 Section 11 of the Family Kitchen Gardener. This is LibriVox Recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Jennifer Stearns. The Family Kitchen Gardener. By Robert Reist. Section 11. Radish. Raffanis. Raffanis Satevis. Rave French. Retic German. The native country of this well-known salad plant is supposed to be China. It is valued for us by its agreeable pungency and grateful relish when mixed with salads, or eaten raw with bread and butter. They are supposed to resist medicinal qualities, abiding with the penetrating nitrous juice, rendering them a good anti-scorbutic. It is not admitted that they contain much nourishment. They should, however, when eaten, be very brisk and spritely, always young, not tough, thready, nor overgrown. The young leaves make an agreeable mixture with lettuce, mustard, etc., as a green salad. There is an immense quantity of this article consumed in the spring and early summer season. It is a never-ending crop. Being of a rapid growth, it is up and consumed before the crops of beets, carrots, etc., make any headway, so that it occupies no ground as a crop by itself. There are many varieties among which we select the following as most desirable. Scarlet Short Lop. This is a long, tapering radish of a good scarlet color with very short leaves. It is preferred by all gardeners, as it requires much less room than those with large tops, and is also the very earliest variety when obtained pure. Early Salmon. Very similar to the former, though not of so bright a color, it is a few days later. It succeeds it very conveniently, and is of the same shape. Olive Shaped. This variety appears to be between the Scarlet Short Lop and the Red Turnip Radish, partaking of both shapes being a long oval and maturing for the table between those two varieties. White Turnip Rooted. Very appropriately named and highly esteemed. It succeeds those already described in maturing, and will bear the heat better, without becoming hard and stringy. Red Turnip Rooted. In shape and size like the white, matured at the same time, and when grown with it, makes a beautiful variety on the table. Long White Portugal. A very beautiful variety in the shape of the early Short Top. It does not come so soon as that sort, but makes a decided contrast with it. White Summer. A large, long, oval variety cultivated for early summer use is of an excellent mild flavor, bears the heat well, and is a beautiful variety. Yellow Summer or Yellow Turnip Rooted. The very best are cultivating, and indeed, the only one that stands the heat and dread with impunity. It is about an inch and a half or two inches in diameter, and from two to three inches long. Black Spanish. Winter Radish. A very large size, turnip form. It should be sown in August and September, lifted in October or November, and stored away in sand in the cellar for supply on the table in winter. It will keep till the following April. Culture. There are a few vegetables that require less artificial care and culture than the radish. For the Spring Crop, it takes a light, rich, dry, sandy loam. But for later crops, a deep, moist soil is preferred. The first sowing should be made on a south or east border, with the early turnip-rooted beets. The radish seed may be sown in drills between the latter, very thinly, covering them with about a quarter of an inch of fine earth. If the nights prove frosty, cover the border with straw, which will gently advance the crop, and prevent its destruction. If sown about the first of March, and good weather ensue, they will be ready in the first week of April. A second sowing with some other crop, such as carrots, should be made about two weeks later, and at the same time, sown the turnip-rooted varieties. Another sowing of all the salmon and turnip kinds, about the middle of April to be followed, with two sowns of white and yellow summer radishes at intervals, will be the principal crops for the season. Towards the end of August and September, early scarlet short top may again be sown. Also, the black spinach has formally directed. Should they be too thick at any time, when fairly up, they must be thinned to an inch apart. For, if allowed to grow quite and together, they will not produce a crop. It will take six or eight ounces of radish seed to supply a family fully the whole season. Though some riders amuse us by sowing an ounce or two is enough. They must never have sown an ounce of radish seed and seen its produce. If the weather is dry, at any of the sowing, the seed should have a few waterings, till it is fairly above ground. And even when they are growing, it is of much service in rendering the roots more crisp and better flavored. Forcing radishes, very little artificial heat is required to grow them in perfection. Make a gentle hotbed about 18 inches thick, on which place a frame. Fill in one foot of good, light, rich soil. After it remains a few days to get warm throughout, sown the seeds rather thickly. Spread a small portion of fine soil over them, give the whole a gentle press on the back of the spade, put on the sash, and keep close till the seeds appear above ground, then air freely. If the plants are thick, thin them out at once to about an inch apart. Water occasionally, when the soil