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The field and garden vegetables of America

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Title: The field and garden vegetables of America
        containing full descriptions of nearly eleven hundred species and varieties; with directions for propagation, culture, and use.

Author: Fearing Burr


        
Release date: June 5, 2007 [eBook #21682]

Language: English

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Credits: Produced by Janet Blenkinship, and the Online Distributed
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Produced by Janet Blenkinship, and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)








  THE

  FIELD AND GARDEN VEGETABLES

  OF

  AMERICA;

  CONTAINING

  FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF NEARLY ELEVEN HUNDRED SPECIES AND VARIETIES; WITH
  DIRECTIONS FOR PROPAGATION, CULTURE, AND USE.

  BY FEARING BURR, JR.

  ILLUSTRATED.


  BOSTON: CROSBY AND NICHOLS,
  117, WASHINGTON STREET.
  1863.

  Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1863,
  BY FEARING BURR, JR.,

  In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of
  Massachusetts.


  BOSTON:
  PRINTED BY JOHN WILSON AND SON, 5, WATER STREET


       *       *       *       *       *


  TO

  HON. ALBERT FEARING,

  President of the Hingham Agricultural and Horticultural Society,


    WHOSE EARNEST LABORS AND LIBERAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE CAUSE OF
    HUMANITY HAVE ENDEARED HIS NAME TO THE AGED POOR AND TO
    ORPHAN CHILDREN, AND WHOSE ACTIVE SERVICES HAVE
    EXERTED SO BENEFICIAL AN INFLUENCE ON AGRICULTURAL
    PURSUITS IN HIS NATIVE TOWN,


  This Volume is gratefully and respectfully Dedicated

  BY THE AUTHOR.


       *       *       *       *       *


PREFACE.


Though embracing all the directions necessary for the successful
management of a Vegetable Garden, the present volume is offered to the
public as a manual or guide to assist in the selection of varieties,
rather than as a treatise on cultivation. Through the standard works of
American authors, as well as by means of the numerous agricultural and
horticultural periodicals of our time, all information of importance
relative to the various methods of propagation and culture, now in
general practice, can be readily obtained.

But, with regard to the characteristics which distinguish the numerous
varieties; their difference in size, form, color, quality, and season of
perfection; their hardiness, productiveness, and comparative value for
cultivation,--these details, a knowledge of which is important as well
to the experienced cultivator as to the beginner, have heretofore been
obtained only through sources scattered and fragmentary.

To supply this deficiency in horticultural literature, I have
endeavored, in the following pages, to give full descriptions of the
vegetables common to the gardens of this country. It is not, however,
presumed that the list is complete, as many varieties, perhaps of much
excellence, are comparatively local: never having been described, they
are, of course, little known. Neither is the expectation indulged, that
all the descriptions will be found perfect; though much allowance must
be made in this respect for the influence of soil, locality, and
climate, as well as for the difference in taste of different
individuals.

Much time, labor, and expense have been devoted to secure accuracy of
names and synonymes; the seeds of nearly all of the prominent varieties
having been imported both from England and France, and planted, in
connection with American vegetables of the same name, with reference to
this object alone.

The delay and patience required in the preparation of a work like the
present may be in some degree appreciated from the fact, that in order
to obtain some comparatively unimportant particular with regard to the
foliage, flower, fruit, or seed, of some obscure and almost unknown
plant, it has been found necessary to import the seed or root; to plant,
to till, to watch, and wait an entire season.

Though some vegetables have been included which have proved of little
value either for the table or for agricultural purposes, still it is
believed such descriptions will be found by no means unimportant; as a
timely knowledge of that which is inferior, or absolutely worthless, is
often as advantageous as a knowledge of that which is of positive
superiority.

That the volume may be acceptable to the agriculturist, seedsman, and to
all who may possess, cultivate, or find pleasure in, a garden, is the
sincere wish of the author.

                                                       F. B., JR.

HINGHAM, March, 1863.




ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.


In the preparation of this work, I have received the cheerful
co-operation of many esteemed personal friends, to whom I would here
express my grateful acknowledgments.

For many valuable suggestions with regard to the culture and general
management of the Potato, as well as for much important information
respecting nearly all of our American varieties of this vegetable, I am
indebted to J. F. C. HYDE, Esq., of Newton, Mass.; whose long experience
in the production of seedlings, as well as in the cultivation of
established kinds, will give peculiar value to this portion of the
volume.

The illustrations, so excellent and truthful, are from the pencil of Mr.
ISAAC SPRAGUE, of Cambridge, Mass.; whose fine delineations of animal as
well as vegetable life have won for him the reputation of being "the
first of living artists."

I am peculiarly indebted to Rev. E. PORTER DYER, of Hingham, for much
valuable advice and assistance; and cannot too fully express my
obligations for the unvarying kindness and courteous manner in which
repeated, and perhaps often unseasonable, requests for aid have been
received and granted.

My acknowledgments are also due to Hon. JOSEPH BRECK, author of "Book of
Flowers," and late President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society;
to CHARLES M. HOVEY, Esq., editor of "The Magazine of Horticulture," and
President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society; to P. B. HOVEY,
Esq., nurseryman and seedsman, of Cambridge, Mass.; and to DANIEL T.
CURTIS, Esq., seedsman and florist, and for many years Chairman of the
Committee on Vegetables of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

For information or other very acceptable assistance, I am also indebted
to Rev. CALVIN LINCOLN, of Hingham; Rev. JOHN L. RUSSELL, of Salem,
Mass.; JOHN A. BUTLER, Esq., of Chelsea, Mass.; EDWARD S. RAND, Jun.,
Esq., of Boston; Mr. AUSTIN BRONSON, of Enfield, N.H.; GEORGE W. PRATT,
Esq., of Boston; JOHN M. IVES, Esq., of Salem, Mass.; Mr. JAMES SCOTT,
of Hatfield, Mass.; Mr. ALONZO CRAFTS, of Whately, Mass.; Mr. JOHN C.
HOVEY, of Cambridge, Mass.; Mr. ISAAC P. RAND, of Dorchester, Mass.; Mr.
GEORGE EVERETT, of Concord, Mass.; and CALEB BATES, of Kingston, Mass.

From a work entitled "Descriptions des Plantes Potagères, par VILMORIN,
ANDRIEUX, et CIE., Paris;" from CHARLES M'INTOSH'S excellent "Book of
the Garden;" the "Gardener's Assistant," by ROBERT THOMPSON; "Rogers's
Vegetable Cultivator;" and "Lawson's Agriculturist's Manual,"--I have
made liberal extracts; and lest, in the course of the volume, any
omission of authority may occur where it should have been accredited, my
indebtedness to the valuable publications above mentioned is here
candidly confessed.

In adapting directions for cultivation, prepared for one climate, or
section of country, to suit that of another quite dissimilar, so much
alteration of the original text has at times been found necessary, that
I have not felt at liberty to affix the name of the original writer, but
have simply added the usual marks denoting derivation of authority.




ABBREVIATIONS AND AUTHORITIES.


_Big._--Plants of Boston and Vicinity. By JACOB BIGELOW, M.D. Boston,
1840.

_Bon. Jard._--Le Bon Jardinier pour l'Année 1859. Par A. BOITEAU et M.
VILMORIN.

_Corb._--The American Gardener. By WILLIAM CORBETT. Concord, Boston, and
New York, 1842.

_Cot. Gard._--The Cottage Gardener. By GEORGE W. JOHNSON and ROBERT
HOGG. Weekly. London.

_Count. Gent._--The Country Gentleman. By LUTHER TUCKER and SON. Weekly.
Albany, N.Y.

_De Cand._--The Candolle's Systema Naturale. By Prof. DE CANDOLLE. 2
vols. 8vo. Paris, 1818, 1821.

_Down._--The Fruit and Fruit-trees of America. By A. J. DOWNING. Revised
and corrected by CHARLES DOWNING, 1858.

_Gard. Chron._--The Gardener's Chronicle. Weekly. By Prof. LINDLEY. 1844
to the present time.

_Gray._--Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States. By Prof.
ASA GRAY. New York, 1857.

_Hort._--The Horticulturist, and Journal of Art and Rural Taste.
Monthly. By P. BARRY and J. JAY SMITH. Philadelphia.

_Hov. Mag._--The Magazine of Horticulture, Botany, and Rural Affairs. By
C. M. HOVEY. Boston. Monthly. 1834 to the present time.

_Law._--The Agriculturist's Manual. By PETER LAWSON and SON. Edinburgh,
1836.

_Lind._--A Guide to the Orchard and Kitchen Garden. By GEORGE LINDLEY.
London, 1831.

_Loud._--Encyclopædia of Gardening. By J. C. LOUDON. London, 1850.

_Loud._--Encyclopædia of Agriculture. By J. C. LOUDON. London, 1844.

_Low._--The Elements of Practical Agriculture. By DAVID LOW. London,
1843.

_M'Int._--The Book of the Garden. By CHARLES M'INTOSH. 2 vols. Edinburgh
and London, 1855.

_Mill._--The Gardener's and Botanist's Dictionary. By PHILIP MILLER.
Revised by Prof. MARTYN. London, 1819.

_Neill._--Neill's Journal of a Horticultural Tour, &c. 8vo. Edinburgh,
1823.

_New Am. Cyclopædia._--New American Cyclopædia. D. APPLETON & Co., New
York. 16 vols. royal 8vo. 1857 to 1863.

_Rog._--The Vegetable Cultivator. By JOHN ROGERS. London, 1851.

_Thomp._--The Gardener's Assistant. By ROBERT THOMPSON.

_Trans._--The Transactions of the London Horticultural Society.
Commenced 1815, and continued at intervals to the present time.

_Vil._--Description des Plantes Potagères. Par VILMORIN, ANDRIEUX, et
CIE. Paris, 1856.


       *       *       *       *       *


CONTENTS.


  CHAP. I.--_Esculent Roots._

  The Beet. Carrot. Chervil, Turnip-rooted. Chinese Potato, or
  Japanese Yam. Chufa, or Earth Almond. German Rampion. Jerusalem
  Artichoke. Kohl Rabi. Oxalis, Tuberous. Oxalis, Deppe's.
  Parsnip. Potato. Radish. Rampion. Swede or Ruta-baga Turnip.
  Salsify, or Oyster Plant. Scolymus. Scorzonera. Skirret.
  Sweet Potato. Tuberous-rooted Chickling Vetch. Tuberous-rooted
  Tropæolum. Turnip.                                                1-121


  CHAP. II.--_Alliaceous Plants._

  The Cive. Garlic. Leek. Onion. Rocambole. Shallot. Welsh
  Onion.                                                          122-148


  CHAP. III.--_Asparaginous Plants._

  The Artichoke. Asparagus. Cardoon. Hop. Oosung. Phytolacca.
                                                                  149-169


  CHAP. IV.--_Cucurbitaceous Plants._

  The Cucumber. Egyptian Cucumber. Globe Cucumber. Gourd, or
  Calabash. The Melon. Musk-melon. Persian Melons. Water-melon.
  Papanjay, or Sponge Cucumber. Prickly-fruited Gherkin.
  Pumpkin. Snake Cucumber. Squash.                                170-228


  CHAP. V.--_Brassicaceous Plants._

  Borecole, or Kale. Broccoli. Brussels Sprouts. Cabbage. Cauliflower.
  Colewort. Couve Tronchuda, or Portugal Cabbage. Pak-Chöi. Pe-Tsai,
  or Chinese Cabbage. Savoy. Sea-kale.                            229-286


  CHAP. 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.                                              287-314


  CHAP. VII.--_Salad Plants._

  Alexanders. Brook-lime. Buckshorn Plantain. Burnet. Caterpillar.
  Celery. Celeriac, or Turnip-rooted Celery. Chervil. Chiccory, or
  Succory. Corchorus. Corn Salad. Cress, or Peppergrass. Cuckoo
  Flower. Dandelion. Endive. Horse-radish. Lettuce. Madras
  Radish. Mallow, Curled-leaf. Mustard. Nasturtium. Garden
  Picridium. Purslain. Rape. Roquette, or Rocket. Samphire.
  Scurvy-grass. Snails. Sweet-scented Chervil, or Sweet Cicely.
  Tarragon. Valeriana. Water-cress. Winter-cress, or Yellow Rocket.
  Wood-sorrel. Worms.                                             315-405


  CHAP. VIII.--_Oleraceous Plants._

  Angelica. Anise. Balm. Basil. Borage. Caraway. Clary. Coriander.
  Costmary. Cumin. Dill. Fennel. Lavender. Lovage.
  Marigold. Marjoram. Nigella. Parsley. Peppermint. Rosemary.
  Sage. Savory. Spearmint. Tansy. Thyme.                          406-449


  CHAP. IX.--_Leguminous Plants._

  American Garden-bean. Asparagus-bean. Lima Bean. Scarlet-runner.
  Sieva. Chick-pea. Chickling Vetch. English Bean. Lentil. Lupine.
  Pea. Pea-nut. Vetch, or Tare. Winged Pea.                       450-560


  CHAP. X.--_Medicinal Plants._

  Bene-plant. Camomile. Coltsfoot. Elecampane. Hoarhound. Hyssop.
  Licorice. Pennyroyal. Poppy. Palmate-leaved or Turkey Rhubarb.
  Rue. Saffron. Southernwood. Wormwood.                           561-578


  CHAP. XI.--_Mushrooms, or Esculent Fungi._

  Agaricus. Boletus. Clavaria. Morchella, or Morel. Tuber,
  or Truffle.                                                     579-591


  CHAP. XII.--_Miscellaneous Vegetables._

  Alkekengi, or Ground Cherry. Corn. Egg-plant. Martynia. Oil
  Radish. Okra, or Gumbo. Pepper. Rhubarb, or Pie-plant. Sunflower.
  Tobacco. Tomato.      592-652


  INDEX                                                               655




FIELD AND GARDEN VEGETABLES.




CHAPTER I.

ESCULENT ROOTS.

The Beet. Carrot. Chervil, Turnip-rooted. Chinese Potato, or Japanese
Yam. Chufa, or Earth Almond. German Rampion. Jerusalem Artichoke. Kohl
Rabi. Oxalis, Tuberous. Oxalis, Deppes. Parsnip. Potato. Radish.
Rampion. Swede, or Ruta-baga Turnip. Salsify, or Oyster Plant. Scolymus.
Scorzonera. Skirret. Sweet Potato. Tuberous-rooted Chickling Vetch.
Tuberous-rooted Tropæolum. Turnip.


THE BEET.

Beta vulgaris.

The Common Beet, sometimes termed the Red Beet, is a half-hardy biennial
plant; and is cultivated for its large, succulent, sweet, and tender
roots. These attain their full size during the first year, but will not
survive the winter in the open ground. The seed is produced the second
year; after the ripening of which, the plant perishes.

When fully developed, the beet-plant rises about four feet in height,
with an angular, channelled stem; long, slender branches; and large,
oblong, smooth, thick, and fleshy leaves. The flowers are small, green,
and are either sessile, or produced on very short peduncles. The
calyxes, before maturity, are soft and fleshy; when ripe, hard and
wood-like in texture. These calyxes, which are formed in small, united,
rounded groups, or clusters, are of a brownish color, and about
one-fourth of an inch in diameter; the size, however, as well as depth
of color, varying, to some extent, in the different varieties. Each of
these clusters of dried calyxes contains from two to four of the true
seeds, which are quite small, smooth, kidney-shaped, and of a deep
reddish-brown color.

These dried clusters, or groups, are usually recognized as the seeds;
about fifteen hundred of which will weigh one ounce. They retain their
vitality from seven to ten years.

_Soil and Fertilizers._--The soil best adapted to the beet is a deep,
light, well-enriched, sandy loam. When grown on thin, gravelly soil, the
roots are generally tough and fibrous; and when cultivated in cold, wet,
clayey localities, they are often coarse, watery, and insipid, worthless
for the table, and comparatively of little value for agricultural
purposes.

A well-digested compost, formed of barnyard manure, loam and salt, makes
the best fertilizer. Where this is not to be obtained, guano,
superphosphate of lime, or bone-dust, may be employed advantageously as
a substitute. Wood-ashes, raked or harrowed in just previous to sowing
the seed, make an excellent surface-dressing, as they not only prevent
the depredations of insects, but give strength and vigor to the young
plants. The application of coarse, undigested, strawy manure, tends to
the production of forked and misshapen roots, and should be avoided.

_Propagation and Culture._--Beets are always raised from seed. For early
use, sowings are sometimes made in November; but the general practice is
to sow the seed in April, as soon as the frost is out of the ground, or
as soon as the soil can be worked. For use in autumn, the seed should be
sown about the middle or 20th of May; and, for the winter supply, from
the first to the middle of June. Lay out the ground in beds five or six
feet in width, and of a length proportionate to the supply required;
spade or fork the soil deeply and thoroughly over; rake the surface
smooth and even; and draw the drills across the bed, fourteen inches
apart, and about an inch and a half in depth. Sow the seeds thickly
enough to secure a plant for every two or three inches, and cover to the
depth of the drills. Should the weather be warm and wet, the young
plants will appear in seven or eight days. When they are two inches in
height, they should be thinned to five or six inches apart; extracting
the weaker, and filling vacant spaces by transplanting. The surplus
plants will be found an excellent substitute for spinach, if cooked and
served in like manner. The afterculture consists simply in keeping the
plants free from weeds, and the earth in the spaces between the rows
loose and open by frequent hoeings.

Mr. Thompson states that "the drills for the smaller varieties should be
about sixteen inches apart, and the plants should be thinned out to nine
inches apart in the rows. The large sorts may have eighteen inches
between the rows, but still not more than nine inches from plant to
plant in the row. When large-sized roots are desired, the rows may be
eighteen inches or two feet apart, and the plants twelve or fifteen
inches distant from each other in the rows. But large roots are not the
best for the table; and it is better to have two medium-sized roots,
grown at nine inches apart, than one of perhaps double the size from
twice the space. As a square foot of ground should afford plenty of
nourishment to produce a root large enough for the table, the area for
each plant may, therefore, be limited to that extent. If the rows are
sixteen inches apart, and the plants thinned to nine inches in the row,
each plant will have a space equal to a square foot. Such, of course,
would also be the case if the rows were twelve inches apart, and the
plants the same distance from each other in the row. But it is
preferable to allow a greater space between the rows than between the
plants in the row: for, by this arrangement, the leaves have better
scope to grow to each side, and the plants so situated grow better than
those which have an equal but rather limited space in all directions;
whilst the ground can also be more easily stirred, and kept clean."

_Taking the Crop._--Roots, from the first sowings, will be ready for use
early in July; from which time, until October, the table may be supplied
directly from the garden. They should be drawn as fast as they attain a
size fit for use; which will allow more time and space for the
development of those remaining.

For winter use, the roots must be taken up before the occurrence of
heavy frosts, as severe cold not only greatly impairs their quality, but
causes them to decay at the crown. Remove the leaves, being careful not
to cut or bruise the crown; spread the roots in the sun a few hours to
dry; pack them in sand or earth slightly moist; and place in the cellar,
out of reach of frost, for the winter.

"The London market-gardeners winter their beets in large sheds, stored
in moderately damp mould, and banked up with straw. Mr. Cuthill states
that it is a mistake to pack them in dry sand or earth for the winter;
and that the same may be said of parsnips, carrots, salsify, scorzonera,
and similar roots.

