Sutton and Sons - The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition

S >> Sutton and Sons >> The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44

==EGG PLANT (AUBERGINE)==

==Solatium Melongena, S. esculentum==

In this country the Egg Plant is generally grown merely as an ornament,
but it is a delicious vegetable when sliced and fried in oil, the
purple-and black-fruited kinds being especially serviceable for the
table. The common white, which is best known, is fairly good when cooked
young, though less rich in flavour than the purple. The cultivation
recommended for Capsicum will suit the Egg Plant, but little atmospheric
moisture is needed or the seedlings may damp off. They are not well
adapted for planting out, although in a warm season they will fruit
freely under a sunny wall, and will grow in a gravel walk if helped at
first with a little good soil round the roots. If required in quantity
for the table, the purple variety may be grown in a frame from plants
raised on a hot-bed. Generally speaking, a few plants in pots are all
that are required where the fruit is not valued as an esculent.

==ENDIVE==

==Cichorium Endivia==

As a result of the growing taste for wholesome salads Endive has
considerably advanced in public esteem. The flavour of well-blanched
Endive suits most palates that have had experience of salads, and of the
salutary properties of the plant we have a hint in its close relation to
the Chicory.

The selection of sorts is a question of importance, because the handsome
curled varieties that make the best appearance on the table, and might
be regarded as ornaments if they were not edible, are the very finest
for salads, being tender, with a fresh nutty flavour. The broad-leaved
sorts are not so well adapted for salads as for stews, and they take the
place of Lettuces when the latter are not available for soups and
ragouts. However, when an emergency occurs, the curled varieties will be
found suitable for cooking, and the broad-leaved for salading, and
therefore there need be no waste where one sort predominates.

==Soil==.--A difficulty common to Endive culture may be got over in the
way advised for Celeriac. The plant requires a light, dry, sandy soil;
and a portion, at least, of the crop is expected to stand through the
winter. Thus on a heavy soil there is a prospect of failure in respect
of the late crop, but that is obviated by adopting a made bed--one of
smallish dimensions being sufficient to accommodate a large stock of
plants. Select an open spot, make a foundation of any hard rubbish that
is at hand, and on this put one to two feet of sandy soil. This will
form a raised bed of a kind exactly suited to the plant, and will cost
but little as compared with its ultimate value. If regularly dressed
with manure, and otherwise well managed, the bed will supply Endive in
winter and other salads in summer, or it may be cropped with Dwarf
Beans, which can be removed in August to make way for the usual planting
of Endive. Where the soil is naturally light and dry no such preparation
is needed, but Endive does not come to perfection without food, and
therefore the soil should be rich and deeply dug.

==Sowing and Transplanting==.--The seed may be sown as early as March, in
a moderate heat, but the latter part of April is early enough for most
purposes, and the main sowings are made in June. Later sowings may
follow in July and August. But the June sowing is the most important, as
by a little careful management it will supply a few early heads and many
late ones. Sow in shallow drills six inches apart, and when the plants
are an inch high draw the most forward, and prick them out on a bed of
rich light soil in the same way as Celery, and with a little nursing
these will make a first plantation. The plants in the seed-bed should be
thinned to three inches, and must have water in dry weather. All the
thinnings should be pricked out in the first instance to make them
strong for planting, but the last lot may go direct to the beds to
finish.

The final planting must be on rich, light, dry soil, and water given to
encourage growth. The distance for the curled varieties is a foot each
way, and for the broad-leaved fifteen inches. In taking the last lot
from the seed-bed, a crop should be left untouched to mature at twelve
to fifteen inches apart. These plants will give a first and most
excellent supply if carefully blanched.

If more convenient, seed may be sown where the crop is intended to
stand, the plants being thinned to the distances already given.

==The blanching== is an important business, and is variously performed.
The customary mode is to tie the leaves together in the manner usual
with Lettuce and mould them up. This method answers perfectly, except in
wet seasons, when, if the plants stand for some time, the outer leaves
begin to rot, and the decay proceeds inwards, to the deterioration or
destruction of the plant. A clean and effective process is to cover the
heart of the plant with a flower-pot. The hole is darkened with part of
a tile or slate, on which should be laid a piece of turf or a handful of
mould. A plate or clean tile placed over the centre of the plant will
also blanch Endives satisfactorily in autumn. For winter supplies, the
plants may be lifted as wanted and placed in boxes or pots of soil,
these being covered with other boxes or pots to exclude light. A
Mushroom-house, cellar, or under a greenhouse stage, will serve for
storing the lifted plants. The blanching must be carried on in such a
way as to insure a succession without a glut at any time, for when
sufficiently blanched Endive should be used, or decay will soon set in.