appears to get dry. If sashes are not to be obtained, shutters and mats make a tolerable substitute. And after the first of March, we'll do perfectly, though forcing early crops cannot succeed without the use of a good glass sash. The best variety of radish for the purpose is the long, scarlet, early short top, or a variety of it called early frame. We have already alluded to the practice of sowing radishes among the cauliflower and winter lettuce. Radishes sown for seed should be kept apart from any other variety. If they are within 300 yards of each other, they will mix. Where the early scarlet is wished very pure, it is our practice to transplant a few thousand every season to seed for early forcing. If it cannot be kept so far apart, save the seeds of two kinds every year for three years. You will then have six sorts in culture, and the seed will keep three years perfectly if in a dry place. The rhubarb of commerce is the root of the plant, which is principally grown in Asia, where it is dried and prepared for exportation to a very great extent. It is chiefly purchased by the Turks, who monopolize the trade as much as possible, and from it, derive a large profit. It has been for centuries held in the highest estimation for its medicinal properties. It is a mild cathartic, and commonly considered one of the safest and most innocent substances of the class, though I have found that very large doses act as a very severe emetic. With its purgative virtues, it has a mild, stringent one, and is found to strengthen the tone of the stomach. In addition to these qualities of the root, the stalk is allowed by all medical men to make one of the most cooling, wholesome, and delicious tarts that can be sent to the table. And though it does at first appear to some to have a peculiar flavor, yet they who use it very soon prefer it to any other fruit. Its rank flavor, however, entirely depends upon the age of the stalks. When young, they are entirely free from it. The variety of rhubarb for cooking forms an object of much interest and even great profit to the market gardener. And to every householder who has a garden, it cannot be too highly recommended as a very salubrious vegetable for the family, either stewed or in tarts and pies. For dysentery in children, it is an infallible remedy, stewed, seasoned with sugar, and eaten in any quantity with bread. The stalk is fit for use when the leaf begins to expand. Take the outside skin off the stalk, cut it into pieces about an inch long, put them into a saucepan, and cover them with plenty of brown sugar and a few tablespoons of cold water. Cover it, and let it stew slowly until perfectly soft. After having cooled, it is ready for use. Few vegetables have made a more rapid progress in their cultivation. Within the past 15 years, and we yet expect to see it cultivated by the hundred acres and brought to our market in wagon loads. The following sorts are all deserving of particular attention. Tavalsk A very early, small, red variety of excellent flavor for an early crop or forcing. It grows in very rich ground to about 18 inches or two feet long. Washington A green variety, very much spotted on the foot stalks, grows two feet long and is the second early sort. Giant A very large green variety with round stalks that all grow four feet long and nearly the thickness of a man's wrist. It is cultivated in England to an immense extent as a late variety to supply the market the whole summer. Nammoth This sort was raised by me four feet long with stalks of great thickness of a flat shape. It has taken the prize as the best brew bar at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's meetings the past three years. It is of excellent flavor. Myattis Victoria This is a red variety of great excellence and richly flavored grows very strong equal to the giant and much earlier than that variety is richly deserving of extensive culture. Large early red a seedling by me from the Victoria it is even larger than its parent comes eight full days earlier and will prove the best early brew bar we have yet had brought to our notice. The stalks are three feet long and are quite fit for use before the leaf begins to expand. It is richly flavored. It may be observed that the red stalked sorts are generally earlier than those with green stamps. Room palatum Room palmatum or palmated leaf brew bar is the variety that is cultivated in China and Tartary for its roots and in some countries and other species the Tindulatum is grown for the same purpose. There is no doubt that all the other varieties possess the same medicinal properties when they attain sufficient age which is allowed to be seven years. Culture We will always propagate it either by seeds or by division of the roots. Where a great quantity is wanted the formal process will have to be resorted to. Though the plants raised in this manner will not be of a uniform character yet from seeds of the best kinds all will be worth cultivation. The seeds should be sown as early as can be done in spring. On light dry soil draw drills about an inch deep and one foot apart in which sown the seeds thinly and cover evenly. They will be up in about four weeks and if the weather proves dry give them occasional water