THE FIELD AND GARDEN VEGETABLES OF AMERICA TEXT

salad-herb for use. It has a mild and delicate flavor. When run to flower, it does not exceed eighteen inches in height. It deserves more general cultivation, as affording a pleasant addition to the varieties of small salads. The seeds are of a paler color, or more yellow, than those of the other sorts. NORMANDY CURLED CRESS. _M'int._ A very excellent variety, introduced by Mr. Charles M'Intosh, and described as being hardier than the other kinds, and therefore better adapted for sowing early in spring or late in summer. The leaves are finely cut and curled, and make not only a good salad, but a beautiful garnish. The seed should be sown thinly, in good soil, in drills six inches apart. In gathering, instead of cutting the plants over, the leaves should be picked off singly. After this operation, fresh leaves are soon put forth. It is difficult to procure the seed true; the Common Curled being, in general, substituted for it. * * * * * CUCKOO FLOWER. Small Water-cress. Cardamine pratensis. A hardy, perennial plant, introduced from Europe, and naturalized to a limited extent in some of the Northern States. Stem about fifteen inches high, erect, smooth; leaves deeply divided,--the divisions of the radical or root leaves rounded, those of the stalk long, narrow, and pointed; the flowers are comparatively large, white, or rose-colored, and produced in erect, terminal clusters; the seeds are of a brown color, small, oblong, shortened on one side, rounded on the opposite, and retain their vegetating powers four years,--nearly thirty thousand are contained in an ounce. _Soil._--It succeeds best in moist, loamy soil; and should have a shady situation. _Propagation and Cultivation._--It may be propagated from seeds, or by a division of the roots. The seeds are sown in April or May, in shallow drills a foot asunder. The roots may be divided in spring or autumn. _Use._--The leaves have the warm, pungent taste common to the Cress family; and are used in their young state, like Cress, as a salad. Medically, they have the reputation of being highly antiscorbutic and of aiding digestion. There are four varieties:-- _White Flowering._--A variety with white, single flowers. _Purple Flowering._--Flowers purple, single. Either of these varieties may be propagated from seeds, or by a division of the roots. _Double Flowering White._--Flowers white, double. _Double Flowering Purple._--A double variety, with purple blossoms. These varieties are propagated by a division of the roots. Double-flowering plants are rarely produced from seeds. * * * * * THE DANDELION. Leontodon taraxacum. The Dandelion, though spontaneously abundant, is not a native of this country. Introduced from Europe, it has become extensively naturalized, abounding in gardens, on lawns, about cultivated lands; and, in May and June, often, of itself alone, constituting no inconsiderable portion of the herbage of rich pastures and mowing-fields. It is a hardy, perennial plant, with an irregular, branching, brownish root. The leaves are all radical, long, runcinate, or deeply and sharply toothed; the flower-stem is from six to twelve inches and upwards in height, leafless, and produces at its top a large, yellow, solitary blossom; the seeds are small, oblong, of a brownish color, and will keep three years. _Soil and Cultivation._--Although the Dandelion will thrive in almost any description of soil, it nevertheless produces much the largest, most tender, and best-flavored leaves, as well as the greatest crop of root, when grown in mellow, well-enriched ground. Before sowing, stir the soil, either by the spade or plough, deeply and thoroughly; smooth off the surface fine and even; and sow the seeds in drills half an inch deep, and twelve or fifteen inches apart. If cultivated for spring greens, or for blanching for salad, the seed must be sown in May or June. In July, thin out the young plants to two or three inches apart; cultivate during the season in the usual form of cultivating other garden productions; and, in April and May of the ensuing spring, the plants will be fit for the table. For very early use, select a portion of the bed equal to the supply required; and, in November, spread it rather thickly over with coarse stable-manure. About the beginning of February, remove the litter, and place boards or planks on four sides, of a square or parallelogram, in the manner of a common hot-bed, providing for a due inclination towards the south. Over these put frames of glass, as usually provided for hot-beds; adding extra protection by covering with straw or other material in intensely cold weather. Thus treated, the plants will be ready for cutting two or three weeks earlier than those in the open ground. When grown for its roots, the ground must be prepared in the manner before directed; and the seeds should be sown in October, in drills fourteen or fifteen inches asunder. In