"The object here is, that the moist soil may not draw the natural sap
out of the roots so readily as dry sand would do; and hence they retain
their fresh, plump appearance, and their tenderness and color are better
preserved. In taking up the roots, the greatest care must be exercised
that they are neither cut, broken, wounded on the skin, nor any of the
fibres removed; and, when the small-leaved varieties are grown, few, if
any, of the leaves should be cut off."--_M'Int._

If harvested before receiving injury from cold, and properly packed,
they will retain, in a good degree, their freshness and sweetness until
the new crop is suitable for use.

_Seed._--To raise seed, select smooth and well-developed roots having
the form, size, and color by which the pure variety is distinguished;
and, in April, transplant them eighteen inches or two feet apart,
sinking the crowns to a level with the surface of the ground. As the
stalks increase in height, tie them to stakes for support. The plants
will blossom in June and July, and the seeds will ripen in August.

In harvesting, cut off the plants near the ground, and spread them in a
light and airy situation till they are sufficiently dried for threshing,
or stripping off the seeds; after which the seeds should be exposed, to
evaporate any remaining moisture.

An ounce of seed will sow from one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet
of drill, according to the size of the variety; and about four pounds
will be required for one acre.

_Use._--"The roots are the parts generally used, and are boiled, stewed,
and also eaten cold, sliced in vinegar and oil. They enter into mixed
salads, and are much used for garnishing; and, for all these purposes,
the deeper colored they are, the more they are appreciated. Some,
however, it ought to be noticed, prefer them of a bright-red color; but
all must be of fine quality in fibre, solid, and of uniform color. The
roots are also eaten cut into thin slices, and baked in an oven. Dried,
roasted, and ground, they are sometimes mixed with coffee, and are also
much employed as a pickle. Mixed with dough, they make a wholesome
bread; but, for this purpose, the white or yellow rooted sorts are
preferred. The roots of all the varieties are better baked than
boiled."--_M'Int._

The young plants make an excellent substitute for spinach; and the
leaves of some of the kinds, boiled when nearly full grown, and served
as greens, are tender and well-flavored.

Some of the larger varieties are remarkably productive, and are
extensively cultivated for agricultural purposes. From a single acre of
land in good condition, thirty or forty tons are frequently harvested;
and exceptional crops are recorded of fifty, and even sixty tons. In
France, the White Sugar-beet is largely employed for the manufacture of
sugar,--the amount produced during one year being estimated to exceed
that annually made from the sugar-cane in the State of Louisiana.

For sheep, dairy-stock, and the fattening of cattle, experience has
proved the beet to be at once healthful, nutritious, and economical.

_Varieties._--The varieties are quite numerous, and vary to a
considerable extent in size, form, color, and quality. They are obtained
by crossing, or by the intermixture of one kind with another. This often
occurs naturally when two or more varieties are allowed to run to seed
in close proximity, but is sometimes performed artificially by
transferring the pollen from the flower of a particular variety to the
stigma of the flower of another.

The kinds now in cultivation are as follows; viz.:--


BARK-SKINNED. _Vil._

Oak Bark-skinned.

[Illustration: Bark-skinned Beet.]

Root produced entirely within the earth, broadest near the crown, and
thence tapering regularly to a point; average specimens measuring four
inches in their greatest diameter, and about one foot in depth. Skin
dark brown, thick, hard, and wrinkled, or striated, sometimes
reticulated or netted, much resembling the bark of some descriptions of
trees; whence the name. Flesh very deep purplish-red, circled, and rayed
with paler red, fine-grained, sugary, and tender. Leaves numerous,
spreading, bright green, slightly stained with red; the leaf-stems and
nerves bright purplish-red.

An early and comparatively new French variety, of fine flavor, excellent
for summer use, and, if sown as late as the second week in June,
equally valuable for the table during winter. Not recommended for field
culture.

Sow in rows fourteen inches apart, and thin to six inches apart in the
rows.


BARROTT'S NEW CRIMSON. _Thomp._

Root similar in form to the Castelnaudary, but somewhat larger; smooth
and regular, and not apt to fork. Flesh dark crimson, fine-grained and
tender. Leaf-stalks yellow.


BASSANO.

Early Flat Bassano. Turnip-rooted Bassano. Rouge Plate de Bassano.
_Vil._

Bulb flattened; six or seven inches in diameter by three or four inches
in depth; not very regular or symmetrical, but often somewhat ribbed,
and terminating in a very small, slender tap-root. Skin of fine texture;
brown above ground; below the surface, clear rose-red. Flesh white,
circled or zoned with bright pink; not very close-grained, but very
sugary and well-flavored. Leaves numerous, erect, of a lively green
color, forming many separate groups, or tufts, covering the entire top,
or crown, of the root. Leaf-stems short, greenish-white, washed or
stained with rose.

An Italian variety, generally considered the earliest of garden-beets,
being from seven to ten days earlier than the Early Blood Turnip-rooted.
The flesh, although much coarser than that of many other sorts, is
tender, sweet, and of good quality. Roots from early sowings are,
however, not suited for winter use; as, when overgrown, they almost
invariably become too tough, coarse, and fibrous for table use. To have
them in perfection during winter, the seed should not be sown till near
the close of June.

In moist, favorable seasons, it succeeds well in comparatively poor,
thin soil.

Cultivate and preserve as directed for the Early Turnip-rooted.


CATTELL'S DWARF BLOOD.

Root small, regularly tapering. Flesh deep blood-red. Leaves small,
bright red, spreading, or inclined to grow horizontally. Quality
good,--similar to that of the Red Castelnaudary; which variety it much
resembles in its general character.

On account of its small size, it requires little space, and may be grown
in rows twelve inches apart.


COW-HORN MANGEL WURZEL. _Vil._

Serpent-like Beet. Cow-horn Scarcity.

A sub-variety of the Mangel Wurzel, producing its roots almost entirely
above ground; only a small portion growing within the earth. Root long
and slender, two feet and a half in length, and nearly three inches in
diameter at its broadest part; often grooved or furrowed lengthwise, and
almost invariably bent and distorted,--the effect either of the wind, or
of the weight of its foliage. Flesh greenish white, circled with red at
the centre. Leaves of medium size, green, erect; the leaf-stems and
nerves pale red or rose color.

It derives its different names from its various contorted forms;
sometimes resembling a horn, and often assuming a shape not unlike that
of a serpent.

The variety is much esteemed and extensively cultivated in some parts of
Europe, although less productive than the White Sugar or Long Red Mangel
Wurzel.


EARLY MANGEL WURZEL.

Early Scarcity. Disette Hâtive. _Vil._

Aside from its smaller size, this variety much resembles the Common Red
Mangel Wurzel. Root contracted towards the crown, which rises two or
three inches above the surface of the soil, and tapering within the
earth to a regular cone. Skin purplish rose, deeper colored than that of
the last named. Flesh white, circled or zoned with pale red. Leaves
spreading, green; the leaf-stems rose-colored.

It is remarkable for the regular and symmetrical form of its roots,
which grow rapidly, and, if pulled while young, are tender, very sweet,
and well flavored. Planted the last of June, it makes a table-beet of
more than average quality for winter use.

When sown early, it attains a comparatively large size, and should have
a space of twenty inches between the rows; but, when sown late, fifteen
inches between the rows, and six inches between the plants in the rows,
will afford ample space for their development.


EARLY BLOOD TURNIP-ROOTED.

Early Turnip Beet.

[Illustration: Early Blood Turnip-rooted]

The roots of this familiar variety are produced almost entirely within
the earth, and measure, when of average size, from four inches to four
and a half in depth, and about four inches in diameter. Form turbinate,
flattened, smooth, and symmetrical. Neck small, tap-root very slender,
and regularly tapering. Skin deep purplish-red. Flesh deep blood-red,
sometimes circled and rayed with paler red, remarkably sweet and tender.
Leaves erect, not very numerous, and of a deep-red color, sometimes
inclining to green; but the stems and nerves always of a deep brilliant
red.

The Early Blood Turnip Beet succeeds well from Canada to the Gulf of
Mexico; and in almost every section of the United States is more
esteemed, and more generally cultivated for early use, than any other
variety. Among market-gardeners, it is the most popular of the summer
beets. It makes a rapid growth, comes early to the table, and, when sown
late, keeps well, and is nearly as valuable for use in winter as in
summer and autumn.

In common with most of the table sorts, the turnip-rooted beets are much
sweeter and more tender if pulled before they are fully grown; and
consequently, to have a continued supply in their greatest perfection,
sowings should be made from the beginning of April to the last of June,
at intervals of two or three weeks.

The roots, especially those intended for seed, should be harvested
before severe frosts, as they are liable to decay when frozen at the
crown, or even chilled. Sow in drills fourteen inches apart; and, when
two inches in height, thin out the plants to six inches apart in the
drills. An acre of land in good cultivation will yield from seven to
eight hundred bushels.


GERMAN RED MANGEL WURZEL.

Disette d'Allemagne. _Vil._

An improved variety of the Long Red Mangel Wurzel, almost regularly
cylindrical, and terminating at the lower extremity in an obtuse cone.
It grows much out of ground, the neck or crown is comparatively small,
it is rarely forked or deformed by small side roots, and is generally
much neater and more regular than the Long Red. Size very large;
well-developed specimens measuring from eighteen to twenty inches in
length, and seven or eight inches in diameter. Flesh white, with red
zones or rings; more colored than that of the last named. Leaves erect,
green; the stems and nerves washed or stained with rose-red.

For agricultural purposes, this variety is superior to the Long Red, as
it is larger, more productive, and more easily harvested.


GERMAN YELLOW MANGEL WURZEL.

Green Mangel Wurzel. Jaune d'Allemagne. _Vil._

Root produced half above ground, nearly cylindrical for two-thirds its
length, terminating rather bluntly, and often branched or deformed by
small side-roots. Size large; when well grown, measuring sixteen or
eighteen inches deep, six or seven inches in diameter, and weighing from
twelve to fifteen pounds. Skin above ground, greenish-brown; below,
yellow. Flesh white, occasionally zoned or marked with yellow. Leaves of
medium size, rather numerous, erect, very pale, or yellowish green; the
stems and ribs light green.

While young and small, the roots are tender and well-flavored; but this
is a field rather than a table beet. In point of productiveness, it
differs little from the Common Long Red, and should be cultivated as
directed for that variety.


HALF LONG BLOOD.

Dwarf Blood. Fine Dwarf Red. Early Half Long Blood. Rouge Nain. _Vil._

[Illustration: Half Long Blood.]

Root produced within the earth, of medium size, or rather small; usually
measuring about three inches in thickness near the crown, and tapering
regularly to a point; the length being ten or twelve inches. Skin
smooth, very deep purplish-red. Flesh deep blood-red, circled and rayed
with paler red, remarkably fine grained, of firm texture, and very
sugary. Leaves small, bright red, blistered on the surface, and
spreading horizontally. Leaf-stems short.

An excellent, half-early, garden variety, sweet, and well flavored, a
good keeper, and by many considered very superior to the Common Long
Blood. When full grown, it is still tender and fine-grained, and much
less stringy and fibrous than the last named, at an equally advanced
stage of growth. It may be classed as one of the best table-beets, and
is well worthy cultivation.


IMPROVED LONG BLOOD.

Long Smooth Blood.

This is an improved variety of the Common Long Blood, attaining a much
larger size, and differing in its form, and manner of growth. When
matured in good soil, its length is from eighteen inches to two feet;
and its diameter, which is retained for more than half its length, is
from four to five inches. It is seldom very symmetrical in its form;
for, though it has but few straggling side-roots, it is almost
invariably bent and distorted. Skin smooth, very deep or blackish
purple. Flesh dark blood-red, sweet, tender, and fine grained, while the
root is young and small, but liable to be tough and fibrous when full
grown. Leaves small, erect-red, and not very numerous. Leaf-stems
blood-red.

This beet, like the Common Long Blood, is a popular winter sort,
retaining its color well when boiled. It is of larger size than the last
named, grows more above the surface of the ground, and has fewer fibrous
and accidental small side-roots. While young, it compares favorably with
the old variety; but, when full grown, can hardly be said to be much
superior. To have the variety in its greatest perfection for winter use,
the seed should not be sown before the 10th of June; as the roots of
this, as well as those of nearly all the table-varieties, are much more
tender and succulent when very rapidly grown, and of about two-thirds
their full size.

Sow in drills fifteen inches apart, and thin to eight inches apart in
the drills; or sow on ridges eighteen inches apart.


LONG BLOOD.

Common Long Blood.

The roots of this familiar variety are long, tapering, and comparatively
slender; the size varying according to the depth and richness of the
soil. Skin dark purple, sometimes purplish-black. Flesh deep blood-red,
very fine grained and sugary, retaining its color well after being
boiled. Leaves rather numerous, of medium size, erect, deep
purplish-red; the leaf-stems blood-red.

One of the most popular of winter beets; but, for late keeping, the seed
should not be sown before the middle of June, as the roots, when large,
are frequently tough and fibrous.

The Improved Long Blood is a variety of this, and has, to a considerable
extent, superseded it in the vegetable garden; rather, it would seem, on
account of its greater size, than from any real superiority as respects
its quality or keeping properties.


LONG RED MANGEL WURZEL.

Red Mangel Wurzel. Marbled Field Beet. _Law._

Root fusiform, contracted at the crown, which, in the genuine variety,
rises six or eight inches above the surface of the ground. Size large,
when grown in good soil; often measuring eighteen inches in length, and
six or seven inches in diameter. Skin below ground purplish-rose;
brownish-red where exposed to the air and light. Leaves green; the stems
and nerves washed or stained with rose-red. Flesh white, zoned and
clouded with different shades of red.

The Long Red Mangel Wurzel is hardy, keeps well, grows rapidly, is very
productive, and in this country is more generally cultivated for
agricultural purposes than any other variety. According to Lawson, the
marbled or mixed color of its flesh seems particularly liable to vary:
in some specimens, it is almost of a uniform red; while, in others, the
red is scarcely, and often not at all, perceptible. These variations in
color are, however, of no importance as respects the quality of the
roots.

The seed may be sown from the middle of April to the last of May. If
sown in drills, they should be at least eighteen inches apart, and the
plants should be thinned to ten inches in the drills. If sown on ridges,
the sowing should be made in double rows; the ridges being three and a
half or four feet apart, and the rows fifteen inches apart. The yield
varies with the quality of the soil and the state of cultivation; thirty
and thirty-five tons being frequently harvested from an acre.

While young, the roots are tender and well-flavored, and are sometimes
employed for table use.


LONG WHITE GREEN-TOP MANGEL WURZEL.

Green-top White Sugar. Long White Mangel Wurzel. Disette Blanche à
Collet Verte. _Vil._

An improved variety of the White Sugar Beet. Root produced much above
ground, and of very large size; if well grown, measuring nearly six
inches in diameter, and eighteen inches in depth,--the diameter often
retained for nearly two-thirds the length. Skin green, where exposed to
light and air; below ground, white. Flesh white. Leaves green, rather
large, and not so numerous as those of the White Sugar.

Very productive, and superior to the last named for agricultural
purposes; the quality being equally good, and the yield much greater.


LONG YELLOW MANGEL WURZEL.

Jaune Grosse. _Vil._

[Illustration: Long Yellow Mangel Wurzel.]

Root somewhat fusiform, contracted towards the crown, which rises six or
eight inches above the surface of the ground. Size remarkably large;
when grown in deep rich soil, often measuring twenty inches in length,
and five or six inches in thickness. Skin yellow, bordering on
orange-color. Flesh pale yellow, zoned or circled with white, not
close-grained, but sugary. Leaves comparatively large, pale green; the
stems and nerves yellow; the nerves paler.

The variety is one of the most productive of the field-beets; but the
roots are neither smooth nor symmetrical, a majority being forked or
much branched.

In the vicinity of Paris, it is extensively cultivated, and is much
esteemed by dairy farmers on account of the rich color which it imparts
to milk when fed to dairy-stock. Compared with the German Yellow, the
roots of this variety are longer, not so thick, more tapering; and the
flesh is of a much deeper color. It has also larger foliage.



PINE-APPLE SHORT-TOP. _Hov. Mag._

Root of medium size, fusiform. Skin deep purplish-red. Flesh very deep
blood-red, fine-grained, as sweet as the Bassano, tender, and of
excellent quality for table use. Leaves very short and few in number,
reddish-green; leaf-stems and nerves blood-red.

In its foliage, as well as in the color of the root, it strongly
resembles some of the Long Blood varieties; but it is not so large, is
much finer in texture, and superior in flavor. It is strictly a garden
or table beet, and, whether for fall or winter use, is well deserving of
cultivation.


RED CASTELNAUDARY. _Trans._

This beet derives its name from a town in the province of Languedoc in
France, where the soil is particularly adapted to the growth of these
vegetables, and where this variety, which is so much esteemed in France
for its nut-like flavor, was originally produced.

The roots grow within the earth. The leaves are thickly clustered around
the crown, spreading on the ground. The longest of the leaf-stems do not
exceed three inches: these and the veins of the leaves are quite purple,
whilst the leaves themselves are green, with only a slight stain of
purple. The root is little more than two inches in diameter at the top,
tapering gradually to the length of nine inches. The flesh, which is of
a deep purple, and exhibits dark rings, preserves its fine color when
boiled, is very tender and sweet, and presents a delicate appearance
when cut in slices.

Being small in its whole habit, it occupies but little space in the
ground, and may be sown closer than other varieties usually are.

Not generally known or much cultivated in this country.


RED GLOBE MANGEL WURZEL.

Betterave Globe Rouge. _Vil._

Root nearly spherical, but tapering to pear-shaped at the base; nearly
one-third produced above ground. Size large; well-grown specimens
measuring seven or eight inches in diameter, and nine or ten inches in
depth. Skin smooth, and of a rich purplish rose-color below ground;
brown above the surface, where exposed to the sun. Flesh white, rarely
circled, with rose-red. Leaves pale green, or yellowish green; the stems
and ribs or nerves sometimes veined with red.

This variety is productive, keeps well, and, like the Yellow Globe, is
well adapted to hard and shallow soils. It is usually cultivated for
agricultural purposes, although the yield is comparatively less than
that of the last named.

In moist soils, the Yellow Globe succeeds best; and, as its quality is
considered superior, it is now more generally cultivated than the Red.


WHITE GLOBE MANGEL WURZEL.

A sub-variety of the Yellow and Red Globe, which, in form and manner of
growth, it much resembles. Skin above ground, green; below, white.
Leaves green. Flesh white and sugary; but, like the foregoing sorts, not
fine grained, or suited for table use.

Productive, easily harvested, excellent and profitable for farm
purposes, and remarkably well adapted for cultivation in hard, shallow
soil.


WHITE SUGAR.

White Silesian. Betterave Blanche. _Vil._

[Illustration: White Sugar Beet.]

Root fusiform, sixteen inches in length, six or seven inches in its
greatest diameter, contracted towards the crown, thickest just below the
surface of the soil, but nearly retaining its size for half the depth,
and thence tapering regularly to a point. Skin white, washed with green
or rose-red at the crown. Flesh white, crisp, and very sugary. Leaves
green; the leaf-stems clear green, or green stained with light red,
according to the variety.

The White Sugar Beet is quite extensively grown in this country, and is
employed almost exclusively as feed for stock; although the young roots
are sweet, tender, and well flavored, and in all respects superior for
the table to many garden varieties. In France, it is largely cultivated
for the manufacture of sugar and for distillation.

Of the two sub-varieties, some cultivators prefer the Green-top; others,
the Rose-colored or Red-top. The latter is the larger, more productive,
and the better keeper; but the former is the more sugary. It is,
however, very difficult to preserve the varieties in a pure state; much
of the seed usually sown containing, in some degree, a mixture of both.

It is cultivated in all respects as the Long Red Mangel Wurzel, and the
yield per acre varies from twenty to thirty tons.


