nettle. Urtica dioica. The Common Nettle is a hardy, herbaceous perennial, growing naturally