June following, thin out the young plants to two or three inches apart; keep the ground loose, and free from weeds, during the summer; and, in October, the roots will have attained their full size, and be ready for harvesting, which is usually performed with a common subsoil plough. After being drawn, they are washed entirely clean, sliced, and dried in the shade; when they are ready for the market. _Use._--The Dandelion resembles Endive, and affords one of the earliest, as well as one of the best and most healthful, of spring greens. "The French use it bleached, as a salad; and if large, and well bleached, it is better than Endive, much more tender, and of finer flavor." The roots, after being dried as before directed, constitute an article of considerable commercial importance; being extensively employed as a substitute for, or mixed in various proportions with, coffee. It may be grown for greens at trifling cost; and a bed twelve or fourteen feet square will afford a family an abundant supply. Under cultivation, and even in its natural state, the leaves of different plants vary in a marked degree from each other, not only in size, and manner of growth, but also in form. Judicious and careful cultivation would give a degree of permanency to these distinctions; and varieties might undoubtedly be produced, well adapted for the various purposes for which the plant is grown, whether for the roots, for blanching, or for greens. * * * * * ENDIVE. Chicorium endivia. Endive is a hardy annual, said to be a native of China and Japan. When fully developed, it is from four to six feet in height. The leaves are smooth, and lobed and cut upon the borders more or less deeply, according to the variety; the flowers are usually of a blue color, and rest closely in the axils of the leaves; the seeds are small, long, angular, and of a grayish color; their germinative properties are retained for ten years; nearly twenty-five thousand are contained in an ounce. _Soil._--All of the varieties thrive well in any good, mellow garden soil. Where there is a choice of situations, select one in which the plants will be the least exposed to the effects of drought and heat. _Propagation._--The plants can be raised only from seed. This may be sown where the plants are to remain; or it may be sown broadcast, or in close drills in a nursery-bed for transplanting. If sown where the plants are to remain, sow thinly in shallow drills a foot apart for the smaller, curled varieties, and fifteen inches for the larger, broad-leaved sorts. Thin out the plants to a foot asunder as soon as they are large enough to handle, and keep the ground about them, as well as between the rows, loose, and free from weeds, by repeated hoeings. If required, the plants taken out in thinning may be reset in rows at the same distances apart. If sown in a nursery-bed, transplant when the young plants have eight or ten leaves; setting them at the distances before directed. This should be done at morning or evening; and the plants should afterwards be watered and shaded for a few days, until they are well established. The first sowing may be made as early in spring as the weather will permit; and a sowing may be made a month or six weeks after, for a succession: but as it is for use late in autumn, or during the winter and spring, that Endive is most required, the later sowings are the most important. These are usually made towards the end of July. _Blanching._--Before using, the plants must be blanched; which is performed in various ways. The common method is as follows: When the root-leaves have nearly attained their full size, they are taken when entirely dry, gathered together into a conical form, or point, at the top, and tied together with matting, or any other soft, fibrous material; by which means, the large, outer leaves are made to blanch the more tender ones towards the heart of the plant. After being tied in this manner, the plants are sometimes blanched by earthing, as practised with Celery or Cardoons. This process is recommended for dry and warm seasons: but in cold, wet weather, they are liable to decay at the heart; and blanching-pots, or, in the absence of these, common flower-pots, inverted over the plants, will be found a safe and effectual means of rendering them white, crisp, and mild flavored. "Some practise setting two narrow boards along each side of the row; bringing them together at the top in the form of a triangle, and afterwards drawing earth over them to keep them steady. Some cover the dwarfish sorts with half-decayed leaves, dry tanner's bark, sand, coal-ashes, and even sawdust; but all of these methods are inferior to the blanch-pot or the tying-up process." _Time required for Blanching._--In summer weather, when vegetation is active, the plants will blanch in ten days; but in cool weather, when the plants have nearly attained their growth or are slowly developing, three weeks will be required to perfect the operation. _Harvesting, and Preservation during Winter._--"Before frost sets in, they must be tied up in a conical form, as before directed; and all dead or yellow leaves must be taken off. Then take them up with a ball of soil to each, and put them into light earth in a cellar or some warm building. Put only the roots into the earth. Do not suffer the plants to touch each other; and pour a little water round the roots after they are placed in the earth. If they are perfectly dry when tied up, they will keep till spring."