WHITE TURNIP-ROOTED.

A variety of the Early Turnip-rooted Blood, with green leaves and white
flesh; the size and form of the root, and season of maturity, being
nearly the same. Quality tender, sweet, and well flavored; but, on
account of its color, not so marketable as the last named.


WYATT'S DARK CRIMSON.

Whyte's Dark Crimson. Rouge de Whyte. _Vil._

Root sixteen inches long, five inches in diameter, fusiform, and
somewhat angular in consequence of broad and shallow longitudinal
furrows or depressions. Crown conical, brownish. Skin smooth,
slate-black. Flesh very deep purplish-red, circled and rayed with yet
deeper shades of red, very fine-grained, and remarkably sugary. Leaves
deep red, shaded with brownish-red: those of the centre, erect; those
of the outside, spreading or horizontal.

The variety is not early, but of fine quality; keeps remarkably well,
and is particularly recommended for cultivation for winter and spring
use. Much esteemed in England.


YELLOW CASTELNAUDARY. _Trans._ _Vil._

Root produced within the earth, broadest at the crown, where its
diameter is nearly three inches, and tapering gradually to a point; the
length being about eight inches. Skin orange-yellow. Flesh clear yellow,
with paler zones or rings. Leaves spreading, those on the outside being
on stems about four inches in length; the inner ones are shorter,
numerous, of a dark-green color, and rather waved on the edges: the
leaf-stems are green, rather than yellow.

An excellent table-beet, being tender, yet firm, and very sweet when
boiled, although its color is not so agreeable to the eye.


YELLOW GLOBE MANGEL WURZEL.

Betterave Jaune Globe. _Vil._

[Illustration: Yellow Globe Mangel Wurzel.]

This is a globular-formed beet, measuring about ten inches in diameter,
and weighing ten or twelve pounds; about one-half of the root growing
above ground. Skin yellow, where it is covered by the soil; and
yellowish-brown above the surface, where exposed to light and air. Flesh
white, zoned or marked with yellow, close-grained and sugary. Leaves not
large or numerous, rather erect, green; the stems and ribs paler, and
sometimes yellowish.

The Yellow Globe is one of the most productive of all the varieties;
and, though not adapted to table use, is particularly excellent for
stock of all descriptions, as the roots are not only remarkably sugary,
but contain a considerable portion of albumen. It retains its soundness
and freshness till the season has far advanced, does not sprout so early
in spring as many others, and is especially adapted for cultivation in
hard, shallow soil.

The yield varies from thirty to forty tons per acre, according to soil,
season, and culture; although crops are recorded of fifty tons and
upwards.

Sow from the last of April to the last of May; but early sowings succeed
best. If sown in drills, they should be made twenty inches apart, and
the plants should be thinned to ten inches apart in the drills; if sown
on ridges, sow in double rows, making the ridges three feet and a half,
and the rows sixteen inches apart. On account of its globular form, the
crop can be harvested with great facility by the use of a common plough.


YELLOW TURNIP-ROOTED.

A sub-variety of the Blood Turnip-rooted, differing principally in
color, but to some extent also in its form, which is less compressed.
Leaves large, yellowish-green; the leaf-stems and nerves yellow. Flesh
yellow, comparatively close-grained, sweet and tender.

Not much cultivated on account of its color; the red varieties being
preferred for table use.

       *       *       *       *       *

THE CARROT.

Daucus carota.

The Carrot, in its cultivated state, is a half-hardy biennial. It is
indigenous to some parts of Great Britain, generally growing in chalky
or sandy soil, and to some extent has become naturalized in this
country; being found in gravelly pastures and mowing fields, and
occasionally by roadsides, in loose places, where the surface has been
disturbed or removed. In its native state, the root is small, slender,
and fibrous, or woody, of no value, and even of questionable properties
as an article of food.

_Soil, Sowing, and Culture._--The Carrot flourishes best in a good,
light, well-enriched loam. Where there is a choice of situations, heavy
and wet soils should be avoided; and, where extremes are alternatives,
preference should be given to the light and dry. If possible, the ground
should be stirred to the depth of twelve or fifteen inches,
incorporating a liberal application of well-digested compost, and well
pulverizing the soil in the operation. The surface should next be
levelled, cleared as much as possible of stones and hard lumps of earth,
and made mellow and friable; in which state, if the ground contains
sufficient moisture to color the surface when it is stirred, it will be
ready for the seed. This may be sown from the first of April to the 20th
of May; but early sowings succeed best. The drills should be made an
inch in depth; and for the smaller, garden varieties, about ten inches
apart. The larger sorts are grown in drills about fourteen inches apart;
the plants in the rows being thinned to five or six inches asunder.

_Harvesting._--The roots attain their full size by the autumn of the
first year; and, as they are not perfectly hardy, should be dug and
housed before the ground is frozen. When large quantities are raised for
stock, they are generally placed in bulk in the cellar, without packing;
but the finer sorts, when intended for the table, are usually packed in
earth or sand, in order to retain their freshness and flavor. With
ordinary precaution, they will remain sound and fresh until May or June.

_Seed._--To raise seed, select good-sized, smooth, and symmetrical
roots; and as early in spring as the frost is out of the ground, and the
weather settled, transplant to rows three feet apart, and fifteen inches
apart in the rows, sinking the crowns just below a level with the
surface of the ground. The seed-stalks are from four to six feet in
height, with numerous branches. The flowers appear in June and July; are
white; and are produced at the extremities of the branches, in umbels,
or flat, circular groups or clusters, from two to five inches in
diameter. The seed ripens in August; but, as all the heads do not ripen
at once, they should be cut off as they successively mature. The stiff,
pointed hairs or bristles with which the seeds are thickly covered, and
which cause them to adhere together, should be removed either by
threshing or by rubbing between the hands; clearing them more or less
perfectly, according to the manner of sowing. If sown by a machine, the
seeds should not only be free from broken fragments of the stems of the
plant, but the surface should be made as smooth as possible. For
hand-sowing, the condition of the seed is less essential; though, when
clean, it can be distributed in the drill more evenly and with greater
facility.

The seeds of the several varieties differ little in size, form, or
color, and are not generally distinguishable from each other. They will
keep well two years; and if preserved from dampness, and placed in a
cool situation, a large percentage will vegetate when three years old.

In the vegetable garden, an ounce of seed is allowed for one hundred and
fifty feet of drill; and, for field culture, about two pounds for an
acre.

An ounce contains twenty-four thousand seeds.

_Use._--Though not relished by all palates, carrots are extensively
employed for culinary purposes, and are generally considered healthful
and nutritious. They form an important ingredient in soups, stews, and
French dishes of various descriptions; and by many are much esteemed,
when simply boiled, and served with meats or fish.

"Carrots may be given to every species of stock, and form in all cases a
palatable and nourishing food. They are usually given in their raw
state, though they may be steamed or boiled in the same manner as other
roots.

"Horses and dairy-cows are the live-stock to which they are most
frequently given. They are found in an eminent degree to give color and
flavor to butter; and, when this is the end desired, no species of
green-feeding is better suited to the dairy. To horses they may be given
with cut straw and hay; and, thus given, form a food which will sustain
them on hard work. They afford excellent feeding for swine, and quickly
fatten them. When boiled, they will be eaten by poultry; and, mixed with
any farinaceous substance, form an excellent food for them. They are
also used for distillation, affording a good spirit."

The varieties are as follow:--


ALTRINGHAM. _Law._

Altringham. Long Red Altringham. _Vil._

The Altrincham Carrot measures about fourteen inches in length, by two
inches in diameter. It retains its thickness for nearly two-thirds its
length: but the surface is seldom regular or smooth; the genuine variety
being generally characterized by numerous crosswise elevations, and
corresponding depressions. Neck small and conical, rising one or two
inches above the surface of the soil. Skin nearly bright-red; the root
having a semi-transparent appearance. Flesh bright and lively, crisp and
breaking in its texture; and the heart, in proportion to the size of the
root, is smaller than that of the Long Orange. Leaves long, but not
large or very numerous.

According to Lawson, it is easily distinguished from the Long Orange by
the roots growing more above ground, by its more convex or rounded
shoulders, and by its tapering more irregularly, and terminating more
abruptly. It is, however, exceedingly difficult to procure the variety
in its purity, as it is remarkably liable to sport, although the roots
grown for seed be selected with the greatest care.

It is a good field-carrot, but less productive than the Long Orange and
some others; mild and well flavored for the table, and one of the best
sorts for cultivation for market.

Thompson states that "it derives its name from a place called
Altrincham, in Cheshire, Eng., where it is supposed to have originated.
In seedsmen's lists it is frequently, but erroneously, called the
Altringham."


EARLY FRAME.

Early Forcing Horn. Earliest Short Forcing Horn. Early Short Scarlet.

[Illustration: Early Frame.]

Root grooved or furrowed at the crown, roundish, or somewhat globular;
rather more than two inches in diameter, nearly the same in depth, and
tapering suddenly to a very slender tap-root. Skin red, or
reddish-orange; brown or greenish where it comes to the surface of the
ground. Foliage small and finely cut or divided, not so large or
luxuriant as that of the Early Horn.

The Early Frame is the earliest of all varieties, and is especially
adapted for cultivation under glass, both on account of its earliness,
and the shortness and small size of its roots. It is also one of the
best sorts for the table, being very delicate, fine-grained, mild, and
remarkably well flavored.

Where space is limited, it may be grown in rows six inches apart,
thinned to three inches apart in the rows; or sown broadcast, and the
young plants thinned to three inches apart in each direction.


EARLY HALF-LONG SCARLET.

Half-long Red. _Vil._

Root slender and tapering, measuring seven or eight inches in length,
and two inches in its greatest diameter. Crown hollow. Skin red below
the surface of the ground, green or brown above. Flesh reddish-orange,
fine-grained, mild, and well flavored. Foliage similar to that of the
Early Frame, but not abundant.

The variety is remarkably productive; in good soil and favorable
seasons, often yielding an amount per acre approaching that of the Long
Orange. Season intermediate between the early garden and late field
sorts.


EARLY HORN.

Early Scarlet Horn. Early Short Dutch. Dutch Horn.

[Illustration: Early Horn Carrot.]

Root six inches in length, two inches and a half in diameter, nearly
cylindrical, and tapering abruptly to a very slender tap-root. Skin
orange-red, but green or brown where it comes to the surface of the
ground. Flesh deep orange-yellow, fine-grained, and of superior flavor
and delicacy. The crown of the root is hollow, and the foliage short and
small.

The variety is very early, and as a table-carrot much esteemed, both on
account of the smallness of its heart and the tenderness of its fibre.
As the roots are very short, it is well adapted for shallow soils; and
on poor, thin land will often yield a greater product per acre than the
Long Orange or the White Belgian, when sown under like circumstances.

Sow in rows one foot apart, and thin to four inches in the rows.


FLANDER'S LARGE PALE SCARLET. _Vil._

Flander's Pale Red.

Root produced within the earth, fourteen or fifteen inches long, three
or four inches in diameter at the broadest part, fusiform, not very
symmetrical, but often quite crooked and angular. The crown is flat,
very large, and nearly covered by the insertion of the leaves. Flesh
reddish-yellow, and rather coarse-grained. Foliage large and vigorous.

The roots are formed early and with great certainty. It is also very
productive, of large size, keeps remarkably well; and, though of coarse
texture, one of the best sorts for cultivation for farm-purposes.

It originated in Flanders, and is comparatively an old variety, but is
little disseminated, and not grown to any extent, in this country.


LONG ORANGE.

Root long, thickest at or near the crown, and tapering regularly to a
point. Size very variable, being much affected by soil, season, and
cultivation: well-grown specimens measure fifteen inches in length, and
three inches in diameter at the crown. Skin smooth, of a reddish-orange
color. Flesh comparatively close-grained, succulent, and tender, of a
light-reddish vermilion or orange color, the heart lighter, and large in
proportion to the size of the root. Foliage not abundant, but healthy
and vigorous, and collected into a comparatively small neck. The roots
are usually produced entirely within the earth.

If pulled while very young and small, they are mild, fine-grained, and
good for table use; but, when full grown, the texture is coarser, and
the flavor stronger and less agreeable.

The Long Orange is more cultivated in this country for agricultural
purposes than all other varieties. With respect to its value for stock,
its great productiveness, and its keeping properties, it is considered
the best of all the sorts for field culture. A well-enriched soil will
yield from six hundred to eight hundred bushels per acre. The seed is
usually sown in drills, about fourteen inches apart, but sometimes on
ridges, eighteen or twenty inches apart, formed by turning two furrows
together; the ridges yielding the largest roots, and the drills the
greatest quantity.

Two pounds of seed are usually allowed to an acre; but, if sown by a
well-regulated machine, about one-half this quantity will be sufficient.


LONG RED BELGIAN.

Yellow Belgian. Yellow Green-top Belgian.

[Illustration: Long Red Belgian Carrot.]

Root very long, fusiform, contracted a little towards the crown, but
nearly of uniform thickness from the top down half the length. Size
large; when grown in deep soil, often measuring twenty inches in length,
and nearly three inches in diameter. The crown rises four or five inches
above the surface of the ground, and is of a green color; below the
surface, the skin is reddish-yellow. Flesh orange-red.

This variety, like the White, originated in Belgium. In Europe it is
much esteemed by agriculturists, and is preferred to the White Belgian,
as it is not only nearly as productive, but has none of its defects.


LONG YELLOW.

Long Lemon.

Root fusiform, three inches in diameter at the crown, and from, twelve
to fourteen inches in depth. Skin pale yellow, or lemon-color, under
ground; but greenish on the top, or crown, which rises a little above
the surface of the soil. Flesh yellow, the heart paler, and, like that
of the Long Orange, of large size. While young, the roots are delicate,
mild, and well flavored; but, when full grown, valuable only for stock.

The Long Lemon is easily harvested, and is very productive, yielding
nearly the same quantity to the acre as the Long Orange; which variety
it much resembles in its general character, and with which it is
frequently, to a greater or less extent, intermixed.


LONG SURREY.

Long Red. James's Scarlet.

This variety much resembles the Long Orange: the roots, however, are
more slender, the heart is smaller, and the color deeper.

"It is popular in some parts of England, and is extensively grown over
the Continent."


LONG WHITE.

Common White.

Root produced entirely below ground, regularly fusiform, fifteen inches
long, by about three inches in its largest diameter. Skin white, stained
with russet-brown. Flesh white, and generally considered sweeter than
that of the colored varieties.

The Common White has been but little cultivated since the introduction
of the White Belgian; a variety much more productive, though perhaps not
superior either in flavor, or fineness of texture.


NEW INTERMEDIATE.

[Illustration: New Intermediate.]

An English variety, comparatively of recent introduction. Root broadest
at the crown, and thence tapering very regularly to a point. Size full
medium; well-grown specimens measuring nearly three inches in diameter
at the broadest part, and about one foot in length. Skin bright
orange-red. Flesh orange-yellow, fine-grained, sweet, well flavored,
and, while young, excellent for table use.

Very hardy, and also very productive; yielding, according to the best
English authority, a greater weight per acre than any other
yellow-fleshed variety.


PURPLE OR BLOOD RED.

Violette. _Vil._

Root fusiform, and very slender, fourteen inches in length, by two
inches and a half in diameter at the top or broadest part. Skin deep
purple, varying to some extent in depth of shade, but generally very
dark. Flesh purple at the outer part of the root, and yellow at the
centre or heart; fine grained, sugary, and comparatively well flavored.

Not much cultivated for the table, on account of the brown color it
imparts to soups or other dishes of which it may be an ingredient. It is
also inclined to run to seed the year it is sown. It has, however, the
reputation of flourishing better in wet, heavy soil, than any other
variety.


SHORT WHITE.

Blanche des Vosges. _Vil._

Root obtusely conical, seven or eight inches long, by about four inches
in diameter at the crown, which is large, flat, greenish, and level with
the surface of the ground. Skin white, tinted with amber, smooth and
fine. Flesh yellowish-white, remarkably solid, and fine in texture;
sweet and well flavored. Foliage rather finely divided, and as vigorous
as the Long Orange.

The Short White yields well, retains its qualities during winter, and is
well adapted for cultivation in soils that are hard and shallow.


STUDLEY.

Long Red Brunswick.

Root fusiform, very long, and regular; the crown level with the surface
of the soil. In good cultivation, the roots attain a length of sixteen
inches, and a diameter of nearly two inches. Color bright
reddish-orange, like the Altrincham.

An excellent table-carrot, but flourishes well only in deep, mellow
soil.


WHITE BELGIAN.

Green-top White.

Root very long, fusiform, eighteen to twenty inches in length, and four
or five inches in diameter. In the genuine variety, the crown rises five
or six inches from the surface of the ground; and, with the exception of
a slight contraction towards the top, the full diameter is retained for
nearly one-half of the entire length. Skin green above, white below
ground. Flesh white, tending to citron-yellow at the centre or heart of
the root; somewhat coarse in texture. Foliage rather large and vigorous.

The White Belgian Carrot is remarkable for its productiveness,
surpassing in this respect all other varieties, and exceeding that of
the Long Orange by nearly one-fourth. It can be harvested with great
facility, and gives a good return even on poor soils.

The variety is not considered of any value as a table esculent, and is
grown almost exclusively for feeding stock; for which purpose, it is,
however, esteemed less valuable than the yellow-fleshed sorts, because
less nutritious, and more liable to decay during winter.

Since its introduction, it has somewhat deteriorated; and, as now grown,
differs to some extent from the description given above. The roots are
smaller, seldom rise more than two or three inches above the soil, and
taper directly from the crown to the point. A judicious selection of
roots for seed, continued for a few seasons, would undoubtedly restore
the variety to its primitive form and dimensions.

The same amount of seed will be required as of the Long Orange: and the
general method of culture should be the same; with the exception, that,
in thinning out the plants, the White Belgian should have more space.


WHITE BELGIAN HORN.

Transparent White. _Vil._

Root seven or eight inches in length, and two inches in its greatest
diameter, tapering regularly from the crown to the point. Skin fine,
clear white. Flesh very white, and almost transparent, mild, tender, and
delicate.

A French variety, remarkable for the peculiar, pure white color of its
skin and flesh.

       *       *       *       *       *

TURNIP-ROOTED CHERVIL.


PARSNIP CHERVIL.

Chærophyllum bulbosum.

[Illustration: Turnip-rooted Chervil.]

A hardy, biennial plant, from the south of Europe. The root is fusiform,
four or five inches long, and nearly an inch and a half in diameter;
skin, grayish-black; flesh, white. The leaves are compound, the leaflets
very deeply cut, and the divisions of the upper leaves very narrow and
slender. The flowers are white, and terminate the top of the plant in
umbels, or large, circular, flat, spreading bunches. The seeds are long,
pointed, furrowed, concave on one side, of a brownish color, and retain
their power of germination but one year. An ounce contains sixty-five
hundred seeds.

_Soil and Cultivation._--The seeds may be sown in drills, in October or
April, in the manner of sowing the seeds of the common carrot:
preference to be given to rich, mellow soil. The roots will attain their
full size by the following August or September, when they should be
harvested. With a little care to prevent sprouting, they may be
preserved until April.

_Seed._--The roots intended for seed should be set in the open ground in
autumn or in spring. The seeds will ripen in August, and should be sown
within a month or two of the time of ripening; or, if kept till spring,
should be packed in earth or sand: for, when these precautions are
neglected, they will often remain dormant in the ground throughout the
year.