rings. Hold them freely to keep under the weeds sown a very few radish seeds with them and you will thereby see clearly where to use the hoe and the radishes will be pulled before the rubber plants have made much progress. When they are an inch high send them out to four inches apart and allow them to grow to October at which time a piece of deep rich ground should be selected and dug 18 inches deep maneuvering it well with a very rotten dung and breaking and working it perfectly with a speed. When it has settled for about two weeks set out the plants two feet apart in the row and four feet between the rows plant the crowns two inches below the surface and four or five inches thick with leaves or litter from the stable to prevent the frost from throwing them out of the ground during winter. No farther after culture is required beyond keeping the ground clear of weeds. In the first year a crop of lettuce beans or early cabbage can be taken from between the rows as the plants will not attain their full size for two years. In the early part of winter every year cover the ground with a few inches of manure digging it in with a fork in spring among the roots. Lubab, thus treated will continue many years in great perfection and produce a very ample return. Where there are only a few roots wanted they may be procured by the division of one or two good roots leaving an eye to each and planting them at once and ground prepared as above where they are to remain. About eight or ten plants will suffice for a small family though twenty will not be too many. By this method it will be ready for use in the first year after planting whereas from seed it is three years before it is ready for the table. In removing the stalks for use first scrape away a little of the earth then bend down the stalk you wish to remove and slip it off from the ground without breaking or cutting it. The stalks should not be used after the leaves are full grown as they are then too hard and stringy. Use the stalks only of such leaves as are about half or nearly fully expanded. Where there is a large supply it can be made into a preserve of any kind. Both an excellent jam and jelly can be made from either the green or red varieties though the color of that made from the latter is more beautiful being a fine dark pink. Artificial culture. To force rhubarb it is only necessary to procure some large pots, or half barrels and invert them over the roots then cover the whole entirely ground and all with leaves and hot stable manure. This will cause an agreeable heat to arise. The plants will grow freely under their warm dark covering the stalks will be finely blanched very tender and delicately flavored. This operation should be performed before the ground gets frozen by placing the boxes etc over the plants intended to be forced and covering the ground with 8 or 10 inches of leaves or litter. Then above the middle of January mix the leaves as many more with warm dung as will entirely cover the articles under which the plants are preserved. If properly managed the stalks will be fit for use in from 4 to 6 weeks and the plants will continue to produce till the roots in the open air take their place. They too are greatly benefited by placing a barrel over them as soon as they begin to grow in the spring. The stems grow more tender and much longer by this process. There should be a few holes in the barrel or a part of the bottom taken out to emit a little air though it is not absolutely essential. Many persons may dislike all this trouble and others have not the material at command. To such we say cover the roots with 6 or 8 inches of any dry material which before them 2 weeks before are covered. Others may have the convenience of a greenhouse under the stage or some other warm building even a warm closet or a furnace in the cellar. In such situations the plants can be forwarded by planting them in November into large pots or boxes with good earth and placing them at any required time into any of these situations giving water freely according to the heat that is at command. After the plants have done producing stalks of culinary use they may be turned out into a half shady, rich piece of ground. In May, when after a season's growth they can again be used for the same purpose. Hotbeds, frames or pits will also do for forcing this article but in such a case the glass must be darkened to cause them to grow and blanch. The atmosphere must also be freely saturated with water to make the stalks swell to their full height and size. These are two advantages in blanching rhubarb. First, the desirable qualities of appearance and flavor and secondly, a saving in the quantity of sweetening material to render them agreeable to the taste. The stalks when blanched are more tender than when grown under the influence of strong light and in open situations. Culture in cold or hot latitudes there is no obstacle to the cultivation of this interesting plant. It will stand unprotected as far north as the St. Lawrence and yield annually a large litter and cultivate the ground as previously directed. If there is three months of good sun it is all the plant requires to mature it. Wherever oats will grow the rhubarb will thrive only give it depth of soil