==GARLIC==

==Allium sativura==

The mode of culture advised for Shallots will suit Garlic also, except
that the latter should be planted in February about two inches beneath
the surface of the soil, and the bulbs may be grown closer together,
about eight or nine inches apart each way.

When large bulbs are required for exhibition or other purposes, the
cloves--as the divisions of each root are called--should be planted
separately; but for general use moderate-sized bulbs, planted whole,
will produce a heavier crop.

==GOURD and PUMPKIN==

(==Cucurbita==)

Gourds and Pumpkins may be grown to perfection by precisely the same
method recommended for Ridge Cucumbers; but as the plants occupy more
space, room must be left for them to extend south wards beyond the
limits of the ridge. It is well to put out strong plants from seeds sown
in pots in April or May, and protect them until established. If these
are not obtainable, the seed may be sown where the plants are intended
to stand, and there will in time be plenty of produce, but of course
somewhat later in the season than if strong plants had been put out in
the first instance. Keep a sharp look-out for slugs, which will flock in
from all quarters to feast upon them, but will scarcely touch them after
they have been planted a week or so. Any rough fermenting material, such
as grass mowings, may be used in making the hills, to give them the aid
of a warm bed for a brief space of time, and it is a great gain if they
grow freely from the first. Later on the natural heat will be enough for
them.

The edible Gourds are useful in all their stages and ages; and if the
cultivator has a fancy to grow large, handsome fruits, he can make the
business answer by hanging them up for use in winter, when they may be
employed in soups in place of Carrots, or in addition to the usual
vegetables, and may indeed be cooked in half a dozen different ways.
There remains yet one more purpose to which the plants may be applied:
supposing you have a great plantation of edible Gourds and Marrows, and
would like a peculiarly elegant and delicious dish of Spinach, pinch off
a sufficiency of the tops of the advancing shoots, and cook them Spinach
fashion. If properly done, it is one of the finest vegetables ever
eaten. As pinching off the tender tops of the shoots lessens the
fruitfulness of the vines, we only recommend this procedure where there
is a large plantation.

Gourds may be trained to trellises, fences, and walls. In all such
cases, a good bed should be prepared of any light, rich loam, and it
will be none the less effective if made on a mound of fermenting
material.

==HERBS==

With certain exceptions, the growing of Sweet Herbs from seeds is
altogether advantageous. The plants come perfectly true, and are so
vigorous that it is easier to raise them from seed than to secure a
succession from slips or cuttings. To meet a large and continuous demand
in the kitchen there must be a proportionate plantation in the border;
but in gardens of medium size we do not advocate the culture of Herbs on
an extensive scale, unless there be a special object in view. A
moderate number of Herbs will meet the necessities of most families.
Still it is a fact that the tendency is always in the direction of
increased variety, and gardeners are called on to provide frequent
changes of flavouring Herbs, some of which are quite as highly prized in
salads as they are for culinary purposes.

In the smallest gardens, Mint, Parsley, Sage, and both Common and Lemon
Thyme, must find a place. In gardens which have any pretension to supply
the needs of a luxurious table there should be added Basil, Chives, Pot
and Sweet Marjoram, Summer and Winter Savory, Sorrel, Tarragon, and
others that may be in especial favour. Large gardens generally contain a
plot, proportioned to demands, of all the varieties which follow.

Several of the most popular Herbs, such as Chives, Mint, Tarragon, and
Lemon Thyme, are not grown from seed--at all events, those who venture
on the pastime might employ their labour to greater advantage. But
others, such as Basil, Borage, Chervil, Fennel, Marjoram, Marigold,
Parsley, Savory, &c, are grown from seed, in some cases of necessity,
and in others because it is the quicker and easier way of securing a
crop.

Angelica and Mint flourish in moist soil, but the majority of aromatic
Herbs succeed on land that is dry, poor, and somewhat sandy, rather than
in the rich borders that usually prevail in the Kitchen Garden. Happily
they are not very particular, but sunshine they must have for the
secretion of their fragrant essences. A narrow border marked off in
drills, and, if possible, sloping to the south, will answer admirably.
Thin the plants in good time, and the thinnings of those wanted in
quantity may, if necessary, be transplanted. The soil must be kept free
from weeds, and every variety be allowed sufficient space for full
development.