_Use._--The Tuberous-rooted Chervil promises to be a valuable esculent
root. M. Vilmorin considered it worthy to be classed with the potato,
though not equally productive. On his authority, upwards of six tons
have been produced on an acre; an amount which he states may be greatly
increased by a judicious selection of the best roots for seed.

The roots, which are eaten boiled, are of a gray color, and nearly of
the size and form of an Early Horn Carrot. The flesh is white,
farinaceous, and of a flavor intermediate between that of a chestnut and
a potato.

       *       *       *       *       *

CHINESE POTATO, OR JAPANESE YAM.

Dioscorea batatas.

Stem twelve feet or more in length, of a creeping or climbing habit;
leaves heart-shaped, though sometimes halberd-formed; flowers small, in
clusters, white. "The root is of a pale russet color, oblong, regularly
rounded, club-shaped, exceedingly tender, easily broken, and differs
from nearly all vertical roots in being largest at the lower end."

[Illustration: Chinese Potato, or Japanese Yam.]

_Propagation and Cultivation._--The Chinese Potato requires a very deep,
light, rather sandy, and tolerably rich soil; and this should be
thoroughly stirred to the depth of at least two feet. No fresh manure
should be used, but fine, well-decomposed compost applied, and deeply as
well as very thoroughly incorporated with the soil; avoiding however, if
possible, its direct contact with the growing roots. It is propagated
either by small roots; by the top or neck of the large roots, cut off to
the length of five or six inches; or by the small bulbs, or tubers,
which the plants produce in considerable numbers on the stem, in the
axils of the leaves. These should be planted the last of April, or as
soon as the ground is in good working condition. Lay out the land in
raised ridges two feet and a half or three feet asunder; and on the
summit set the bulbs, or tubers, with the point or shoot upwards, eight
or ten inches apart; and cover about an inch deep. Cultivate in the
usual manner during the summer; and late in autumn, after the tops are
dead, and just before the closing-up of the ground, take up the roots,
dry them a short time in the sun, and store them in the cellar for use.
The roots are perfectly hardy, and will sustain no injury from the
coldest winter, if left unprotected in the open ground. During the
second season, the growth of the old root is not continued, but
gradually decays as the new roots are formed. A well-grown root will
measure about two feet in length, and two inches and a half at its
broadest diameter.

_Use._--The flesh is remarkably white, and very mucilaginous in its
crude state. The roots are eaten either boiled or roasted, and require
rather more than half the time for cooking that is usually given to the
boiling or roasting of the common potato. When cooked, they possess a
rice-like taste and consistency, are quite farinaceous, and
unquestionably nutritive and valuable for food.

       *       *       *       *       *

CHUFA, OR EARTH ALMOND.


EDIBLE CYPERUS. NUT RUSH.

Cyperus esculentus.

A perennial plant, from the south of Europe. The roots are long and
fibrous, and produce at their extremities numerous small, rounded or
oblong, jointed, pale-brown tubers, of the size of a filbert. The flesh
of these roots, or tubers, is of a yellowish color, tender, and of a
pleasant, sweet, and nut-like flavor. The leaves are rush-like, about
eighteen inches high, a little rough, and sharply pointed. The
flower-stalks are nearly of the same height as the leaves,
three-cornered, hard, and leafless, with the exception of five or six
leaflike bracts at the top, from the midst of which are produced the
spikelets of flowers, which are of a pale-yellow color.

_Propagation and Culture._--It is propagated by planting the tubers in
April or May, two inches deep, in drills two feet apart, and six inches
apart in the drills. They will be ready for harvesting in October. In
warm climates, the plant, when once introduced into the garden, spreads
with great rapidity, and is exterminated with much difficulty. In the
Northern and Middle States, the tubers remaining in the open ground are
almost invariably destroyed by the winter.

_Use._--It is cultivated for its small, almond-like tubers, which, when
dried, have somewhat the taste of the almond, and keep a long period.
They are eaten either raw or roasted.

"The plant grows spontaneously in the light, humid soils of Spain; and
is cultivated in Germany and the south of France. The tubers are chiefly
employed for making an orgeat,--a species of drink much used in Spain,
Cuba, and other hot climates where it is known. When mashed to a
flour,--which is white, sweet, and very agreeable to the taste,--it
imparts to water the color and richness of milk."--_Hort._

       *       *       *       *       *


GERMAN RAMPION.


TREE PRIMROSE. EVENING PRIMROSE.

OEnothera biennis.

The German Rampion, or Evening Primrose, common in this country to
gravelly pastures and roadsides, is a hardy biennial plant, and, when in
full perfection, measures three or four feet in height, with long, flat,
pointed leaves, and large, yellow, fragrant flowers. The seed-pods are
oblong, four-sided; the seeds are small, angular, of a brown color, and
retain their germinative properties three years.

_Sowing and Cultivation._--The seeds should be sown annually, in April,
in a rich and shady situation; for if grown in a dry, sunny exposure,
and sown very early in the season, the plants are inclined to run to
flower during the summer: which renders the roots worthless; for they
then become hard and fibrous. Sow in drills an inch deep, and fourteen
inches apart; thin to six or eight inches in the rows; cultivate in the
usual form; and, in September, the roots will be ready for use. For
winter use, take up the roots before freezing weather, and pack in sand.
For spring use, they may be taken directly from the ground.

_To raise Seed._--Two or three plants, left in the ground through the
winter, will yield an abundant supply of seeds the following summer.

_Use._--The root is the only part used. This, when full grown, is
generally from ten to twelve inches long, fusiform, occasionally with a
few strong fibres, whitish on the outside, and white within. The thick,
outer covering separates readily, and should be removed when the root is
eaten in its crude state. It possesses a nutty flavor; but is inferior
to the true Rampion, having a slight pungency. If required as a raw
salad, it should be eaten while young. When the roots have attained
their full size, they are usually dressed in the manner of Skirret and
Scorzonera.

       *       *       *       *       *

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE.

Helianthus tuberosus.

The Jerusalem Artichoke is a hardy perennial. In its manner of growth
and flowering, it much resembles the common sunflower; of which, as its
scientific term suggests, it is really a species. Stem six to eight feet
high, very rough, and much branched; leaves alternate, large, rough,
heart-shaped at the base, pointed at the ends, and indented on the
borders; flowers large, yellow,--produced on the top of the plant, at
the extremities of the branches.

_Soil, Propagation, and Culture._--"It thrives best in a light, mellow
soil, made rich by the application of old, decomposed manure; but the
roots will flourish well if planted in any corner of the garden less
suited for other descriptions of vegetables. To obtain fine roots,
however, the soil should be trenched fifteen or eighteen inches in
depth.

"It is propagated by planting the small tubers, or offsets: the large
tubers may also be cut or divided into several pieces, each having one
eye, as practised with the potato. In April, or early in May, lay out
the rows three feet apart, drop the tubers one foot apart in the rows,
and cover three inches deep. As the plants come up, hoe the ground
between the rows from time to time; and draw a little earth around their
stems, to support them, and to afford the roots a thicker covering."

_Taking the Crop._--The new tubers will be suitable for use in the
autumn. In digging, great care should be taken to remove the small as
well as the full-grown; for those not taken from the ground will remain
fresh and sound during the winter, and send up in the spring new plants,
which, in turn, will increase so rapidly, as to encumber the ground, and
become troublesome. In localities where the crop has once been
cultivated, though no plants be allowed to grow for the production of
fresh tubers, yet the young shoots will continue to make their
appearance from time to time for many years.

_Use._--"The roots, or tubers, are the parts of the plant eaten. These
are boiled in water till they become tender; when, after being peeled,
and stewed with butter and a little wine, they will be as pleasant as
the real Artichoke, which they nearly resemble both in taste and
flavor."

M'Intosh says that the tubers may be used in every way as the potato;
and are suited to persons in delicate health, when debarred from the use
of most other vegetables.

_Varieties._--For a long period, there was but a single variety
cultivated, or even known. Recent experiments in the use of seeds as a
means of propagation have developed new kinds, varying greatly in their
size, form, and color, possessing little of the watery and insipid
character of the heretofore grown Jerusalem Artichoke, and nearly or
quite equalling the potato in flavor and excellence.


COMMON WHITE.

Tubers large, and often irregular in form; skin and flesh white; quality
watery, and somewhat insipid. It is unfit for boiling, but is sometimes
served baked or roasted. It makes a very crisp and well-flavored
pickle.


PURPLE-SKINNED.

A French variety, produced from seed. Tubers purplish rose-color; flesh
dryer when cooked, and finer flavored, than that of the foregoing.


RED-SKINNED.

Like the Purple-skinned, produced from seed. Skin red. Between this and
the last named there are various intermediate sorts, differing in shades
of color, as well as in size, form, and quality.


YELLOW-SKINNED. _Law._

The tubers of this variety are of a yellowish color, and are generally
smaller, and even more irregularly shaped, than those of the Common
White. They are, however, superior in quality, and of a more agreeable
taste when cooked.

       *       *       *       *       *

KOHL RABI.

TURNIP CABBAGE.

Brassica caulo-rapa.

[Illustration: Green Kohl Rabi.]

The Kohl Rabi is a vegetable intermediate between the cabbage and the
turnip. The stem, just above the surface of the ground, swells into a
round, fleshy bulb, in form not unlike a turnip. On the top and about
the surface of this bulb are put forth its leaves, which are similar to
those of the Swede turnips; being either lobed or entire on the borders,
according to the variety. The seeds are produced the second year; after
the ripening of which, the bulb perishes.

_Sowing and Cultivation._--Mr. Thompson's directions are as follows:
"Kohl Rabi may be sown thinly, broadcast, or in drills four inches
apart, in April, May, or June. When the young plants are an inch or two
in height, they may be transplanted into any good, well-enriched piece
of ground, planting them eight inches apart, in rows fifteen inches
asunder, and not deeper in the ground than they were in the seed-bed.
Water should be given till they take fresh root, and subsequently in dry
weather as required; for though the plants suffer little from droughts,
yet the tenderness of the produce is greatly impaired by an insufficient
supply of moisture. With the exception of stirring the ground and
weeding, no further culture is required. The crop will be fit for use
when the bulbs are of the size of an early Dutch turnip: when allowed to
grow much larger, they are only fit for cattle. Of field varieties, the
bulbs sometimes attain an immense size; weighing, in some cases,
fourteen pounds."

_Seed._--Take up a few plants entire in autumn; preserve them during
winter in the manner of cabbages or turnips; and transplant to the open
ground in April, two feet apart in each direction. The seeds are not
distinguishable from those of the Swede or Ruta-baga Turnip, and retain
their vitality from five to seven years.

_Use._--The part chiefly used is the turnip-looking bulb, formed by the
swelling of the stem. This is dressed and eaten with sauce or with meat,
as turnips usually are. While young, the flesh is tender and delicate,
possessing the combined flavor of the cabbage and turnip.

They are said to keep better than any other bulb, and to be sweeter and
more nutritious than the cabbage or white turnip. "In the north of
France, they are extensively grown for feeding cattle,--a purpose for
which they seem admirably adapted, as, from having a taste similar to
the leaves of others of the species, they are found not to impart any of
that peculiar, disagreeable taste to the milk, which it acquires when
cows are fed on turnips."

_Varieties._--These are as follow:--


ARTICHOKE-LEAVED. _Thomp._ _Vil._

Cut-leaved.

Of German origin, deriving its name from the resemblance of the leaves
to those of the Artichoke. Bulb small, and not smooth or symmetrical.
The leaves are beautifully cut, and are very ornamental; but the bulb is
comparatively of little value. Not much cultivated.


EARLY DWARF WHITE. _Vil._

Bulb white, smaller than that of the Common White, and supported close
to the ground. The leaves are also smaller, and less numerous.

It is earlier, and finer in texture, than the last named; and, while
young, excellent for the table.

Transplant in rows fifteen inches apart, and ten inches asunder in the
rows.


EARLY PURPLE VIENNA. _Thomp._ _Vil._

This corresponds with the Early White Vienna, except in color, which, in
this variety, is a beautiful purple, with a fine glaucous bloom. The
leaf-stems are very slender, and the leaves smooth, and few in number.

These two Vienna sorts are by far the best for table use. When taken
young, and properly dressed, they form an excellent substitute for
turnips, especially in dry seasons, when a crop of the latter may fail
or become of inferior quality.


EARLY WHITE VIENNA. _Thomp._

Dwarf, small, early; bulb handsome, firm, glossy, white, or very
pale-green. The leaves are few, small, with slender stems, the bases of
which are dilated, and thin where they spring from different parts on
the surface of the bulb. The flesh is white, tender, and succulent,
whilst the bulb is young, or till it attains the size of an early white
Dutch turnip; and at or under this size it should be used.

Set the plants in rows fifteen inches apart, and ten inches from plant
to plant in the lines.


GREEN.

Similar to, if not identical with, the Common White. The bulbs are
pale-green, attain a very large size, and the variety is hardy and
productive. Not suited to garden culture, but chiefly grown for
farm-purposes.


PURPLE. _Thomp._ _Vil._

This variety differs little from the White, except in color; the bulb
being purple, and the leaf-stems and nerves also tinged with purple.
Like the White, it attains a large size, and is only adapted for field
culture; the flesh being too coarse and strong-flavored for table use.


WHITE. _Thomp._ _Vil._

Bulb large,--when full grown, measuring seven or eight inches in
diameter, and weighing from eight to ten pounds; leaves rather large and
numerous; skin very pale, or whitish-green; stem about six inches high.
Hardy, very late, and chiefly employed for farm-purposes.

The variety should be cultivated in rows eighteen inches apart, and the
plants should stand one foot apart in the rows.

       *       *       *       *       *

OXALIS, TUBEROUS-ROOTED.--_Law._

Tuberous-rooted Wood-sorrel. Oca. Oxalis crenata.

Of the Tuberous-rooted Oxalis, there are two varieties, as follow:--


WHITE-ROOTED.

Oca blanca.

Stem two feet in length, branching, prostrate or trailing, the ends of
the shoots erect; leaves trifoliate, yellowish-green, the leaflets
inversely heart-shaped; flowers rather large, yellow,--the petals
crenate or notched on the borders, and striped at their base with
purple. The seeds are matured only in long and very favorable seasons.
In its native state, the plant is perennial; but is cultivated and
treated, like the common potato, as an annual.

_Cultivation._--The tubers should be started in a hot-bed in March, and
transplanted to the open ground in May, or as soon as the occurrence of
settled warm weather. They thrive best in dry, light, and medium fertile
soils, in warm situations; and should be planted in hills two feet and a
half apart, or in drills two feet and a half apart, setting the plants
or tubers an inch and a half deep, and fifteen or eighteen inches apart
in the drills; treating, in all respects, as potatoes.

The tubers form late in the season; are white, roundish, or oblong,
pointed at the union with the plant, and vary in size according to soil,
locality, and season; seldom, however, exceeding an inch in diameter, or
weighing above four ounces. The yield is comparatively small.

_Use._--The tubers are used as potatoes. When cooked, the flesh is
yellow, very dry and mealy, of the flavor of the potato, with a very
slight acidity. The tender, succulent stalks and foliage are used as
salad.


OXALIS, RED TUBEROUS-ROOTED.

Oca colorada.

Plant similar in habit to the White Tuberous-rooted; but the branches,
as well as the under surface of the leaves, are more or less stained
with red. Tubers larger than those of the last named, roundish, tapering
towards the connection with the plant, and furnished with numerous eyes
in the manner of the common potato; skin smooth, purplish-red; flesh
often three-colored,--the outer portion of the tuber carmine-red, the
central part marbled, and the intermediate portion yellow,--the colors,
when the root is divided transversely, appearing in concentric zones, or
rings. The flesh contains but little farinaceous matter, and possesses a
certain degree of acidity, which, to many palates, is not agreeable.

Propagated, and in all respects cultivated, like the White. Either of
the varieties may also be grown from cuttings, which root readily.

According to a statement from the London Horticultural Society's
Journal, the acidity may be converted into a sugary flavor by exposing
the tubers to the action of the sun for eight or ten days,--a phenomenon
which is analogous to what takes place in the ripening of most fruits.
When treated in this form, the tubers lose all trace of acidity, and
become as floury as the best descriptions of potatoes. If the action of
the sun is continued for a long period, the tubers become of the
consistence and sweet taste of figs. Mr. Thompson states that the
disagreeable acid taste may also be removed by changing the water when
they are three-quarters boiled.

The plants are tender, and are generally destroyed early in autumn by
frost. The tubers must be taken up before freezing weather, packed in
sand, and placed in a dry, warm cellar for the winter.

DEPPE'S OXALIS. _Thomp._ _Vil._

Oxalis Deppei.

A perennial plant from Mexico, very distinct from the tuberous-rooted
species before described. Stalk about one foot in height, smooth and
branching; leaves four together, the leaflets wedge-shaped, pale
yellowish-green, the upper surface marked by two brownish lines or
stains in the form of two sides of a triangle; flowers terminal, of a
carmine-rose or pink-red color, stained with green at the base of the
petals. "The roots are fleshy, tapering, white, and semi-transparent,
and furnished on the top of the crown with a mass of scaly bulbs,
sometimes amounting to fifty in number, by means of which the plant
can be easily propagated. When well grown, the roots are about four
inches in length, and from one inch to one inch and a half in
thickness."--_Thomp._

_Soil and Culture._--"This Oxalis requires a light, rich soil, mixed
with decayed vegetable matter; and it prefers a southern aspect,
provided the soil is not too dry.

"It may be raised from seed; but is generally propagated by planting the
bulbs, which should be set the last of April or beginning of May, or
when all danger of frost is over, six inches apart, in rows one foot
asunder. The bulbs should be only just covered with soil; for thus they
occupy a position, with regard to the surface, similar to that in which
they are produced: and this seems indispensable, if fine roots are to be
obtained.

"The stems have been observed to spring up from a considerable depth;
but, in this case, tap-roots were not formed. During summer, the soil
must be kept moist in dry weather; otherwise, when rain falls
abundantly, the sudden accession of water to the roots occasions their
splitting. The plants should be allowed to grow as long as there is no
danger from frost; but, previous to this occurring, they should either
be taken up or protected. If protected from frost by frames or
otherwise, the roots will continue to increase in size till near
November. When taken up, the roots should be divested of the numerous
bulbs formed on their crowns, and then stored up for use in a cool, dry
place, but secure from frost. A similar situation will be proper for the
small bulbs; or they may be kept in dry sand till the season of
planting."--_Thomp._

The plant has been cultivated with the most complete success, with no
especial preparation of the soil; merely planting the bulbs in shallow
drills, the ground being dug and manured as for other kitchen-garden
crops.

_Use._--In a communication to the "Gardener's Chronicle," Prof. Morren
gives the uses of the plant as follow:--

"The uses of the Oxalis are many. The young leaves are dressed like
sorrel in soup, or as a vegetable. They have a fresh and agreeable acid,
especially in spring. The flowers are excellent in salad, alone, or
mixed with corn salad, endive of both kinds, red cabbage, beet-root, and
even with the petals of the dahlia, which are delicious when thus
employed. When served at table, the flowers, with their pink corolla,
green calyx, yellow stripes, and small stamens, produce a fine effect.
The roots are gently boiled with salt and water, after having been
washed and slightly peeled. They are then eaten like asparagus in the
Flemish fashion, with melted butter and the yolk of eggs. They are also
served up like scorzonera and endive, with white sauce; and form, in
whatever way they are dressed, a tender, succulent dish, easy to digest,
agreeing with the most delicate stomach. The analogy of the root with
salep indicates that its effect should be excellent on all
constitutions."

"The bright rose-colored flowers being very ornamental, the plant is
sometimes employed as an edging for walks."--_Thomp._

       *       *       *       *       *

THE PARSNIP.