for its roots and manure to stimulate its luxuriance. In cold or hot latitudes it must be planted in moist situations and under the shade of buildings to ward off the scorching rays of the sun at midday and in dry periods it must be watered freely. The whole of this continent from the Gulf of Mexico to Hudson Bay may enjoy the luxury of this vegetable. Its cultivation may be pursued to any extent for its root for medicinal purposes. In such a case a lotum and palmitum should be planted 2 by 4 feet apart. They should not be robbed of their leaves at any period of their growth. After the roots have been 7 years under culture they are then ready to be lifted. After being washed thoroughly into product of their small fibers cut the strong roots into pieces about 2 inches long and these pieces lengthwise. Thread them on cords and hang them up to drive. These cords should be turned upside down for a week to prevent the juice settling in any one part of the root. They should not be laid on boards to dry for the board will absorb a portion of the juice to prime the roots of so much of their strength. We don't not, but it may be thus be dried as perfectly in this country as in any of those where it is cultivated for export. End of section 11 Recording by Jennifer Stearns Section 12 of the Family Kitchen Gardener This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Jennifer Stearns The Family Kitchen Gardener by Robert Weist Section 12 Salcify Vegetable Oyster Trago Pogon Porofolius Salcifus French Salcify is a hardy carrot rooted biennial, a native of the mountain meadows of Switzerland. It is considered wholesome and nutritious and much esteemed by some classes under the name of Oyster Plant from its flavor after being cooked having a considerable resemblance to the oyster. It makes an excellent variety at the table and forms an agreeable dish throughout the winter season. As the oyster is a very celebrated fish and many in the interior rarely obtain it all make cultivate this vegetable which really makes a near approach to it in taste when cooked in the following manner. Previous to boiling the roots let them be slightly scraped and then laid in water for about an hour then boil them to quite tender let them be taken out and laid to drain for a short time during which a thick batter should be made with the white of eggs beaten up with a little flour grade the roots down tolerably fine press them into small flattened balls dip these in the batter and roll them into graded crackers or crumbs of bread then fry them in a pan till they are of a deep brown color when they are ready for the table and will form a very agreeable and even delicious dish culture sown the seed in drills half an inch deep and 10 inches apart in April or before the end of May as soon as the plants are an inch high then them out with the hoe to 4 or 6 inches apart keep the ground clear of weeds giving them the general culture of carrots this vegetable is perfectly hardy and may stand out all winter though it is necessary to store away a quantity for winter use when the ground is hard frozen they like a deep rich soil and will be in good condition for the table till the end of March Scorsonera Scorsonera is Danica Scorsonere, French this vegetable is native of Spain and has to a limited extent been long in cultivation there is very little difference between the character and flavor of this fruit and that of salcify it is cultivated more as a variety than for any real utility as a vegetable it is cooked in the same manner as the former and cultivated with a carrot the seed must be sown in April as it requires longer to mature than either the salcify or the carrot sea kale crumb maritimba choux marin french racole this plant is found growing on the seacoast of Europe particularly in England where it is cultivated to a very great extent in the gardens of the wealthy it is closely related to the cabbage and professional men have observed that all the good qualities of that family are centered in the sea kale I suspect this opinion will be contested by lovers of corn, beef and cabbage however I have no doubt that a free use of this vegetable and rhubarb in the spring would contribute greatly to reduce the doctor's account it can be obtained with very little trouble the whole winter in its most perfect state but the fact of its having to be attended to in these during months retires its progress the tillers and workers of the soil independent of the nocturnal slumbers very frequently slumber with nature and are inert at any employment that requires a peculiar care at that period of the year the mode of dressing this vegetable for the table is as follows tie the stalks or rather clusters of stalks in bundles and boil them with plenty of water and a little salt for 20 minutes observing that the water is boiling before they are put in have a toast ready dip it in the water, put it on the dish and the sea kale upon it put a white sauce over it consisting of cream or milk thicken with flour and butter or simply cook it as asparagus is done which it much resembles culture we venture to assert that no culinary vegetable can be raised either naturally or artificially with less trouble or greater certainty of success than