==Angelica== (=A. Archangelica=).--A native biennial which is not easily
raised from seed treated in the ordinary way. Germination is always
capricious, slow and irregular. It may be several months before the
plants begin to appear. The best results are obtained by placing the
seed in sand, kept moist for several weeks before sowing. The leaves and
stalks are sometimes blanched and eaten as Celery, and are also boiled
with meat and fish. Occasionally the tender stems and midribs are coated
with candied sugar as a confection. Angelica was formerly supposed to
possess great medicinal virtues, but its reputation as a remedy for
poison and as a preventive of infectious diseases is not supported by
the disciples of modern chemistry. The seeds are still used for
flavouring liqueurs.

==Balm== (=Melissa officinalis=).--A perennial herb, which can be
propagated by cuttings or grown as an annual from seed. An essential oil
is distilled from the leaves, but they are chiefly used, when dried, for
making tea for invalids, especially those suffering from fever. The
plant has also been used for making Balm wine. Sow in May.

==Basil, Bush== (=Ocymum minimum=).--A dwarf-growing variety, used for the
same purposes as the Sweet Basil. Sow in April.

==Basil, Sweet== (=Ocymum Basilicum=).--A tender annual, originally
obtained from India, and one of the most popular of the flavouring
Herbs. Seeds should be sown in February or March in gentle heat. When
large enough the seedlings must be pricked off into boxes until they are
ready for transferring to a rich border in June, or seed may be sown in
the open ground during April and May. A space of eight inches between
the plants in the rows will suffice, but the rows should be at least a
foot apart. The flower-stems must be cut as they rise, and be tied in
bundles for winter use. This practice will prolong the life of the plant
until late in the season. Many gardeners lift plants in September, pot
them, and so maintain a supply of fresh green leaves until winter is far
advanced.

==Borage== (=Borago officinalis=).--A native hardy plant, which thrives in
poor, stony soil. The flowers are used for flavouring purposes,
especially for claret-cup. Borage is also a great favourite with
bee-masters. Sow in April or May in good loam, and thin to fifteen or
eighteen inches apart. The rows should be from eighteen to twenty-four
inches asunder, for the plant is tall, and strong in growth.

==Chervil, Curled== (=Anthriscus Cerefolium=).--Used for salads,
garnishing, and culinary purposes. To secure a regular supply of leaves
small successional sowings are necessary from spring to autumn, and
frequent watering in dry weather will prevent the plants from being
spoiled by throwing up seed-stems. For winter use, sow in boxes kept in
a warm temperature.

==Chives== (=Allium Schaenoprasum=).--A mild substitute for the Onion in
salads and soups. The plant is a native of Britain, and will grow freely
in any ordinary garden soil. Propagation is effected by division of the
roots either in spring or autumn. The clumps should be cut regularly in
succession whether wanted or not, with the object of maintaining a
continuous growth of young and tender shoots. At intervals of four years
it will be necessary to lift, divide, and replant the roots on fresh
ground.

==Fennel== (=Faeniculum officinale=).--A hardy perennial which has been
naturalised in some parts of this country. It is grown in gardens to
furnish a supply of its elegant feathery foliage for garnishing and for
use in fish sauces. Occasionally the stems are blanched and eaten in the
same way as Celery, and in the natural state they are boiled as a
vegetable. The seeds are also employed for flavouring. Sow in drills in
April and May, and thin the plants to fifteen inches apart.

==Finocchio, or Florence Fennel== (=Faeniculum dulce=, DC).--A
sweet-tasting herb, very largely grown in the south of Italy, where it
is eaten both in the natural state and when boiled. Sow in the open
ground during spring or early summer, in rows about eighteen inches
apart, and thin or transplant to six or nine inches. When the base
begins to swell, earth up the plants in the same manner as Celery. If
transplanted, pinch off the tips of the roots.

==Horehound== (=Marrubium vulgare=).--A well-known medicinal herb, from
which an extract is obtained for subduing irritating coughs. Sow in
April or May, and thin the plants until they stand fifteen inches apart.