Pastinaca sativa.

The Parsnip is a hardy biennial, indigenous to Great Britain and some
parts of the south of Europe, and, to a considerable extent, naturalized
in this country. In its native state, the root is small and fibrous, and
possesses little of the fineness of texture, and delicacy of flavor,
which characterize the Parsnip in its cultivated state.

The roots are fusiform, often much elongated, sometimes turbinate, and
attain their full size during the first year. The flowers and seeds are
produced the second year; the plant then measuring five or six feet in
height, with a grooved or furrowed, hollow, branching stem. The flowers
are yellow, in large spreading umbels five or six inches in diameter.
The seeds ripen in July and August; are nearly circular; about
one-fourth of an inch in diameter; flat, thin, very light, membranous on
the borders, and of a pale yellowish-brown or yellowish-green color.
They vary but little in size, form, or color, in the different
varieties; and retain their vitality but two years. About six thousand
seeds are contained in one ounce.

_Propagation, Soil, and Cultivation._--It is always propagated from seed
sown annually.

_Soil._--The soil should be mellow, deep, and of a rich vegetable
texture. "If in moderate condition by the manuring of the previous crop,
it will be better than applying manure at sowing. Should it be necessary
to do so, let the manure be in the most thorough state of decomposition;
or, if otherwise, incorporate it with the soil, as far from the surface
as possible. The Parsnip will grow in a stronger soil than the Carrot;
and succeeds comparatively well when grown in sand, or even in peat, if
well manured."

_Preparation of the Ground, and Sowing._--"The seed should be sown as
early in spring as the ground is in good working condition. As most of
the varieties have long fusiform roots, ordinary ploughing will not stir
the soil to a sufficient depth for their greatest perfection; and, as
the amount of the crop mainly depends on the length of the roots, it is
of the first importance to provide for this fact by making the ground
fine and friable above and below, to the depth of at least fifteen
inches: eighteen or twenty would be better. When the soil has thus been
thoroughly pulverized, level off the surface, and rake it fine and
smooth, and sow the seed in drills fourteen inches apart and an inch
and a half deep; allowing half an ounce of seed for one hundred feet of
drill, and from five to six pounds to the acre. When the young plants
are two or three inches high, thin them out to about six inches in the
rows; and, as they transplant readily, any vacant space can be filled by
resetting the surplus plants. Keep the earth between the rows loose, and
free from weeds, and also the spaces in the rows, until the leaves cover
the ground; after which, little further care will be required. The roots
will attain a good size by the middle of September, from which time a
few may be drawn for present use; but the Parsnip is far best at full
maturity, which is indicated by the decay of the leaf in October."

_Harvesting._--The Parsnip sustains no injury when left in the open
ground during winter; and it is a common practice to take up in the fall
a certain quantity of roots to meet a limited demand in the winter
months, allowing the rest to remain in the ground until spring. The
roots thus treated are considered to have a finer flavor; that is to
say, are better when recently taken from the ground.

In taking up the crop in autumn, which should be done just previous to
the closing-up of the ground, be careful to remove the soil to a
sufficient depth, so as not to injure the roots. The thrust of the spade
that easily lifts a Carrot without essential injury, will, if applied to
the Parsnip, break the roots of nine in ten at scarcely half their
length from the surface of the ground. As the roots keep much fresher,
and retain their flavor much better, when taken up entire, the best
method is to throw out a trench beside the rows, to the depth of the
roots, when they can be easily, as well as perfectly, removed. They
should be dug in pleasant weather, and laid on the ground exposed to the
sun for a few hours to dry; "and when all the earth is rubbed off them,
and their leaves cut off to within an inch of their crowns, they may be
stowed away in sand, dry earth, or in any dry, light material most
convenient." When thus packed, they will keep well in almost any
location, either in the cellar or storehouse.

If the roots which have remained in the ground during winter be taken up
in spring, and the tops removed as before directed, they may be packed
in sand or earth, and will remain fresh and in good condition for use
until May or June.

_To raise Seed._--In April, thin out the roots, that have been in the
ground during the winter, to about eighteen inches apart; or, at the
same season, select a few good-sized and symmetrical roots from those
harvested in the fall, and set them eighteen inches apart, with the
crowns just below the surface of the ground. They will send up a stalk
to the height and in the manner before described, and the seeds will
ripen in August. The central umbel of seeds is always the largest, and
is considered much the best.

_Use._--"The Parsnip is considered as a wholesome and nutritious article
of food, and is served at table in various styles in connection with
salted meats and fish. The roots, aside from this manner of using, form
what may be called an excellent side-dish; when, after being boiled, not
too soft, they are dipped in thin batter of flour and butter or the
white of eggs, and afterwards fried brown."

They contain a considerable portion of sugar, and are considered more
nutritive than carrots or turnips. The roots form a common ingredient in
soups; and are sometimes used for making bread, and also a kind of wine
said to resemble Malmsey of Madeira.

Aside from the value of the Parsnip as a table vegetable, it is one of
the most economical roots for cultivation for farm purposes, as it not
only produces an abundant and almost certain crop, but furnishes very
nourishing food particularly adapted to and relished by dairy-stock.

_Varieties._--The varieties, which are not numerous, are as follow:--


COMMON, OR DUTCH. _Trans._

Swelling Parsnip. Long Smooth Dutch.

The leaves of this kind are strong and numerous; generally about two
feet long or high. The roots are from twenty to thirty inches in length,
and from three to four inches in diameter at the shoulder, regularly
tapering to the end, occasionally producing a few strong fangs. The
crown is short and narrow, elevated, and contracting gradually from the
shoulder, which is generally below the surface of the ground.

Seeds from America, Holland, and Germany, sown in the garden of the
London Horticultural Society, all proved alike; though some were
superior to others in the size of their roots, owing, it was thought,
both to a careful selection of seed-roots and to the age of the seeds.
It was found that new seeds uniformly produced the largest roots.


EARLY SHORT-HORN. _M'Int._

A recently introduced variety, similar to the Turnip-rooted, but
shorter. Very delicate and fine-flavored.


GUERNSEY. _Trans._

Panais Long, of the French.

The leaves of this kind grow much stronger and somewhat taller than
those of the Common Parsnip. The leaflets are also broader. The only
distinguishable difference in the roots is, that those of the Guernsey
Parsnip are the larger and more perfect, being sometimes three feet
long. Roots produced from seed obtained from Guernsey were evidently
much superior to those which were grown from seed raised in other
localities: from which it would appear that the Guernsey Parsnip is only
an improved variety of the Common, arising from soil and cultivation in
that island. Dr. M'Culloch states that, in Guernsey, its roots grow to
the length of four feet. In its flavor, it differs little from the
Common Dutch Parsnip.


HOLLOW-CROWNED. _Trans._

Long Jersey. Hollow-crowned Guernsey. Hollow-headed.

In this variety, the leaves are shorter and not so numerous as those of
the Common Parsnip. The roots are oblong, about eighteen inches in
length, and four inches in diameter at the shoulder, more swollen at the
top, and not tapering gradually, but ending somewhat abruptly with a
small tap-root. The crown is short, and quite sunk into the shoulder, so
as to form a hollow ring around the insertion of the stalks of the
leaves; and grows mostly below the surface of the ground.

It is a good sort for general cultivation, especially as it does not
require so deep a soil as either the Common, or Guernsey. There is
little difference in the flavor or general qualities of the three
varieties.


SIAM, OR YELLOW. _Thomp._

Panais de Siam.

This is said to be more tender and richer in flavor than any of the
other varieties. It is mentioned by Dr. Neill in the "Encyclopædia
Britannica," and is described by M. Noisette as being yellowish in
color, and in form intermediate between the Guernsey and Turnip-rooted
Parsnips. He also states that it is the most esteemed. It does not,
however, appear to be known at the present day in this country.


TURNIP-ROOTED. _Trans._

Panais Rond, of the French.

[Illustration: Turnip-rooted Parsnip.]

The leaves of this sort are few, and do not exceed twelve to sixteen
inches in length. The roots are from four to six inches in diameter,
tunnel-shaped, tapering very abruptly, with a strong tap-root; the whole
being from twelve to fifteen inches in length. The rind is rougher than
either of the other sorts; the shoulder very broad, growing above the
surface of the soil; convex, with a small, short crown. It is much the
earliest of the parsnips; and, if left in the ground, is liable to rot
in the crown. The leaves also decay much sooner than those of most other
sorts.

It is particularly adapted to hard and shallow soils; and, from its
coming into use much earlier than any other kind, very desirable. In
flavor, it is mild and pleasant, though less sugary than the long-rooted
kinds. The flesh, when dressed, is more yellow than that of any other
variety.

       *       *       *       *       *

THE POTATO.

Solanum tuberosum.

The Potato is a native of Central or Tropical America. In its wild or
natural state, as found growing on the mountains of Mexico or South
America, the tubers rarely exceed an inch in diameter, and are
comparatively unpalatable. During the last half-century, its cultivation
within the United States has greatly increased; and it is now considered
the most important of all esculent roots, and next to the cereals in
value as an article of human subsistence.

_Soil._--The soils best suited to the Potato are of the dryer and
lighter descriptions; pasture lands, or new land, with the turf freshly
turned, producing the most abundant as well as the most certain crops.
On land of a stiff, clayey texture, or in wet soils, they are not only
extremely liable to disease, but the quality is usually very inferior.
"On soils which have been long cropped and heavily manured, they rarely
succeed well; and hence garden ground, in most cases, does not produce
tubers of so good quality as those obtained from the fields."

_Fertilizers._--"In good garden soil, the less manure that is used, the
better flavored will be the produce; and it will also be much less
affected by the disease. Therefore, whilst the malady prevails, or
symptoms of it still remain, it is not advisable to apply much manure.

"Amongst the fertilizers that are employed, may be enumerated, in
addition to barnyard and stable manure, leaves, leaf-mould,
peat-charcoal, and other carbonaceous substances, lime, gypsum, or
plaster, and bone-dust.

"Wood-ashes are useful in supplying potash and other inorganic
substances required by the plant; and they may be advantageously applied
where the soil contains a large amount of decayed vegetable matter. The
same remark will also apply to lime, which is useful in destroying slugs
and other vermin, which attack the tubers. Plaster, bone-dust, and
superphosphate of lime, are best for humid soils. They induce earliness;
and where this is an object, as it must be so long as the disease
continues, they may be applied with considerable advantage."--_Thomp._

_Propagation._--"This is almost universally from tubers; the seed being
seldom sown, except for the production of new varieties. With many it is
a doubtful question, whether the tubers cut, or planted whole, yield the
greater return. From experiments made in the garden of the London
Horticultural Society at Chiswick, it was found, on the mean of two
plantations,--one made early in the season, and the other about one
month later,--that the produce from cut sets exceeded that from whole
tubers by nearly one ton per acre. In the latter planting, the produce
from whole tubers was somewhat greater than that from single eyes: but,
in the early plantation, the cut sets gave nearly two tons per acre more
produce than the whole tubers; the weight of potatoes planted being
deducted in every case.

"Another important consideration is, whether small tubers or large ones
should be employed for making sets; for if, by using the former, an
equally good crop could be obtained, a considerable saving in the
expense of sets would be effected. Large tubers, however, are
preferable, for the following reasons: In all plants, large buds tend
to produce large shoots; and small or weak buds, the reverse. Now, the
eyes of potatoes are true buds, and in small tubers they are
comparatively weak: they consequently produce weak shoots, and the crop
from such is inferior to that obtained from plants originating from
larger tubers, furnished with stronger eyes; and this conclusion has
been justified by the results of actual experiments.

"The part of the Potato employed for planting is not a matter of
indifference. It was found, by an experiment made in the garden of the
Horticultural Society, that sets taken from the points of the tubers,
and planted early in the season, yielded at the rate of upwards of three
tons per acre more produce than was obtained from employing the opposite
end of the tubers. In a plantation made a month afterwards, the
difference was much less, but still in favor of the point, or top end,
of the Potato."--_Thomp._

With regard to the quantity of seed per acre, great diversity of opinion
exists among cultivators. Much, of course, depends on the variety, as
some sorts not only have more numerous eyes, but more luxuriant and
stronger plants, than others. Of such varieties, a much less quantity
will be required than of those of an opposite character. From a series
of experiments carefully made for the purpose of ascertaining the amount
of seed most profitable for an acre, it was found that from six to eight
bushels, if planted in hills, answered better than more: for, when too
much seed was used, there were many small tubers; and where the tubers
had been divided into very small parts, or single eyes, the plants were
more feeble, and the yield less in number and weight, though usually of
larger size.

_Methods of Planting and Cultivation._--Potatoes are usually planted
either in hills or ridges; the former method being the more common in
this country. If planted in hills, they should be made from three feet
to three and a half apart; the distance to be regulated by the habit of
the variety under cultivation. If in ridges or drills, they may be made
from two and a half to three feet apart; although some of the earlier
and smaller kinds may be successfully grown at eighteen or twenty
inches.

"Of sets formed by the division of an average-sized tuber into four
parts, three may be allowed a hill; or, if planted in drills, the sets
may be placed from seven to twelve inches asunder,--the distance to be
regulated by the habit or size of the plant. On light, warm land, the
sets should be covered about four inches in depth; but in wet, cold
soil, three inches will be sufficient.

"As soon as the plants are fairly above the surface, hoeing and
surface-stirring should be commenced. The earth should gradually be
drawn about the hills, or along the ridges, at each successive hoeing,
and every encouragement given to the side-roots to extend themselves:
for nearly at their extremities the tubers are formed; so that deeply
stirring the ground between the hills or ridges tends to their
extension. This latter treatment, however, must not be carried beyond a
certain stage in the growth of the plant, or after the tubers have
reached a considerable size, as the extremities of the roots might be
seriously injured. Some varieties of potatoes produce their tubers at a
much greater distance from the stem than others. These are chiefly to be
found among the later sorts. Most of the early kinds produce theirs
close to the stem, or at the extremity of very short runners; seldom
more than nine inches from the stalk of the plant."

_Forcing._--This should be commenced from three to four weeks before the
season for planting in the open ground. The earliest varieties should be
chosen for the purpose, selecting whole tubers of medium size, and
placing them close together, in a single layer, among half-decayed
leaves or very light loam, on the surface of a moderate hot-bed.

"When the shoots have attained the height of two or three inches, and
the weather has become sufficiently mild, they should be carefully taken
out, and divided into sets; in the process of cutting up the tubers,
avoiding as much as possible doing injury to the small fibrous roots,
and also to the growing shoots. These sets should then be planted out in
hills or drills, in the usual manner and at the usual depth; if
possible, leaving the upper portion of the young shoot just above the
surface of the ground. Some care is requisite in planting out the sets,
particularly in covering; for, if the soil is applied too rudely, the
sprouts, which separate very easily from the tubers, are exceedingly
liable to be broken off, and the set destroyed for early use. If severe
cold or frosty weather occurs, the plants should be protected by straw,
or any convenient, light material, placed along the drills or on the
hills."

_Taking the Crop, and Method of Preservation._--"The early varieties
should be dug for use as they attain a suitable size; which, in warm
exposure, will be about the beginning of July; and thence till the
middle of August, in less favorable places. The practice of partially
removing the soil from about the roots, and gathering the largest
tubers, leaving the smaller ones, with the expectation that they will
attain a larger size, is a mode of proceeding which seldom realizes the
hopes of the cultivator; for the Potato, if once disturbed at the roots,
seldom recovers the check.

"When no apprehension is felt on account of disease, a week's delay in
commencing on the crop will be found of great importance both to the
bulk and quality; for just previous to the decay of the tops, if
pleasant weather prevails and the ground is sufficiently moist, the
tubers increase in size with great rapidity.

"Late varieties usually constitute the great portion of the main crop,
and are those which require most care in taking up and storing. So long
as the plants continue green, the Potato should be allowed to remain in
the ground; as this is quite indicative that the tubers have not arrived
at full maturity."

In the preservation of potatoes, it is of the first importance that they
be excluded from light. If this is neglected, they become not only
injurious, but actually poisonous; and this is especially the fact when
they are allowed to become of a green color, which they readily will do
on exposure to the light. In a state of complete darkness they should
therefore be placed, the day they are taken out of the ground; and it
were even better that they were stored in rather a damp state, than that
they should be exposed for a day to the light with a view to dry them.
Drying has a bad effect on the skin of the Potato; for, if subjected to
this, the skin and part of the epidermis are made to part with their
natural juices, which ever afterwards renders them incapable of
absorbing moisture, even if presented to them. Fermentation is also an
important evil to be guarded against, as it changes the whole substance
of the Potato, and, so far as seed potatoes are concerned, destroys
their vegetative principle. As security against this, they should be
stored either in barrels or boxes, or in long, narrow ridges, with
partitions of earth between. Potatoes once dried should never be again
moistened until just before using.

"Keeping potatoes has the effect of diminishing the quantity of starch
contained in them. According to Mr. Johnson, those which in October
yielded readily seventeen per cent of starch, gave, in the following
April, only fourteen and a half per cent. The effect of frost is also to
lessen the quantity of starch. It acts chiefly upon the vascular and
albuminous part; but it also converts a portion of the starch into
sugar: hence the sweetish taste of frosted potatoes."--_M'Int._

_Varieties._--Messrs. Peter Lawson and Sons describe one hundred and
seventy-five varieties: and other foreign authors enumerate upwards of
five hundred, describing the habit of the plant; size, form, and color
of the tubers; quality and general excellence; and comparative value for
cultivation.

They are obtained from seeds; the latter being quite small, flat, and
lens-shaped. One hundred and five thousand are contained in an ounce,
and they retain their germinative properties three years.

The process is as follows: "Select some of the largest and best berries,
or balls, when fully ripe, which is denoted by the withering of the
stalk; and separate the seeds from the pulp, and dry them thoroughly in
the sun. These should be sown in the following spring, and the produce
taken up in October. The tubers will then have nearly attained the size
of small plums. The best of these should be selected, and the product of
each plant carefully and separately preserved. In the month of April
following, they should be planted at a distance from one another of from
fifteen to eighteen inches; and, when they rise about two inches from
the ground, they should be earthed up slightly with the hoe,--an
operation which may be repeated during the season. When they have
arrived at maturity, they are to be taken up, keeping the product of
each stalk by itself; which product is again to be planted the ensuing
spring. A judgment of the properties of the varieties will then have
been formed, and those are to be reserved for cultivation which are
approved of. It will be found, that, whatever had been the character of
the parent stock, the seeds will produce numerous varieties, some white,
some dark, in color, with tubers of different forms, round, oblong, and
kidney-shaped, and varying greatly in the dryness, color, and
farinaceous character, of the flesh."--_Low._


ASH-LEAVED EARLY.

Stem nearly two feet in height, erect, with long, smooth, shining, and
drooping foliage; flowers very seldom produced; tubers white, roundish,
rough-skinned; flesh white, of medium quality. The variety is healthy,
and remarkably early; well suited to open culture, but not adapted for
growing under glass, on account of its tall habit.


ASH-LEAVED KIDNEY.

One of the earliest of the garden varieties, well adapted for forcing
under glass or for starting in a hot-bed, and subsequent cultivation in
the open ground. The plant is of spreading habit, and about eighteen
inches in height; leaves small, recurved; tubers of medium size,
kidney-shaped, white; flesh white, dry, and well flavored. Very healthy.
Introduced.