--_Corb._ _Seed._--Two or three vigorous plants, left unblanched, will yield sufficient to supply a garden of ordinary size for years. Half an ounce will sow a seed-bed of forty square feet. _Use._--"The leaves are the parts used, and these only when blanched to diminish their natural bitterness of taste. It is one of the best autumn, winter, and spring salads."--_M'Int._ _Varieties._--The descriptions of many of the varieties have been prepared from an interesting paper read before the London Horticultural Society by Mr. Matthews, clerk of the society's garden. The different sorts are divided into two classes,--the "Batavian" and the "Curled-leaved." BATAVIAN ENDIVES. Under the Batavian Endives are included all the varieties with broad leaves, generally rounded at the points, with the margin slightly ragged or torn, but not curled. These are called, by the French, _Scarolles_. As most of the sorts require more room than the Curled-leaved kinds, the rows should be about fourteen inches apart, and the plants thinned out from nine to twelve inches in the rows. BROAD-LEAVED BATAVIAN ENDIVE. Common Yellow Endive, of the Dutch. Leaves yellowish-green, large, long and broad, thick and fleshy, the edges slightly ragged: when fully grown, they are about ten inches long, and an inch wide at the base; increasing regularly in width towards the end, and measuring five or six inches in diameter at the broadest part. The leaves of the centre of the plant are of the same form, but shorter, and much paler. The plants form but little heart of themselves; but the length of the outer leaves is such, that they tie up well for blanching. In quality, as well as in appearance, it is inferior to the Curled sorts; and its flavor is not so mild and agreeable as that of some of the other kinds of Batavian endives. CURLED BATAVIAN ENDIVE. _Thomp._ The leaves of this variety are neither so large nor so broad as those of the Broad-leaved Batavian Endive: they grow flat on the ground, and are curled at their edges. The whole appearance of the plant is very different from the Common Broad-leaved; approaching the Curled endives, in general character. The heart, which forms of itself, is small, and lies close to the ground. The plants require twelve or fourteen inches' space between the rows, and eight or ten inches in the row. LARGE BATAVIAN ENDIVE. Scarolle grande, of the French. This differs from the Small Batavian Endive in the size and shape of its leaves, which are broader and more rounded: they are a little darker, but yet pale. The inner ones are turned over like the small variety, though not so regularly; but form a large, well-blanched heart, of good flavor. This and the Small Batavian will blanch perfectly if a mat is laid over them, and do not require to be tied up. Both the Small and the Large sorts are considered hardier than the Curled varieties. LETTUCE-LEAVED OR WHITE BATAVIAN ENDIVE. Scarolle blonde. _Vil._ Leaves broad and large, obtuse, ragged at the edges, of a paler color and thinner texture than either of the other Batavian sorts; the exterior leaves are spreading, fourteen inches long, two inches wide at the base, and, growing regularly broader to the end, measure six or seven inches in diameter at the widest part; the central leaves are short, and the head is less compact than that of the Common Broad-leaved; the seeds are of a paler color than those of the Green Curled Endive. To blanch it, the leaves must be tied up; and it should be grown for summer use, as it is comparatively tender, and will not endure severe weather. It is best if used while young; for, when fully developed, the leaves are not tender, and, if not well blanched, are liable to have a slightly bitter taste. Sow in May or June, in rows fifteen inches apart, and thin to a foot in the rows; or transplant, giving the plants the same space. SMALL BATAVIAN ENDIVE. Scarolle courte, of the French. Leaves whitish-green, broad, of moderate length, and slightly cut at the edges. The inner leaves are numerous, and turn over like a hood at the end; forming a larger head than any of the other kinds. It is one of the best of the endives, and a valuable addition to our winter salads. It blanches with little trouble; and is mild and sweet, without being bitter. CURLED ENDIVES. Curled endives are those with narrow leaves, more or less divided, and much curled. They are usually full in the