==Hyssop== (=Hyssopus officinalis=).--The leaves and young shoots are used
as a pot-herb, and the leafy tops and flowers, when dried, are employed
for medicinal purposes. Hyssop is also occasionally used as an edging
plant. A dry soil and warm situation suit it. Sow in April, and thin the
plants to a foot apart in the rows.

==Lavender== (=Lavandula=).--Universally known and valued for its perfume.
Although the plant is generally propagated from cuttings, it can easily
be grown from seed sown in April or May. The plants attain a height of
one or two feet, and the stems should not be cut until the flowers are
expanded.

==Marigold, Pot== (=Calendula officinalis=).--Employed both in flower and
vegetable gardens: in the former as a bedding annual, and in the latter
that the flowers may be dried and stored for colouring and flavouring
soups; also for distilling. In April or May sow the seed in drills one
foot apart, and thin the plants to the same distance in the rows.

==Marjoram, Pot== (=Origanum Onites=).--One of the most familiar Herbs in
British gardens. The aromatic leaves are used both green and when dried
for flavouring. Strictly the plant is a perennial, but it is readily
grown as an annual. Sow in February or March in gentle heat, and in the
open ground a month later. The plants should be allowed a space often
inches or a foot each way.

==Marjoram, Sweet Knotted== (=Origanum Majorana=).--This plant is used for
culinary purposes in the same way as the Pot Marjoram, and it is also
regarded as a tonic and stomachic. The most satisfactory mode of
cultivation is that of a half-hardy annual. Sow in March or April and
allow each plant a square foot of ground.

==Mint== (=Mentha viridis=).--Known also as Spearmint. It must be grown
from divisions. Between the delicacy of fresh young green leaves and
those which have been dried with the utmost care there is so wide a
difference that the practice of forcing from November to May is fully
justified. This is easily accomplished by packing roots in a box and
keeping them moist in a temperature of 60 deg.. Where this is impossible,
stems must be cut, bunched, and hung in a cool store for use during
winter and spring. Mint grows vigorously in damp soil, and the bed
should have occasional attention, to prevent plants from extending
beyond their proper boundary. To secure young and luxuriant growth a
fresh plantation should be made annually in February or March. If
allowed to occupy the same plot of land year after year the leaves
become small and the stems wiry.

==Parsley== (=Carum Petroselinum=) will teach those who have eyes exactly
how it should be grown. There will appear here and there in a garden
stray or rogue Parsley plants. No matter how regularly the hoeing and
weeding may be done, a stray Parsley plant will occasionally appear
alone, perhaps in the midst of Lettuces, or Cauliflowers, or Onions.
When these rogues escape destruction they become superb plants, and the
gardener sometimes leaves them to enjoy the conditions they have
selected, and in which they evidently prosper. The lesson for the
cultivator is, that Parsley should have plenty of room from the very
first; and this lesson, we feel bound to say, cannot be too often
enforced upon young gardeners, for they are apt to sow Parsley far more
thickly than is wise, and to be injuriously slow and timid in thinning
the crop when the plants are crowding one another.

Parsley, like many other good things, will grow almost anywhere and
anyhow, but to make a handsome crop a deep, rich, moist soil is
required. It attains to fine quality on a well-tilled clay, but the
kindly loam that suits almost every vegetable is adapted to produce
perfect Parsley, and every good garden should show a handsome sample,
for beauty is the first required qualification. To keep the house fairly
well supplied sowings should be made in February, May, and July. The
first of these will be in gentle heat. When large enough prick out the
plants into boxes, or on to a mild hot-bed, and transfer to the open
ground at the end of April, allowing each plant a space of one foot each
way. In the open, it is best to sow in lines one foot apart, and thin
out first to three inches, and finally to six inches, the strongest of
the seedlings being put out one foot apart. By following this plan
sufficient supplies for a small household may be obtained from one
annual sowing made in April. It should not be overlooked that Parsley is
indispensable to exhibitors of vegetables, especially as a groundwork
for collections, and due allowance for such calls must be made in fixing
the number and extent of the sowings. When the plant pushes for seed it
becomes useless, and had best be got rid of; but by planting at various
times in different places a sufficiency may be expected to go through a
second season without bolting, after which it will be necessary to root
them out and consign them to the rubbish-heap. Parsley is often grown as
an edging, but it is only in large gardens that this can be done
advantageously, and then a very handsome edging is secured. In small
gardens it is best to sow on a bed in lines one foot apart, and thin out
first to three inches, and finally to six inches, the strongest of the
thinnings being planted a foot apart, to last over as proposed above.
When Parsley has stood some time it becomes coarse, but the young growth
may be renewed by cutting over; this operation being also useful to
defer the flowering, which is surely hastened by leaving the plants
alone. For the winter supply a late plantation made in a sheltered spot
will usually suffice, for the plant is very hardy; but it may be
expedient sometimes to put old frames over a piece worth keeping, or to
protect during hard weather with dry litter. A few plants lifted into
five-inch pots and placed in a cool house will often tide over a
difficult period. In gathering, care should be taken to pick separately
the young leaves that are nearly full grown, and to take only one or two
from each plant. It costs no more time to fill a basket by taking a leaf
or two here and there from a whole row than to strip two or three
plants, and the difference in the end will be considerable as regards
the total produce and quality of the crop.