BISCUIT. _Law._

Plant two feet and a half high, spreading; leaves rather rough, large,
and of a pale-green color; flowers whitish; tubers rather small, round,
smooth, and of a light-brownish color. A very healthy variety, mealy,
well flavored, and quite productive. The plants do not decay, nor do the
tubers attain full maturity, until nearly the close of the season: the
latter are, however, of good quality, and in perfection for the table
soon after being harvested.


BLACK CHENANGO.

Black Mercer.

Plant vigorous, and generally of healthy habit; tubers nearly of the
form of the Lady's Finger, but of larger size; skin very deep purple, or
nearly black; flesh purple, both in its crude state and when cooked;
quality good, usually dry, and of good flavor.

The Black Chenango is moderately productive, and withstands disease
better than almost any other potato; but its dark color is
objectionable. Compared with many of the recent varieties, it has little
merit, and is not a profitable sort for extensive cultivation.


BUCKEYE.

A Western variety; grown also to a considerable extent in some parts of
the Middle States. "It is a handsome, round potato; white throughout,
except a little bright pink at the bottom of the eye. It is very
early,--ripening as early as the Chenango; attains a good marketable
size as soon as the Dykeman; cooks very dry and light; and is fine
flavored, particularly when first matured. It throws up a very thick,
vigorous, and luxuriant vine; grows compactly in the hill, and to a
large size, yielding abundantly."

For planting for early use, it is a promising variety: but for a late or
medium crop, upon strong, rich ground, it is said to grow so rapidly,
and to so great a size, that many of the tubers are liable to be
hollow-hearted; which considerably impairs their value for table use.


CALICO.

Similar to the Pink-eyed; varying little except in color, which is
mostly red, with occasional spots and splashes of white. It is in no
respect superior to the last-named variety in quality, and cannot be
considered of much value for agricultural purposes or for the table.


CALIFORNIA RED.

A bright-red potato from California. Tubers variable in form, from long
to nearly round, rather smooth; eyes slightly depressed.

It is one of the most productive of all the varieties; but, on account
of its extreme liability to disease, cannot be recommended for general
cultivation.


CARTER.

A medium-sized, roundish, flattened, white potato, once esteemed the
finest of all varieties, but at present nearly or quite superseded by
the Jackson White, of which it is supposed to be the parent. Eyes rather
numerous, and deeply sunk; flesh very white, remarkably dry,
farinaceous, and well flavored. Originated about thirty years ago, in
Berkshire County, Mass., by Mr. John Carter.


CHURCHILL.

A variety said to have originated in Maine, and often sold in the market
for the "State of Maine;" which it somewhat resembles in size, form, and
color. Flesh yellow. Not a desirable sort. It is much inferior to the
"State of Maine;" and, in many places, the latter variety has been
condemned in consequence of the Churchill having been ignorantly
cultivated in its stead.


CRISTY.

An early sort, of good quality, but rather unproductive. Shape somewhat
long, though often nearly round; color white and purple, striped, and
blended together. It is of no value as an agricultural variety; and, for
table use, cannot be considered superior to many other varieties equally
healthy and more prolific.


CUPS.

Introduced. Plant upright, stocky, surviving till frost; flowers pale
purple; tubers pink or reddish, large, oblong, often irregular; flesh
dry and farinaceous. Very healthy and productive, but better suited for
agricultural purposes than for the table.


DANVERS SEEDLING.

Danvers Red.

Plant healthy and vigorous. The large, full-grown tubers are long; and
the smaller, undeveloped ones, nearly round. Color light red, with faint
streaks of white; eyes moderately sunk; quality fair.

This variety originated in Danvers, Essex County, Mass.; and, when first
introduced, was not only of good size and quality, but remarkably
productive. It has, however, much deteriorated; and is now, both as
respects quality and yield, scarcely above an average. At one period, it
had the reputation of being one of the best varieties for keeping, and
of entirely withstanding the attacks of the potato disease.


DAVIS'S SEEDLING.

This variety originated in the town of Sterling, Mass.; and was early
disseminated through the influence of the Massachusetts Horticultural
Society, at whose exhibitions it attracted much attention on account of
its size and beauty. For general cultivation, it is probably one of the
most profitable sorts known, as it yields abundantly, even with ordinary
attention. Under a high state of cultivation, seven hills have produced
a bushel of potatoes.

The tubers are of good size, red, nearly round, though sometimes more or
less flattened. Eyes deeply sunk, and not very numerous; flesh nearly
white, slightly tinged with pink beneath the skin when cooked; quality
good, being dry, farinaceous, and well flavored. It requires the full
season for its complete perfection, and resists disease better than most
varieties. As a winter potato, or for extensive cultivation for market,
it is one of the best of all varieties; and commends itself to the
farmer, both as respects quality and yield, as being greatly superior to
the Peach-blow, Pink-eye, Vermont White, and many similar varieties,
which so abound in city markets.


DYKEMAN.

Plant of medium strength and vigor, rarely producing seed or blossoms;
tubers large, roundish, often oblong; color white, clouded at the
stem-end and about the eyes (which are moderately sunk and rather
numerous) with purple; flesh white, or yellowish-white, its quality
greatly affected by season, and the soil in which the variety may be
cultivated. In certain descriptions of rather strong, clayey land, the
yield is often remarkably great, and the quality much above medium. In
such land, if warm and sheltered, the tubers attain a very large size
quite early in the season, and find a ready sale in the market at
greatly remunerative prices. Under other conditions, it frequently
proves small, waxy, and inferior in quality, and profitless to the
cultivator. Notwithstanding these defects, its size, earliness, and
productiveness render it worthy of trial.


EARLY BLUE.

Tubers of medium size, roundish, of a bright purple or bluish color;
eyes moderately deep; flesh, when cooked, white, or yellowish-white,
mealy, and well flavored.

This old and familiar variety is one of the earliest of the garden
potatoes, of fine quality, and one of the best for forcing for early
crops. It retains its freshness and flavor till late in the spring; is
of comparatively healthy habit; and, though but moderately productive,
is worthy more general cultivation.


EARLY COCKNEY.

Plant of medium strength and vigor, recumbent, rarely blossoming, and
usually ripening and decaying early in the season, or before the
occurrence of frost; tubers white, large, roundish, rough; flesh
yellowish-white, or nearly white, dry, farinaceous, and of good flavor;
hardy, moderately productive, and recommended as a desirable
intermediate variety for the garden or for field culture. Introduced.


EARLY MANLY.

Plant medium or small, rarely blossoming, and decaying early in the
season; tubers of medium size, white, roundish; flesh yellowish-white,
dry, mealy, and mild flavored. It yields well, and is a good variety for
early garden culture. Introduced.


FLOUR-BALL.

Plant reclining, of rather slender habit, rarely blossoming; tubers of
medium size, white, round, the skin quite rough or netted; flesh white,
dry, farinaceous, and mild flavored. It yields abundantly, and is a good
sort for the garden; but would prove less profitable for growing for the
market than many other varieties of larger size.


FLUKE KIDNEY. _Cot. Gard._

Plant vigorous, with luxuriant, deep-green foliage; continuing its
growth till late in the season, or until destroyed by frost. The tuber
is remarkable for its singular shape, of a flattened oval, frequently
measuring eight or nine inches in length by nearly three inches in
width. The peel is thin, and remarkably free from eyes; the surface,
very smooth and even; the flesh is very dry, mealy, and farinaceous,
exceedingly well flavored, and, in general excellence, surpassed by few,
if any, of the late varieties. It is also healthy, hardy, and very
productive; but is much better towards spring than when used soon after
being harvested.

The variety originated near Manchester, Eng., about the year 1844; and
appears to be a cross or hybrid between the Lapstone Kidney and
Pink-eye.

In this country, the variety has never reached the degree of excellence
it appears to have attained in England. With us the yield has been
small, and it has suffered greatly from disease. The flesh is also
yellow when cooked, and quite strong flavored. Not recommended for
cultivation.


FORTY-FOLD.

An English variety. Plant healthy, ripening about the middle of
September, rarely producing seed or blossoms; tubers white, of medium
size, round; skin rough or netted; flesh white, comparatively dry, and
well flavored. It yields abundantly; is a good kind for forcing; and,
though the plants remain green until frost, the tubers attain a
suitable size for use quite early in the season. An English sort, known
as Taylor's Forty-fold, is quite distinct; the tubers being oval, much
flattened, and of a reddish color.


GARNET CHILI.

Stem not long or tall, rather erect, sturdy, and branching; flowers
abundant, pale purplish-white, and usually abortive; tubers red, or
garnet-colored, very large, roundish, and comparatively smooth and
regular; flesh white, dry, mealy, and, the size of the tuber considered,
remarkably well flavored. The variety is healthy, yields abundantly, is
greatly superior to the Peach-blow and kindred sorts for table use, and
might be profitably grown for farm-purposes. The plants survive till
destroyed by frost.


GILLYFLOWER.

Tubers large, oval, or oblong, flattened, white, and comparatively
smooth; flesh white, dry, and of fair quality. The plants are healthy,
and the variety is very productive: but it is inferior to many others
for table use; though its uniform good size, and its fair form, and
whiteness, make it attractive and salable in the market. It is similar
to, if not identical with, the St. Helena and the Laplander.


GREEN-TOP.

Plant strong and vigorous; flowers dull white, generally abortive;
tubers quite large, white, roundish, often irregular; eyes deep-set;
flesh white, comparatively dry, and well flavored. The variety is
productive, and of healthy, hardy habit; not early; the plants
continuing green till destroyed by frost. Introduced.


HILL'S EARLY.

An old variety, very little, if at all, earlier than the White Chenango.
Quality not much above mediocrity; its chief recommendation being its
earliness. Skin and flesh yellowish-white; eyes rather deeply sunk; size
medium; form roundish; moderately productive. It does not ordinarily
cook dry and mealy; and, though desirable as an early potato for a
limited space in the garden, cannot be recommended for general
cultivation.


IRISH CUPS.

Tubers nearly round, yellowish-white; eyes deep-set; flesh yellow, and
strong flavored when cooked. Unfit for table use.

Aside from the difference in form, the variety somewhat resembles the
Rohan.


JACKSON WHITE.

This comparatively new but very excellent variety originated in Maine;
and is supposed to be a seedling from the celebrated Carter, which it
much resembles. Tubers yellowish-white, varying in size from medium to
large; form somewhat irregular, but generally roundish, though sometimes
oblong and a little flattened; eyes rather numerous, and deeply sunk;
flesh perfectly white when cooked, remarkably dry, mealy, farinaceous,
and well flavored.

The variety unquestionably attains its greatest perfection when grown in
Maine, or the northern sections of Vermont and New Hampshire; but is
nevertheless of good quality when raised in the warmer localities of New
England and the Middle States. It is earlier than the Davis Seedling;
comparatively free from disease; a good keeper; commands the highest
market-price; and, every thing considered, must be classed as one of the
best, and recommended for general cultivation.

The plants are very erect, the flowers nearly white; and the balls, or
berries, are produced in remarkable abundance.


JENNY LIND.

Rhode-Island Seedling.

A variety of comparatively recent introduction. Plant very strong and
vigorous; tubers of extraordinary size when grown in strong soils, long
and somewhat irregular in form, thickly set on the surface with small
knobs, or protuberances, above which the eyes are placed in rather deep
basins, or depressions; color red and white intermixed, in some
specimens mostly red, while in others white is the prevailing color;
flesh yellow when cooked, and quite coarse, but esteemed by many as of
good quality for table use.

One of the largest of all the varieties, remarkably productive, quite
free from disease, keeps well, and, as an agricultural potato, rivals
the Rohan. Requires the full season. It sports more than any potato;
being exceedingly variable in size, form, and color.


LADY'S FINGER.

Ruffort Kidney. _Law._

Stem from one foot and a half to two feet high, of straggling habit of
growth; leaves smooth, and of a light-green color; blossoms rarely if
ever produced; tubers white, smooth, long, and slender, and of nearly
the same diameter throughout; eyes very numerous, and slightly
depressed.

A very old variety, of pretty appearance, long cultivated, and much
esteemed as a baking potato; its peculiar form being remarkably well
adapted for the purpose. It is, however, very liable to disease; and as
many of the recently introduced seedlings are quite as good for baking,
as well as far more hardy and productive, it cannot now be considered as
a variety to be recommended for general culture.


LAPSTONE KIDNEY. _M'Int._

Nichol's Early.

A variety of English origin. M'Intosh describes it as being "decidedly
the best kidney potato grown, and an excellent cropper. Tubers sometimes
seven inches in length, and three inches in breadth. It is longer in
coming through the ground in spring than most other varieties, and the
stems at first appear weakly; but they soon lose this appearance, and
grow most vigorously. It is a first-rate potato in August and September;
and will keep in excellent condition till May following, without losing
either its mealiness or flavor."


LONG RED.

Form long, often somewhat flattened,--its general appearance being not
unlike that of the Jenny Lind, though of smaller size; color red; flesh
marbled or clouded with red while crude, but, when cooked, becoming
nearly white. The stem-end is often soggy, and unfit for use; and the
numerous prongs and knobs which are often put forth on the sides of the
tubers greatly impair their value for the table.

A few years since, this variety was exceedingly abundant in the market,
and was esteemed one of the best sorts for use late in spring and early
in summer. It was also remarkably healthy and very productive, and was
considered one of the most valuable kinds for general cultivation. It
has somewhat improved in quality by age, although not now to be classed
as a potato of first quality. The Jenny Lind and other varieties are now
rapidly superseding it in most localities.


MEXICAN.

A very handsome white variety, long and smooth, like the St. Helena, but
not quite so large; eyes very slightly depressed. It is of poor quality,
quite unproductive, rots badly, and not worthy of cultivation.


NOVA-SCOTIA BLUE.

This old variety, at one period, was very extensively cultivated, and
for many years was considered the most profitable of all the sorts for
raising for market or for family use. Form nearly round, the larger
specimens often somewhat flattened; color light blue; eyes moderately
depressed; flesh white, dry, and good. It yields abundantly; but, in
consequence of its great liability to disease, its cultivation is now
nearly abandoned.


OLD KIDNEY.

Tubers kidney-shaped, white; flesh yellow, rather waxy, and of
indifferent flavor.

It is neither very productive, nor very valuable in other respects; and
it is now little cultivated.


PEACH-BLOW.

Tubers similar in form to the Davis Seedling, but rather more smooth and
regular; color red, the eyes not deeply sunk; flesh yellow when cooked,
dry and mealy, but only of medium quality, on account of its
comparatively strong flavor.

It is hardy and quite productive; keeps well; and is extensively
cultivated for market in the northern parts of New England and the State
of New York, as well as in the Canadas. It is common to the markets of
most of the large seaport cities; and, during the winter and spring, is
shipped in large quantities to the interior and more southern sections
of the United States. The Davis Seedling--which is quite as productive,
and much superior in quality for table use--might be profitably grown as
a substitute.


PINK-EYED.

Tubers nearly round; eyes rather large and deep; color mostly white,
with spots and splashes of pink, particularly about the eyes; flesh
yellow.

The Pink-eyed is an old but inferior variety, hardly superior in quality
to the Vermont White. Though quite productive, it is generally esteemed
unworthy of cultivation.


POGGY, OR PORGEE.

Cow-horn.

A dark-colored variety, extensively cultivated in the British Provinces,
particularly in Nova Scotia; and, during the autumn, imported in
considerable quantities into the principal seaports of the United
States. It is of excellent quality, and by some preferred to all others,
especially for baking; for which purpose, on account of its size and
remarkable form, it seems peculiarly adapted. It is moderately
productive, and succeeds well if seed is procured every year or two from
the East; but, if otherwise, it soon deteriorates, even under good
cultivation.

Size above medium; form long, broadest, and somewhat flattened, at the
stem-end, and tapering towards the opposite extremity, which is often
more or less sharply pointed. It is also frequently bent, or curved;
whence the name "Cow-horn," in some localities. Skin smooth; eyes not
depressed; color dark-blue outside, white within when cooked. Not very
hardy; requiring a full season for its complete perfection. Unless where
well known, its color is objectionable; and it is generally less salable
than the white-skinned varieties.


QUARRY.

A large, white, roundish, English potato, not unlike the variety
universally known and cultivated many years since in this country as the
Orange Potato. Plant vigorous, and of strong, stocky habit; flowers
purple, generally abortive; flesh yellowish-white, of fair quality for
table use. A hardy, very productive sort, which might be profitably
grown for marketing and for agricultural purposes. The plants survive
till frost. Not early.


ROHAN.

Tubers very large, in form much resembling the Jenny Lind,--the
full-developed specimens being long, and the smaller or immature tubers
nearly round; eyes numerous and deep-set; color yellowish-white, with
clouds or patches of pink or rose; flesh greenish-white when cooked,
yellowish, watery, and strong flavored. The plant is strong and
vigorous, and continues its growth till destroyed by frost. The flowers
are generally abortive.

Mr. Hyde describes it as a variety famous in history, but infamous as a
table potato, and fit only for stock. It formerly gave an immense yield,
but now produces only moderate crops; and its cultivation is nearly
abandoned.


SHAW'S EARLY. _M'Int._

An English variety, much employed for forcing, and extensively
cultivated in the vicinity of London for early marketing. It is, for an
early sort, a large, beautiful, oblong, white-skinned potato. Its only
fault is its hollow eyes. It is very productive.


STATE OF MAINE.

This variety, as implied by its name, is of Maine origin, and was
introduced to general notice six or seven years ago. In form, the tubers
are similar to the White Chenango, being long, smooth, and somewhat
flattened; though the smaller and undeveloped bulbs are often nearly
round. Eyes almost even with the surface, and quite numerous; color
white, like the Jackson White. When cooked, the flesh is white, very
dry, mealy, and of good flavor.

It is quite early, but more liable to disease than the Davis Seedling
and some other varieties. In Maine it is grown in great perfection,
nearly equalling the Jackson White and Carter as a table potato. On
light soil, it is only moderately productive; but on strong land, in
high cultivation, yields abundantly.


ST. HELENA.

Laplander.

An old and very productive variety. Plant erect, and of a bushy habit,
about two feet and a half in height; foliage light green; flowers pale
reddish-purple. The tubers are of an oblong form, and remarkably large;
specimens having been produced measuring ten inches in length. Eyes
numerous, but not deeply set; skin white and smooth; flesh white when
cooked, mealy, and of fair quality. It is a very healthy variety, and
not easily affected by disease; but belongs to that class of late field
potatoes, the foliage of which does not in ordinary seasons decay until
injured by frost, and the tubers of which generally require to be kept
some time before they are fit for using to the greatest advantage.


TAYLOR'S FORTY-FOLD. _Law._

Forty-fold.

Plant about one foot and a half high, slender, and spreading in habit;
foliage light green; flowers very rarely produced; tubers oval, much
flattened, and of medium size; skin rough, and of a dull, reddish color.
This variety is very dry and starchy, well flavored, and suffers
comparatively little from disease. It is also very productive, and a
good early sort for the garden; but not well adapted for field culture,
or for cultivation for agricultural purposes.


TOLON.

Plant quite low and dwarf, decaying with the season; flowers
lilac-purple, large and handsome, generally abortive; tubers of medium
size, roundish, of a pink or reddish color; flesh yellow, dry, but not
of so mild a flavor as many of the more recent kinds. Moderately
productive. Introduced.


VERMONT WHITE.

A very fair and good-sized but poor variety, grown to a considerable
extent in the northern and more interior portions of New England. Color
white outside; but the flesh, when cooked, is yellow, soft, not dry, and
strong flavored. It is a strong grower, and very productive, but rots
badly. It commands only a low price in the market, on account of its
very inferior quality; and cannot be recommended for general
cultivation.


VETO, OR ABINGTON BLUE.