heart. The French call them, by way of distinction, _Chicorées_. DUTCH GREEN CURLED ENDIVE. This approaches the Large Green Curled Endive in appearance and growth; but the divisions of the leaves are deeper, the outer leaves are broader, not so much curled, and the inner ones more turned into the heart: the outer leaves are about ten inches long. It blanches well, and is hardy. GREEN CURLED ENDIVE. Small Green Curled Endive. Leaves six or seven inches long, finely cut, and beautifully curled; the outer leaves lying close to the ground, the inner ones thickly set, forming a compact heart. Easily blanched, very hardy, and well adapted for winter use. The leaves are longer, and of a darker-green color, than those of the Green Curled Summer Endive, and will tie up much better for blanching. It is a fortnight later. Sow in rows a foot or fourteen inches apart, and thin to six or eight inches in the row. It may be quickly blanched by simply covering the plant with a deep flower-pot saucer. In summer, while the plants are growing vigorously, the process will be completed in about a week: later in the season, two-weeks, or even more, may be necessary. GREEN CURLED SUMMER ENDIVE. Leaves not quite so large as those of the Green Curled; finely and deeply cut: the outer ones are five or six inches long, and grow close to the ground; the inner are short, numerous, curled, and form a close, full heart. It is much the smallest of any of the kinds, and is somewhat tender. The outer leaves are so short, that they will not tie up; but blanch well by being covered simply with a flat garden-pan, as directed for the Green Curled. This variety is distinguished from the last named by its shorter, broader, deeper cut, and less curled leaves: the head is more solid at the centre, and is also much harder. The seeds should be sown early; for, if sown late, the plants are liable to be affected by dampness and wet weather, and to rot at the heart. Cultivate in rows twelve or fourteen inches apart, and eight or ten inches apart in the rows. ITALIAN GREEN CURLED ENDIVE. Leaves from ten to twelve inches long, deep-green, narrow, and divided to the mid-rib. They grow erect, and the segments are much cut and curled. It is a well-marked variety; readily distinguished by the length of the leaf-stalks, and the pinnatifid character of the leaves. It blanches well, and is of good quality. LARGE GREEN CURLED ENDIVE. A sub-variety of the Common Green Curled, of stronger growth, and larger hearted. The exterior leaves are ten or twelve inches long, looser and more erect than those of the last named: the inner ones are less numerous, and not so much divided. It is hardy, blanches quickly, and is not liable to decay at the heart. LONG ITALIAN GREEN CURLED. Leaves long, deeply divided, and more upright in their growth than those of the Large Green Curled; the divisions of the leaves are large, and toothed, or cut, but are not curled; the heart-leaves are few and short. The variety is quite distinct; and, though not so neat and regular as some others, it is of excellent quality, and recommended for cultivation. PICPUS FINE CURLED ENDIVE. _Vil._ Exterior leaves seven or eight inches long, deeply lobed; the lobes divided in the same manner as those of the Common Green Curled. The inside leaves are finely cut, and much curled; and form a kind of head more compact than that of the Green Curled, but comparatively loose-hearted. It blanches well and quickly, and is a good variety; though neither its foliage nor its general habit presents any very distinctive peculiarities. RUFFEC CURLED. Chicorée frisée de Ruffec. _Vil._ This variety attains a remarkable size, much exceeding that of the Common Green Curled. The leaves sometimes measure nearly a foot and a half in length. Quality tender and good. STAGHORN ENDIVE. Early Fine Curled Rouen. _Vil._ A recently introduced variety. The leaves are deep-green, divided into numerous segments, not frilled or curled, but much cut or jagged at the points, the borders having a branched appearance; whence the name. The leaves gradually shorten towards the centre of the plant, are more finely cut, and become closer together; thus forming a moderately firm heart, or head; less compact, however, than that of the Green Curled Summer Endive. It is well adapted to humid climates, is hardier than the Common Green Curled, and is preferred by market-gardeners for cultivation in autumn and winter. TRIPLE-CURLED MOSS ENDIVE. _M'int._ Winter Moss Endive. Chicorée mousse. _Vil._ This is a sub-variety of the Staghorn Endive, and comparatively of recent introduction. It is a unique sort, exceedingly well curled; and, when the variety is genuine and the plant well developed, has an appearance not unlike a tuft of moss. It is liable to degenerate; and, though sometimes classed as a Winter Endive, is less hardy than many other sorts. It may be grown in rows a foot apart, six inches being allowed between