==Pennyroyal== (=Mentha Pulegium=) is a native perennial which must be
propagated by divisions, and this can be done either in spring or
autumn. The rows may be twelve or fifteen inches apart, but in the rows
the plants do well at a distance of eight inches. The taste for
Pennyroyal is by no means universal, but some persons like the tender
tops in culinary preparations. The belief in its supposed medicinal
virtues is slowly dying.

==Purslane== (=Portulaca oleracea=).--This annual plant thrives best in a
sunny position. Seed should be sown from mid-April onwards to insure a
succession of young leaves and shoots which may be cooked as a vegetable
or eaten raw as a salad. Space the rows nine inches apart and thin the
plants to a distance of six inches.

==Rampion== (=Campanula Rapunculus=).--Both leaves and roots are used in
winter salads; the roots are also boiled. If the seed be sown earlier
than the end of May the plants are liable to bolt. Choose a shady
situation where the soil is rich and light, and do not stint water. The
rows need not exceed six inches apart, and four inches in the rows will
be a sufficient space between plants.

==Rosemary== (=Rosmarinus officinalis=).--A hardy evergreen shrub easily
grown from seed, the leaves of which are used for making Rosemary tea
for relieving headache. An essential oil is also obtained by
distillation. A dry, warm, sunny border suits the plant. Sow in April
and May.

==Rue== (=Ruta graveolens=).--A hardy evergreen shrub, chiefly cultivated
for its medicinal qualities. The leaves are acrid, and emit a pungent
odour when handled. The plant is shrubby, and as it attains a height of
two or three feet it occupies a considerable space. Sow in April.

==Sage== (=Salvia officinalis=).--Although Sage can be raised from seed
with a minimum of trouble, yet this is one of the few instances where it
is an advantage to propagate plants from a good stock. The difference
will be obvious to any gardener who will grow seedlings by the side of
propagated plants. Still, seedlings are often raised, and as annuals the
plants are quite satisfactory. Sow under glass in February and March,
and in open ground during April and May. Prick off the seedlings into a
nursery bed before transferring to final positions, in which each plant
should be allowed a space of fifteen inches.

==Savory, Summer== (=Satureia hortensis=).--An aromatic seasoning and
flavouring herb, which must be raised annually from seed. Sow early in
April in drills one foot apart, and thin the plants to six or eight
inches in the rows. Cut the stems when in full flower, and tie in
bunches for winter use.

==Savory, Winter== (=Satureia montana=).--A hardy dwarf evergreen which
can be propagated by cuttings; but it is more economically grown from
seed sown at the same time, and treated in the same manner, as Summer
Savory.

==Sorrel== (=Rumex scutalus=).--The large-leaved or French Sorrel is not
only served as a separate dish, but is mingled with Spinach, and is also
used as an ingredient in soups, sauces, and salads. Leaves of the
finest quality are obtainable from plants a year old, and when the crop
has been gathered the ground may with advantage be utilised for some
other purpose. Light soil in fairly good heart suits the plant. The seed
should be sown in March or early April, in shallow drills six or eight
inches apart, and the seedlings must be thinned early, leaving three or
four inches between them in the rows. To keep the bed free from weeds is
the only attention necessary, unless an occasional watering becomes
imperative. In September the entire crop may be transferred to fresh
ground, allowing eighteen inches between the plants, or part may be
drawn and the remainder left at that distance. In the following spring
the flower-stems will begin to rise, and if these are allowed to develop
they reduce the size of the leaves and seriously impair their quality;
hence the heads should be pinched out as fast as they are presented.