Tubers long, resembling in form those of the Long Red, and, like that
variety, often watery at the stem-end after being cooked; color blue or
purplish; flesh white; quality fair as a table potato.

This variety originally was remarkably productive, and at one period was
in very general cultivation; but now is rarely planted, as it is
extremely liable to disease, and rots badly.


WHITE CHENANGO.

Chenango. Mercer, of New York.

An old and familiar variety; at one period almost everywhere known, and
generally acknowledged as the best of all varieties. As a potato for
early planting, whether for family use or for the market, it was a
general favorite; but, within a few years past, it has not only greatly
deteriorated in quality and productiveness, but has been peculiarly
liable to disease and premature decay of the plants. When well grown,
the tubers are of good size, rather long, slightly flattened, and
comparatively smooth; eyes slightly sunk; color white, with blotches of
purple,--before cooking, somewhat purple under the skin; flesh, when
cooked, often stained with pale purple; in its crude state, zoned with
bright purple. Quality good; dry, mealy, and well flavored.

The variety is considerably affected by the soil in which it may be
cultivated; in some localities, being much more colored than in others.
It is now rapidly giving place to new seedling varieties, quite as good
in quality, and more healthy and productive.


WHITE CUPS.

Tubers long and flattened, somewhat irregular; eyes deeply sunk; skin
yellowish; flesh white.

It is a very handsome variety, of Maine origin, but is only moderately
productive. It is also of ordinary quality, rots easily, and will
probably never become popular.


WHITE MOUNTAIN.

Tubers large, long, white, smooth, uniformly fair and perfect. Appears
to be nearly identical with the St. Helena and Laplander. It is very
productive, and a good agricultural variety; but, for table use, can be
considered only of second quality.


WORCESTER SEEDLING.

Dover. Riley.

Tubers of a pinkish-white color, and similar in form to the Jackson
White. Eyes deep-set; flesh white, more so than that of the Davis
Seedling. It keeps well, and is an excellent variety for cultivation for
family use, but less profitable than many others for the market. Stalks
upright; blossoms pinkish, but not abundant.

In quality, this comparatively old and well-known variety is nearly or
quite equal to the Carter; and, besides, is much more productive. As a
garden potato, it deserves general cultivation. Requires the full
season.

       *       *       *       *       *

THE RADISH.

Raphanus sativus.

The Radish is a hardy annual plant, originally from China. The roots
vary greatly in form; some being round or ovoid, some turbinate, and
others fusiform, or long, slender, and tapering. When in flower, the
plant rises from three to four feet in height, with an erect, smooth,
and branching stem. The flowers are quite large, and, in the different
kinds, vary in color from clear white to various shades of purple. The
seed-pods are long, smooth, somewhat vesiculate, and terminate in a
short spur, or beak. The seeds are round, often irregularly flattened or
compressed: those of the smaller or spring and summer varieties being of
a grayish-red color; and those of the winter or larger-rooted sorts, of
a yellowish-red. An ounce contains from three thousand three hundred to
three thousand six hundred seeds, and they retain their vitality five
years.

_Soil, Propagation, and Cultivation._--All the varieties thrive best in
a light, rich, sandy loam; dry for early spring sowings, moister for the
summer.

Like all annuals, the Radish is propagated by seeds, which may be sown
either broadcast or in drills; but the latter method is preferable, as
allowing the roots to be drawn regularly, with less waste. For the
spindle-rooted kinds, mark out the drills half an inch deep, and five or
six inches apart; for the small, turnip-rooted kinds, three-quarters of
an inch deep, and six inches asunder. As the plants advance in growth,
thin them so as to leave the spindle-rooted an inch apart, and the
larger-growing sorts proportionally farther.

"_For raising early Radishes without a Hot-bed._--Sow in the open ground
the last of March or early in April, arch the bed over with hoops or
pliant rods, and cover constantly at night and during cold days with
garden-matting. In moderate days, turn up the covering at the side next
the sun; and, if the weather is very fine and mild, remove it entirely."

_Open Culture._--Sow in spring as soon as the ground can be worked. If
space is limited, radishes may be sown with onions or lettuce. When
grown with the former, they are said to be less affected by the maggot.
For a succession, a small sowing should be made each fortnight until
midsummer, as the early-sown plants are liable to become rank, and unfit
for use, as they increase in size.

Radishes usually suffer from the drought and heat incident to the
summer; and, when grown at this season, are generally fibrous and very
pungent. To secure the requisite shade and moisture, they are sometimes
sown in beds of asparagus, that the branching stems may afford shade for
the young radishes, and render them more crisp and tender. A good
criterion by which to judge of the quality of a Radish is to break it
asunder by bending it at right angles. If the parts divide squarely and
freely, it is fit for use.

_Production and Quantity of Seed._--To raise seed of the spring or
summer Radishes, the best method is to transplant; which should be done
in May, as the roots are then in their greatest perfection. Take them up
in moist weather; select plants with the shortest tops and the smoothest
and best-formed roots; and set them, apart from all other varieties, in
rows two feet and a half distant, inserting each root wholly into the
ground, down to the leaves. With proper watering, they will soon strike,
and shoot up in branching stalks, producing abundance of seeds, ripening
in autumn.

One ounce and a half of seed will sow a bed five feet in width and
twelve feet in length. Ten pounds are required for seeding an acre.

The excellence of a Radish consists in its being succulent, mild, crisp,
and tender; but, as these qualities are secured only by rapid growth,
the plants should be frequently and copiously watered in dry weather.
The varieties are divided into two classes; viz., Spring or Summer, and
Autumn or Winter, Radishes.


SPRING OR SUMMER RADISHES.

These varieties are all comparatively hardy, and may be sown in the open
ground as early in spring as the soil is in good working condition. The
earliest spring Radishes are grown as follows: "In January, February, or
March, make a hot-bed three feet and a half wide, and of a length
proportionate to the supply required. Put upon the surface of the dung
six inches of well-pulverized earth; sow the seeds broadcast, or in
drills five inches apart; and cover half an inch deep with fine mould.
When the plants have come up, admit the air every day in mild or
tolerably good weather by tilting the upper end of the light, or
sometimes the front, one, two, or three inches high, that the Radishes
may not draw up long, pale, and weak. If they have risen very thick,
thin them, while young, to about one inch apart. Be careful to cover the
sashes at night with garden mats, woollen carpeting, or like material.
Water with tepid water, at noon, on sunny days. If the heat of the bed
declines much, apply a moderate lining of warm dung or stable-litter to
the sides, which, by gently renewing the heat, will soon forward the
Radishes for pulling. Remember, as they advance in growth, to give more
copious admissions of air daily, either by lifting the lights in front
several inches, or, in fine, mild days, by drawing the lights mostly
off; but be careful to draw them on early, before the sun has much
declined and the air become cool."


EARLY BLACK.

Noir Hatif. _Vil._

Bulb nearly spherical, slightly elongated or tapering, nearly of the
size and form of the Gray Turnip-rooted; skin dull black, rough, and
wrinkled; flesh white, solid, crisp, and piquant; leaves of the size of
those of the Gray Turnip-rooted. Season intermediate between that of the
last named and the Black Spanish.


EARLY LONG PURPLE.

Rave Violette Hative. _Vil._

A sub-variety of the Long Purple, earlier and of smaller size.


EARLY PURPLE TURNIP-ROOTED.

A few days earlier than the Scarlet Turnip-rooted. Size, form, and
flavor nearly the same.


EARLY SCARLET TURNIP-ROOTED.

Rond Rose Hatif. _Vil._

Bulb spherical, or a little flattened,--often bursting or cracking
longitudinally before attaining its full dimensions; skin deep scarlet;
flesh rose-colored, crisp, mild, and pleasant; neck small; leaves few in
number, and of smaller size than those of the common Scarlet
Turnip-rooted. Season quite early,--two or three days in advance of the
last named.

As a variety for forcing, it is considered one of the best; but the
small size of the leaves renders it inconvenient for bunching, and it is
consequently less cultivated for the market than many other sorts.

Extensively grown in the vicinity of Paris.

EARLY WHITE TURNIP-ROOTED.

Rond Blanc Hatif. _Vil._

Skin and flesh white; form similar to that of the Scarlet Turnip-rooted.
It is, however, of smaller size, and somewhat earlier. An excellent
sort, and much cultivated.


GRAY OLIVE-SHAPED.

Form similar to the Scarlet Olive-shaped. Skin gray; flesh white, crisp,
and well flavored.


GRAY TURNIP-ROOTED.

Gray Summer. Round Brown. _Trans._

The form of this variety may be called round, though it is somewhat
irregular in shape. It grows large, and often becomes hollow. It should,
therefore, be used while young, or when not more than an inch or an inch
and a half in diameter. The outside coat is mottled with greenish-brown,
wrinkled, and often marked with transverse white lines. The flesh is
mild, not so solid as that of many varieties, and of a greenish-white
color. The leaves are similar to those of the Yellow Turnip-rooted,
growing long and upright, with green footstalks. Half early, and a good
variety for summer use.

LONG PURPLE. _Thomp._

Root long, a large portion growing above ground; skin deep purple; flesh
white, and of good flavor.

The seed-leaves, which are quite large, are used as a small salad. The
variety is early, and good for forcing. When the green tops are required
for salading, the seeds should be sown in drills, as mustard or cress.

LONG SALMON. _Trans._

Long Scarlet Salmon.

This variety has been considered synonymous with the Long Scarlet; but
it is really a distinct sort. The neck of the root rises about an inch
above the ground, like that of the Scarlet, but it is of a paler red;
and this color gradually becomes lighter towards the middle, where it is
a pale-pink or salmon color. From the middle, the color grows paler
downwards, and the extremity of the root is almost white. In shape and
size, this Radish differs nothing from the Scarlet; nor does it appear
to be earlier, or to possess any qualities superior to the Scarlet
Radish, the beauty of which, when well grown, exceeds that of any other
Long Radish.


LONG SCARLET. _Thomp._

Early Scarlet Short-top. Early Frame.

[Illustration: Long Scarlet Radish.]

Root long, a considerable portion growing above the surface of the
ground,--outside, of a beautiful, deep-pink color, becoming paler
towards the lower extremity; flesh white, transparent, crisp, and of
good flavor, having less pungency than that of the Scarlet Turnip;
leaves small, but larger than those of the last-named variety.

When of suitable size for use, the root measures seven or eight inches
in length, and five-eighths or three-fourths of an inch in diameter at
its largest part.

The Long Scarlet Radish, with its sub-varieties, is more generally
cultivated for market in the Eastern, Middle, and Western States, than
any other, or perhaps even more than all other sorts. It is very
extensively grown about London, and is everywhere prized, not only for
its fine qualities, but for its rich, bright color. It is also one of
the hardiest of the Radishes; and is raised readily in any common frame,
if planted as early as February.


OLIVE-SHAPED SCARLET.

Oblong Rose-colored. _Thomp._

[Illustration: Olive Scarlet Radish.]

Bulb an inch and a half deep, three-fourths of an inch in diameter,
oblong, somewhat in the form of an olive, terminating in a very slim
tap-root; skin fine scarlet; neck small; leaves not very numerous, and
of small size; flesh rose-colored, tender, and excellent. Early, and
well adapted for forcing and for the general crop.


PURPLE TURNIP-ROOTED.

This is a variety of the Scarlet Turnip-rooted; the size, form, color,
and quality being nearly the same. The skin is purple. It is considered
a few days earlier than the last named.


SCARLET TURNIP-ROOTED.

Crimson Turnip-rooted.

[Illustration: Scarlet Turnip-Rooted.]

Bulb spherical; when in its greatest perfection, measuring about an inch
in diameter; skin fine, deep scarlet; flesh white, sometimes stained
with red; leaves rather large and numerous.

The variety is early, and deserves more general cultivation, not only on
account of its rich color, but for the crisp and tender properties of
its flesh. It is much esteemed in England, and is grown extensively for
the London market.


SMALL, EARLY, YELLOW TURNIP-ROOTED.

Bulb of the size and form of the Scarlet Turnip-rooted; skin smooth,
yellow; flesh white, fine-grained, crisp, and rather pungent; foliage
similar to that of the scarlet variety; season ten or fifteen days
later.


WHITE, CROOKED.

Tortillée Du Mans. _Vil._

Root very long; when suitable for use, measuring twelve inches and
upwards in length, and an inch in diameter, nearly cylindrical, often
irregular, and sometimes assuming a spiral or cork-screw form; skin
white and smooth; flesh white, not so firm as that of most varieties,
and considerably pungent; leaves very large.


WHITE TURNIP-ROOTED.

Bulb of the form and size of the Scarlet Turnip-rooted; skin white;
flesh white and semi-transparent. It possesses less piquancy than the
Scarlet, but is some days later.

YELLOW TURNIP-ROOTED. _Trans._

Yellow Summer.

Bulb nearly spherical, but tapering slightly towards the tap-root, which
is very slender. It grows large,--to full four inches in diameter, when
old; but should be eaten young, when about an inch in diameter. The
flesh is mild, crisp, solid, and quite white. The skin is of a
yellowish-brown color; and the leaves grow long and upright, with green
footstalks.

Half early, and well adapted for summer cultivation.


LONG WHITE.

White Italian. Naples. White Transparent.

Root long and slender, nearly of the size and form of the Long Scarlet;
skin white,--when exposed to the light, tinged with green; flesh white,
crisp, and mild.

It is deserving of cultivation, not only on account of its excellent
qualities, but as forming an agreeable contrast at table when served
with the red varieties.


LONG WHITE PURPLE-TOP.

A sub-variety of the Long White; the portion of the root exposed to the
light being tinged with purple. In size and form, it differs little from
the Long Scarlet.

NEW LONDON PARTICULAR.

Wood's Frame.

This is but a sub-variety of the Long Scarlet; the difference between
the sorts being immaterial. The color of the New London Particular is
more brilliant, and extends farther down the root. It is also said to be
somewhat earlier.


OBLONG BROWN. _Trans._

The Oblong Brown Radish has a pear-shaped bulb, with an elongated
tap-root. It does not grow particularly large; and, being hardier than
most varieties, is well adapted for use late in the season. The outside
is rough and brown, marked with white circles; the flesh is piquant,
firm, hard, and white; the leaves are dark green, and rather spread over
the ground; the footstalks are stained with purple.


AUTUMN AND WINTER RADISHES.

These varieties may be sown from the 20th of July to the 10th of August;
the soil being previously made rich, light, and friable. Thin out the
young plants from four to six inches apart; and, in the absence of rain,
water freely. During September and October, the table may be supplied
directly from the garden. For winter use, the roots should be harvested
before freezing weather, and packed in earth or sand, out of danger from
frost. Before being used, they should be immersed for a short time in
cold water.

_To raise Seed._--Seeds of the Winter Radishes are raised by allowing
the plants to remain where they were sown. As fast as they ripen, cut
the stems; or gather the principal branches, and spread them in an open,
airy situation, towards the sun, that the pods, which are quite tough in
their texture, may become so dry and brittle as to break readily, and
give out their seeds freely.

_Use._--All the kinds are used as salad, and are served in all the forms
of the spring and summer radishes.

_Varieties._--


BLACK SPANISH. _Trans._

Bulb ovoid, or rather regularly pear-shaped, with a long tap-root. At
first the root is slender, and somewhat cylindrical in form: but it
swells as it advances in age, and finally attains a large size;
measuring eight or ten inches in length, and three or four inches in
diameter. The outside is rough, and nearly black; the flesh is pungent,
firm, solid, and white; the leaves are long, and inclined to grow
horizontally; the leaf-stems are purple. It is one of the latest, as
well as one of the hardiest, of the radishes; and is considered an
excellent sort for winter use.


LARGE PURPLE WINTER. _Trans._

Purple Spanish.

The Large Purple Winter Radish is a beautiful variety, derived, without
doubt, from the Black Spanish; and may therefore be properly called the
Purple Spanish. In shape and character, it much resembles the Black
Spanish: but the outside, when cleaned, is of a beautiful purple, though
it appears black when first drawn from the earth; and the coat, when cut
through, shows the purple very finely. The footstalks of the leaves
have a much deeper tinge of purple than those of the other kinds.


LONG BLACK WINTER.

A sub-variety of the Black Spanish. Root long and tapering. With the
exception of its smaller size, much resembling a Long Orange Carrot.


LONG-LEAVED WHITE CHINESE. _Vil._

Root fusiform, sometimes inversely turbinate, about five inches in
length, and an inch in diameter; skin white, and of fine texture; flesh
fine-grained, crisp, and though somewhat pungent, yet milder flavored
than that of the Black Spanish; leaves large, differing from most other
varieties in not being lobed, or in being nearly entire on the borders.
Its season is nearly the same as that of the Rose-colored Chinese. The
plants produce but few seeds.


PURPLE CHINESE.

A sub-variety of the Scarlet, with little variation except in color; the
size, quality, and manner of growth, being nearly the same.


ROSE-COLORED CHINESE. _Vil._

Scarlet Chinese Winter.

Bulb rather elongated, somewhat cylindrical, contracted abruptly to a
long, slender tap-root; size full medium,--average specimens measuring
about five inches in length, and two inches in diameter at the broadest
part; skin comparatively fine, and of a bright rose-color; flesh firm,
and rather piquant; leaves large,--the leaf-stems washed with rose-red.
Season between that of the Gray Summer and that of the Black Spanish.


WINTER WHITE SPANISH.

Autumn White. Blanc d'Augsbourg. _Vil._

Root somewhat fusiform, retaining its diameter for two-thirds the
length, sharply conical at the base, and, when well grown, measuring
seven or eight inches in length by nearly three inches in its fullest
diameter; skin white, slightly wrinkled, sometimes tinged with purple
where exposed to the sun; flesh white, solid, and pungent, though milder
than that of the Black Spanish. It succeeds best, and is of the best
quality, when grown in light sandy soil. Season intermediate.

       *       *       *       *       *

RAMPION.

Campanula rapunculus.

The Rampion is a biennial plant, indigenous to the south of Europe, and
occasionally found in a wild state in England. The roots are white,
fusiform, fleshy, and, in common with the other parts of the plant,
abound in a milky juice; the lower or root leaves are oval, lanceolate,
and waved on the borders; the upper leaves are long, narrow, and
pointed. Stem eighteen inches or two feet in height, branching; flowers
blue, sometimes white, disposed in small, loose clusters about the top
of the plant, on the ends of the branches. The seeds are oval, brownish,
and exceedingly small; upwards of nine hundred thousand being contained
in an ounce. They retain their germinative property five years.

The plant flowers in July of the second year, and the seeds ripen in
autumn. There is but one variety.

_Soil and Cultivation._--"Rampion prefers a rich, free, and rather light
soil, in a shady situation. It is raised from seed, which should be sown
where the plants are to remain, as they do not bear transplanting well.
The sowing may be made in April, May, or the beginning of June: but
sometimes plants from very early sowings are liable to run up to seed;
and, when this is the case, the roots become tough, and unfit for use.
The ground should be well dug, and raked as fine as possible. The seed
may then be sown either broadcast or in drills, six inches apart, and
about one-fourth of an inch deep. As the seeds are very small, it is
advisable to mix them with fifteen or twenty times their bulk of fine
sand, in order to secure their even distribution in the drills, and to
prevent the plants from coming up too closely. The seed should only be
very slightly covered with fine earth; and the seed-bed ought to be
frequently watered with a fine-rosed watering-pot till the plants come
up, which will be in about a fortnight.

