The Botanist's Companion Part 24

The Green Curled. The White Curled. The Batavian, or Broad-leaved.

These are sown usually in June and July, and planted out for use in the autumn and winter. Endive is well known as forming a princ.i.p.al part of our winter salads; for which purpose, it is usual with gardeners to blanch it, by tying the plants up together, and laying them in dry places.

439. ESCHALOT. Allium ascalonium.--This species of allium is very pungent: its scent is not unpleasant, but is very strong, and, in general, it is preferred to the onion for making soups and gravies. It is propagated by planting the bulbs in September and October: they are fit to take up in May and June, when they are dried and kept for use.

440. FENNEL. Anethum Foeniculum.--The use of this plant is so well knwon in the kitchen, as to render an account of it useless. It is propagated by sowing seeds in the spring.

441. GARLICK. Allium sativum.--This is used in the art of cookery in various ways, for soups, pickles, &c. It is cultivated by planting the small cloves or roots in the month of October. It is fit to pull up in spring; and the roots are dried for use.

442. GOURD. Cucurbita Melopepo.--The inhabitants of North America boil the squash or melon gourds when about the size of small oranges, and eat them with their meat. The pulp is used with sour apples to make pies. In scarcity it is a good subst.i.tute for fruit.

443. KOHLRABBI, or TURNEP-ROOTED CABBAGE. Bra.s.sica Rapa var.--We have two kinds of this in cultivation; but although these are both much eaten in Germany, they are not esteemed with us: in fact, we have so many varieties of the cabbage kind all the year round for culinary purposes, that nothing could much improve them. In countries further north than we are, this is probably an acquisition, as, from its hardiness, it is likely to stand the frost better than some of the more delicate varieties.

444. LEEKS. Allium Porrum.--There are two kinds of leeks: the Welsh and London.

Leeks are used princ.i.p.ally in soups; they partake much of the nature of onions, but for this purpose are in general more esteemed. This plant has been so long cultivated in this country, that its native place is not known.

The seeds are sown in the spring, and it is in use all the winter.

445. LETTUCE. Lactuca sativa.--The varieties of lettuce are many. They are,

Green Coss. White do. Silesia do. Brown do. Egyptian do. Brown Dutch.

White Cabbage. Imperial. Hammersmith Hardy. Tennis-ball.

These are sown every summer month. The brown and Egyptian coss are sown in August, and commonly stand the winter; and in the spring are fit for use.

446. LOVE-APPLE. Solanum Lycopersic.u.m.--The Portuguese and Spaniards are so very fond of this fruit, that there is not a soup or gravy but what this makes an ingredient in; and it is deemed cooling and nutritive. It is also called Tomatas, or Tomatoes.

The green fruit makes a most excellent pickle with capsic.u.ms and other berries. It is annual, and raised in hot-bed, and planted out.

447. MARJORAM, WINTER. Origanum vulgare.--This is used as a sweet herb, and is a good appendage to the usual ingredients in stuffing, &c. It is a perennial plant, and propagated by planting out its roots in the spring of the year.

448. MARJORAM, SWEET. Origanum Marjorana.--This is also used for the same purpose as the last mentioned. It is an annual, and not of such easy culture as the last, requiring to be raised from seeds in an artificial heat. It is usually dried and kept for use.

449. MARYGOLD. Calendula officinalis.--An annual plant usually sown in the spring. The petals of the flowers are eaten in broths and soups, to which they impart a very pleasant flavour.

450. MUSHROOM. Agaricus campestris.--Is cultivated and well known at our tables for its fine taste and utility in sauces. These plants do not produce seeds that can be saved; they are therefore cultivated by collecting the sp.a.w.n, which is found in old hot-beds and in meadow lands.

Various methods have been lately devised for raising mushrooms artificially: but none seem to be equal to those raised in beds, as is described in all our books of gardening. Raising this vegetable in close rooms by fire heat has been found to produce them with a bad flavour; and they are not considered so wholesome as those grown in the open air, or when that element is admitted at times freely to the beds.

451. MUSTARD, WHITE. Sinapis alba.--This is sown early in the spring; to be eaten as salad with cress and other things of the like nature; it is of easy culture. A salad of this kind may be readily raised on a piece of thick woollen-cloth, if the seeds are strewed thereon and kept damp; a convenient mode practised at sea on long voyages. Cress and rap may be raised in the same manner.

452. ONION. Allium oleraceum.--The kinds of onions in cultivation are,

The Deptford. The Reading. The White Spanish. The Portugal. The Globe, and The Silver skinned.

All these varieties are usually sown in the spring of the year, and are good either eaten in their young state, or after they are dried in the winter. The silver skinned kind is mostly in use for pickling. The globe and Deptford kinds are remarkable for keeping late in the spring. A portion of all the other sorts should be sown, as they are all very good, and some kinds will keep, when others will not.

453. ONION, WELSH. Allium fistulosum.--This is sown in August for the sake of the young plants, which are useful in winter salads, and are more hardy than the other cultivated sorts.

454. PARSLEY. Petroselium vulgare.--A well known potherb sown in the spring; and the plants, if not suffered to go to seed, will last two years. See aethusa Cynapium, in Poisonous Plants.

455. PARSNEP. Pastinaca sativa.--This is a well known esculent root, and is raised by sowing the seeds in the spring.

456. PEA. Pisum sativum.--This is a well known dainty at our tables during spring and summer. The varieties in cultivation are,

Turner's Early Frame. Early Charlton. Golden Hotspur. Double Dwarf.

These are usually sown in November and December, and will succeed each other in ripening in June, if the season is fine, and afford a crop all that month.

The Dwarf Marrow-fat. The Royal Dwarf. The Prussia Blue. The Spanish Dwarf.

These varieties are usually sown in gardens when it is not convenient to have them grow up sticks, being all of a dwarf kind.