"When the young plants are about one inch high, they should be thinned
out to four inches apart. After this, no further care is necessary than
to water frequently, and to keep the ground free of weeds."--_Thomp._

_Taking the Crop._--The roots will be fit for use from October till
April. They may be taken from the ground for immediate use; or a
quantity may be taken up in autumn, before the closing-up of the
ground, and packed in sand, for use during the winter.

_To raise Seed._--Leave or transplant some of the best yearling plants,
and they will produce an abundance of seed in autumn.

_Use._--The roots have a pleasant, nut-like flavor; and are generally
eaten in their crude state as a salad. "The leaves, as well as the
roots, are occasionally used in winter salads."

       *       *       *       *       *

RUTA-BAGA, OR SWEDE TURNIP.

Russian Turnip. French Turnip. Brassica campestris Ruta-baga. _De Cand._

The Ruta-baga, or Swede Turnip, is supposed by De Candolle to be
analogous to the Kohl Rabi; the root being developed into a large,
fleshy bulb, instead of the stem. In its natural state, the root is
small and slender; and the stem smooth and branching,--not much
exceeding two feet in height.

The bulbs, or roots, are fully developed during the first year. The
plant flowers, and produces its seeds, the second year, and then
perishes. Although considered hardy,--not being affected by even severe
frosts,--none of the varieties will withstand the winters of the
Northern or Middle States in the open ground. The crop should therefore
be harvested in October or November, and stored for the winter, out of
danger from freezing. Most of the sorts now cultivated retain their
freshness and solidity till spring, and some even into the summer;
requiring no particular care in their preservation, other than that
usually given to the carrot or the potato.

_Soil and Cultivation._--All the varieties succeed best in a deep,
well-enriched, mellow soil; which, previous to planting, should be very
deeply ploughed, and thoroughly pulverized by harrowing or otherwise.
Some practise ridging, and others sow in simple drills. The ridges are
usually formed by turning two furrows against each other; and, being
thus made, are about two feet apart. If sown in simple drills, the
surface should be raked smooth, and the drills made from sixteen to
eighteen inches apart; the distance to be regulated by the strength of
the soil.

_Seed and Sowing._--About one pound of seed is usually allowed to an
acre. Where the rows are comparatively close, rather more than this
quantity will be required; while three-fourths of a pound will be amply
sufficient, if sown on ridges, or where the drills are eighteen inches
apart. The sowing may be made from the middle of May to the 25th of
July; the latter time being considered sufficiently early for growing
for the table, and by some even for stock. Early sowings will
unquestionably give the greatest product; while the later-grown bulbs,
though of smaller dimensions, will prove of quite as good quality for
the table.

_To raise Seeds._--Select the smoothest and most symmetrical bulbs, and
transplant them in April, two feet asunder, sinking the crowns to a
level with the surface of the ground.

The seeds are very similar to those of the common garden and field
turnip, and will keep from five to eight years.

_Varieties._--The varieties are as follow:--


ASHCROFT.

Bulb of medium size, ovoid, very smooth and symmetrical; neck very
short, or wanting. Above ground, the skin is purple; below the surface,
yellow. Flesh yellow, very solid, fine-grained, and of excellent flavor.
It forms its bulb quickly and regularly; keeps in fresh and sound
condition until May or June; and well deserves cultivation, either for
agricultural purposes or for the table.


COMMON PURPLE-TOP YELLOW.

[Illustration: Common Purple-Top Yellow.]

An old and long-cultivated sort, from which, in connection with the
Green-top, have originated most of the more recent and improved
yellow-fleshed varieties. Form regularly egg-shaped, smooth, but usually
sending out a few small, straggling roots at its base, near the
tap-root; neck short; size rather large,--usually measuring six or seven
inches in depth, and four or five inches in its largest diameter; skin
purple above ground,--below the surface, yellow; flesh yellow, of close,
firm texture, and of good quality. It is very hardy; forms its bulb
promptly and uniformly; and in rich, deep soils, yields abundantly. For
thin and light soils, some of the other varieties should be selected.


EARLY STUBBLE.

Bulb round, smooth, and regular. The skin, where exposed to light and
air, is of a brownish-green; but, where covered by the soil, yellow. The
flesh is firm, and well flavored.

The Early Stubble is recommended as forming its bulbs quickly and
uniformly, and as being well adapted for late sowing. It yields
abundantly; keeps well; is a good sort for the table; and, in some
localities, is preferred to the Common Yellow for cultivation for farm
purposes.


GREEN-TOP YELLOW.

In form and foliage, this variety resembles the Common Purple-top; but
usually attains a larger size when grown in similar situations. Skin,
above the surface of the soil, green; below ground, yellow. The flesh is
solid, sweet, and well flavored, but inferior to that of the Purple-top.
It keeps well, is of fair quality for the table, and, on account of its
great productiveness, one of the best of all varieties for growing for
feeding stock.


GREEN-TOP WHITE.

Bulb turbinate, smooth, and symmetrical. The skin above ground is of a
fine, clear, pea-green; often browned or mellowed where exposed to the
direct influence of the sun: below the surface of the ground, it is
uniformly white. The flesh is also white, comparatively solid, very
sweet, and of fair quality for table use. It differs from the Purple-top
White, not only in color, but in size and quality; the bulbs being
larger, and the flesh not quite so firm or well flavored.

The Green-top White is productive; continues its growth till the season
has far advanced; is little affected by severe weather; and, when sown
in good soil, will yield an agricultural crop of twenty-five or thirty
tons to an acre.


LAING'S IMPROVED PURPLE-TOP. _Law. and Gen. Farmer._

This variety differs from most, if not all, of the varieties of Swedish
turnips, in having entire cabbage-like leaves, which, by their
horizontal growth, often nearly cover the surface of the ground. In
form, hardiness, and quality, it is fully equal to any of the other
sorts. Growing late in the autumn, it is not well adapted to a climate
where the winter commences early. It has little or no tendency to run to
seed in the fall; and even in the spring, when set out for seed, it is a
fortnight later in commencing this function than other varieties of
Ruta-bagas. It requires good land, in high condition; and, under such
circumstances, will yield abundantly, and is worthy of cultivation. The
bulb, when well grown, has an almost spherical form; a fine, smooth
skin, purple above ground, yellow below, with yellow, solid, and
well-flavored flesh.


PURPLE-TOP WHITE.

Bulb oblong, tapering toward the lower extremity, five or six inches in
diameter, seven or eight inches in depth, and less smooth and regular
than many of the yellow-fleshed varieties. The skin is of a clear rich
purple, where it comes to air and light, but, below the ground, pure
white; flesh white, very solid and fine-grained, sugary, and well
flavored.

The variety is hardy, productive, keeps remarkably well, is good for
table use, and may be profitably grown for agricultural purposes.
Upwards of twenty-eight tons, or nine hundred and sixty bushels, have
been raised from an acre.


RIVER'S.

Root regularly turbinate, or fusiform, of full medium size, smooth, and
with few small or fibrous roots; neck two inches long; skin, above
ground, green, washed with purplish-red where most exposed to the
sun,--below ground, yellow; flesh yellow, firm, sweet, and well
flavored. Esteemed one of the best, either for stock or the table. Keeps
fresh till May or June.


SKIRVING'S PURPLE-TOP.

Skirving's Improved Purple-top. Skirving's Liverpool. Southold Turnip,
of some localities.

Bulb ovoid, or regularly turbinate, and rather deeper in proportion to
its diameter than the common Purple-top Yellow; surface remarkably
smooth and even, with few fibrous roots, and seldom deformed by larger
accidental roots, although, in unfavorable soils or seasons, a few
coarse roots are put forth in the vicinity of the tap-root; size full
medium,--five to seven inches in length, and four or five inches in
diameter. Sometimes, when sown early in good soil, and harvested late,
the average will considerably exceed these dimensions. Neck short, but,
when grown in poor soil, comparatively long; skin, above ground, fine,
deep purple,--below ground, yellow,--the colors often richly blending
together at the surface; flesh yellow, of solid texture, sweet, and well
flavored.

This variety was originated by Mr. William Skirving, of Liverpool, Eng.
In this country it has been widely disseminated, and is now more
generally cultivated for table use and for stock than any other of the
Swede varieties. The plants seldom fail to form good-sized bulbs. It is
a good keeper; is of more than average quality for the table; and long
experience has proved it one of the best sorts for cultivation on land
that is naturally shallow and in poor condition. On soils in a high
state of cultivation, upwards of nine hundred bushels have been obtained
from an acre.

In sowing, allow twenty inches between the rows, and thin to ten or
twelve inches in the rows.


SWEET GERMAN.

[Illustration: Sweet German.]

Bulb four or five inches in diameter, six or seven inches in depth,
turbinate, sometimes nearly fusiform. In good soil and favorable
seasons, it is comparatively smooth and regular; but, under opposite
conditions, often branched and uneven. Neck two or three inches in
length; skin greenish-brown above ground, white beneath; flesh pure
white, of extraordinary solidity, very sweet, mild, and well flavored.

It retains its solidity and freshness till spring, and often at
midsummer has no appearance of sponginess or decay. As a table variety,
it must be classed as one of the best, and is recommended for general
cultivation.


WHITE FRENCH.

Long White French.

[Illustration: White French.]

The roots of this variety are produced entirely within the earth. They
are invariably fusiform; and, if well grown, measure four or five inches
in diameter, and from eight to ten inches in length. Foliage not
abundant, spreading; skin white; flesh white, solid, mild, sweet, and
delicate. It is not so productive as some other varieties, and is
therefore not so well adapted to field culture; but for table use it is
surpassed by few, if any, of its class.

A rough-leaved, fusiform-rooted variety of the common garden-turnip: is
known by the name of "White French" in many localities; but, according
to the most reliable authority, that name has not only long been used in
connection with, but properly belongs to, the white turnip above
described.

       *       *       *       *       *

SALSIFY, OR OYSTER-PLANT.

Leek-leaved Salsify. Vegetable Oyster. Purple Goat's Beard. Tragopogon
porrifolius.

The Salsify is a hardy biennial plant, and is principally cultivated for
its roots, the flavor of which resembles that of the oyster; whence the
popular name.

The leaves are long and grass-like, or leek-like; the roots are long and
tapering, white within and without, and, when grown in good soil,
measure twelve or fourteen inches in length, and rather more than an
inch in diameter at the crown.

_Soil and Cultivation._--The Oyster-plant succeeds best in a light,
well-enriched, mellow soil; which, previous to sowing the seeds, should
be stirred to the depth of twelve or fifteen inches. The seeds should be
sown annually, in the same manner and at the same time as the seeds of
the carrot and parsnip. Make the drills fourteen inches apart; cover the
seeds an inch and a half in depth; and thin, while the plants are young,
to four or five inches asunder.

Early sowings succeed best; as the seeds, which are generally more or
less imperfect, vegetate much better when the earth is moist than when
dry and parched, as it is liable to become when the season is more
advanced. Cultivate in the usual manner during the summer; and, by the
last of September or beginning of October, the roots will have attained
their full growth, and be ready for use. The plants will sustain no
injury during the winter, though left entirely unprotected in the open
ground; and the table may be supplied directly from the garden, whenever
the frost will admit of their removal. A portion of the crop should,
however, be taken up in autumn, and stored in the cellar, like other
roots; or, which is perhaps preferable, packed in earth or sand. Roots
remaining in the ground may be drawn for use till April, or until the
plants have begun to send up their stalks for flowering.

_Seeds,--production and quantity._--For the production of seeds, allow a
few plants to remain during the winter in the open ground where they
were sown. They will blossom in June and July. When fully developed, the
stem is about three feet in height, cylindrical, and branching. The
flowers are large, of a very rich violet-purple, and expand only by day
and in comparatively sunny weather. As the flowers are put forth in
gradual succession, so the heads of seeds are ripened at intervals, and
should be cut as they assume a brownish color.

The seeds are brownish,--lighter or darker as they are less or more
perfectly matured,--long and slender, furrowed and rough on the sides,
tapering to a long, smooth point at the top, often somewhat bent or
curved, and measure about five-eighths of an inch in length. They will
keep four years.

An ounce contains three thousand two hundred seeds, and will sow a row
eighty feet in length. Some cultivators put this amount of seed into a
drill of sixty feet; but if the seed is of average quality, and the
season ordinarily favorable, one ounce of seed will produce an abundance
of plants for eighty or a hundred feet.

_Use._--The roots are prepared in various forms; but, when simply boiled
in the manner of beets and carrots, the flavor is sweet and delicate.
The young flower-stalks, if cut in the spring of the second year and
dressed like asparagus, resemble it in taste, and make an excellent
dish.

The roots are sometimes thinly sliced, and, with the addition of
vinegar, salt, and pepper, served as a salad. They are also recommended
as being remedial or alleviating in cases of consumptive tendency.

There is but one species or variety now cultivated.

       *       *       *       *       *

SCOLYMUS.

Spanish Scolymus. Spanish Oyster-plant. Scolymus Hispanicus.


In its natural state, this is a perennial plant; but, when cultivated,
it is generally treated as an annual or as a biennial. The roots are
nearly white, fleshy, long, and tapering in their general form, and, if
well grown, measure twelve or fifteen inches in length, and an inch in
diameter at the crown. When cut or bruised, or where the fibrous roots
are broken or rubbed off, there exudes a thick, somewhat viscous fluid,
nearly flavorless, and of a milk-white color. The leaf is large, often
measuring a foot or more in length, and three inches in diameter,
somewhat variegated with green and white, deeply lobed; the lobes or
divisions toothed, and the teeth terminating in sharp spines, in the
manner of the leaves of many species of thistles. When in flower, the
plant is about three feet in height. The flowers, which are put forth
singly, are of an orange-yellow, and measure an inch and a half in
diameter. The seeds are flat, and very thin, membranous on the borders,
of a yellowish color, and retain their vitality three years. An ounce
contains nearly four thousand seeds.

_Soil and Cultivation._--Any good garden loam is adapted to the growth
of the Scolymus. It should be well and deeply stirred as for other
deep-growing root crops. The seeds should be sown from the middle of
April to the 10th of May, in drills an inch deep, and fourteen inches
asunder. Thin the young plants to five inches distant in the rows; and,
during the summer, treat the growing crop as parsnips or carrots.

_Use._--It is cultivated exclusively for its roots, which are usually
taken up in September or October, and served at table, and preserved
during the winter, in the same manner as the Salsify, or Oyster-plant.
They have a pleasant, delicate flavor; and are considered to be not only
healthful, but remarkably nutritious.

       *       *       *       *       *

SCORZONERA.

Black Oyster-plant. Black Salsify. Scorzonera Hispanica.


This is a hardy perennial plant, introduced from the south of Europe,
where it is indigenous. The root is tapering, and comparatively
slender,--when well developed, measuring about a foot in length, and an
inch in diameter near the crown, or at the broadest part; skin
grayish-black, coarse, somewhat reticulated, resembling the roots of
some species of trees; flesh white; leaves long, ovate, broadest near
the end, and tapering sharply to the stem. They are also more or less
distinctly ribbed, and have a few remote teeth, or serratures, at the
extremities. When in flower, the plant measures about four feet in
height; the stalk being nearly cylindrical, slightly grooved or
furrowed, smooth, and branched towards the top. The flowers are large,
terminal, yellow; the seeds are whitish, longer than broad, taper
towards the top, and retain their vitality two years. An ounce contains
about two thousand five hundred seeds.

_Soil and Culture._--Though a perennial, it is generally cultivated as
an annual or biennial, in the manner of the carrot or parsnip. Thompson
says, "It succeeds best in a light, deep, free soil and an open
situation. It is raised from seed, which may be sown in drills one foot
apart, covering with soil to the depth of half an inch. As it is apt to
run to seed the same year in which it is sown, and consequently to
become tough and woody," the planting should not be made too early,
particularly in the warmer sections of the country. A second sowing may
be made about four weeks from the first, "as a precautionary measure, in
case the plants of the first sowing should run. The young plants, when
three or four inches high, should be thinned out to eight inches asunder
in the rows. Towards the middle or last of September, the roots will
have attained sufficient size to be drawn for immediate use: others will
come in for use in October and November. In the latter month, they will
be in perfection; and, before the closing-up of the ground, a quantity
may be taken up, and stored in sand for the winter. When the ground is
open, the roots may be drawn from time to time, as required for
immediate use. About the middle of April, the roots remaining in the
ground will begin to run to flower; after which they soon become hard,
woody, and unfit for the table. Before this takes place, however, they
may be taken up, and stored in sand, where they may be kept for use till
May or June."

_To raise Seed._--Allow a few well-grown plants to remain in the ground
during winter; or select a few good-sized roots from those harvested in
autumn, and reset them in April, about eighteen inches apart, covering
them to the crowns. The seed will ripen at the close of the summer or
early in autumn. Seed saved from plants of the growth of two seasons is
considered best; that produced from yearling plants being greatly
inferior.

_Use._--It is cultivated exclusively for its roots; no other portion of
the plant being employed in domestic economy. The flesh of these is
white, tender, sugary, and well flavored. They are boiled in the manner
of the parsnip, and served plain at the table; or they may be cooked in
all the forms of salsify or scolymus. Before cooking, the outer, coarse
rind should be scraped off, and the roots soaked for a few hours in cold
water for the purpose of extracting their bitter flavor.

       *       *       *       *       *

SKIRRET.

Crummock, of the Scotch. Sium sisarum.


Skirret is a hardy perennial, and is cultivated for its roots, which are
produced in groups, or bunches, joined together at the crown or neck of
the plant. They are oblong, fleshy, of a russet-brown color without,
white within, very sugary, and, when well grown, measure six or eight
inches in length, and nearly an inch in diameter.

The leaves of the first year are pinnate, with seven or nine oblong,
finely toothed leaflets. When fully developed, the plant measures from
three to five feet in height; the stem being marked with fine, parallel,
longitudinal grooves, or lines. The flowers are small, white, and are
produced in umbels at the extremities of the branches. The seeds, eight
thousand of which are contained in an ounce, are oblong, of a
greenish-gray color, and closely resemble those of the common caraway.
They will keep but two years; and, even when newly grown, sometimes
remain in the ground four or five weeks before vegetating.

_Soil and Culture._--Skirret succeeds best in light, mellow soil, and is
propagated by suckers, or seeds. The best method is to sow the seeds
annually, as, when grown from slips, or suckers, the roots are liable to
be dry and woody; the seeds, on the contrary, producing roots more
tender, and in greater perfection.

Sow the seeds in April, in drills one foot apart, and about an inch in
depth; thin to five or six inches; and, in September, some of the roots
will be sufficiently grown for use. Those required for winter should be
drawn before the closing-up of the ground, and packed in sand.

_To propagate by Slips, or Suckers._--In the spring, remove the required
number of young shoots, or sprouts, from the side of the roots that have
remained in the ground during winter, not taking any portion of the old
root in connection with the slips; and set them in rows ten inches
asunder, and six inches apart in the rows. They will soon strike, and
produce roots of suitable size for use in August or September.

_To raise Seeds._--The plants that have remained in the ground during
the winter, if not disturbed, will send up stalks as before described,
and ripen their seeds at the close of the summer. Two or three plants
will yield all the seeds ordinarily required for a single garden.

_Use._--The roots were formerly much esteemed, but are now neglected for
those greatly inferior. When cooked and served as salsify or scorzonera,
they are the whitest and sweetest of esculent roots, and afford a
considerable portion of nourishment.

There are no varieties.

       *       *       *       *       *

SWEET POTATO.

Spanish Potato. Carolina Potato. Convolvulus batatus. Ipomoea batatas.


The Sweet Potato is indigenous to both the East and West Indies. Where
its growth is natural, the plant is perennial; but, in cultivation, it
is always treated as an annual. The stem is running or climbing, round
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 t

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