the sea kale as in either case the plants will last many years and in their periodical forcing they give the gardener no anxiety as the desired result is certain so the seed thinly in drills 1 inch deep and 12 apart at any time in March or April 1 ounce of seed will be sufficient for a moderate family if the weather be dry, water it freely in about 2 or 3 weeks the plants will appear thin them out to an inch apart and when they have attained more strength thin them out to 2 or 3 inches they require no further care of the first season except to hoe freely and keep clear of weeds during November cover the crowns of the plants with a few inches of earth early in the following spring prepare a piece of rich sandy ground well manured about 10 feet by 30 giving it 25 pounds of salt and digging the ground fully 15 inches deep mark it out into 2 4 feet beds leaving an alley between in the center of each bed a line should be drawn where the strongest plants, after being carefully taken up are to be planted at 2 feet apart taking care that the crown of the plant is set 2 inches below the surface of the bed to allow for the future rising of the crowns which they are inclined to do every year they will, if judiciously managed continue imperfection 12 or 15 years within 6 inches of the edge of each bed plant other rows in the same manner thus each bed will contain about 45 plants if the season proves very dry water occasionally frequently stir the earth and constantly destroy weeds do not allow any of the plants to go to seed which will cause them to grow stronger for the required purpose particularly for forcing under pots this is the most general method and one which will bring this vegetable to perfection its season will be from Christmas to April if the following process is strictly adhered to when the number of roots are determined upon for forcing clear them of all decayed leaves early in November give the bed 2 inches of well decomposed dung fork it in lightly which will strengthen the roots and accelerate their growth cover the crowns of the plants 3 or 4 inches thick tiny light sandy soil or if convenient pure sand after being thus finished cover the crowns with large pots or boxes sinking them 1 or 2 inches into the ground and carefully stopping up any holes in them to prevent the entrance of any rank steam when that is done procure a quantity of leaves from the woods and mix them with about a fourth or a half of warm stable manure with this cover the hole of the ground and the pots to the depth of 20 inches which will be quite sufficient to bring this vegetable to full growth for use if the temperature of 50 or 60 can be maintained in very severe weather over this covering throw some dry litter or boards if the materials are properly managed they will come to a heat in 2 or 3 weeks in 3 or 4 weeks more examine a pot or 2 and when the plants are found to have sprouts from 6 to 8 inches in length they may be cut for use which is to be done by first removing a part of the earth from around the head of the plant and cutting close to the crown with part of it adhering but taking care not to disturb the young shoots that appear around it afterwards cover the crowns with earth as at first and replace the pots, leaves and other materials the plants will remain in a vigorous state of growth for 6 or 8 weeks by which time the pots may be removed as the cold weather goes off take gradually away the covering as the root and crown by being forced would probably be injured by the change where the entire covering taken away at once when the plants are finally cleared level down the earth or sand and dig in a few inches of the decayed material which will strengthen the plant for vigorous growth throughout the season and they shall be found in a good state of forcing in the following winter the plants that are not forced should be covered early in spring with 8 or 10 inches of sand or fine light soil they will produce strong sprouts and be found on clearing the ground around them to be finely blanched of a clear white color and when dressed nearly equal to those blanched under pots it is omitted that forcing improves the flavor of this esculine it will be found that from a garden with two good beds of this valuable vegetable it can be enjoyed from January to May by giving the simple attention we have detailed besides the above method of forcing it can be done successfully in pits frames or hot houses where these erections are in use put the plants in large pots using earth of a light rich nature place them in any dark corner where with a little moisture at times they will bring good sprouts for the table shallot allium ascoloneicum echelot french chulot german it will be observed from the botanic name of shallot that it is classed with the onion tribe it was introduced from echelon a town of syria and frequently is known under the name of echelots they have a strong but not unpleasant odor and are preferred to the onion for various purposes of cookery and seasoning many epicures consider them the best seasoning for a good old fashioned dish of beef steaks though it has been 200 years in cultivation very little of the article is used in this country unless by the french culture the roots are bulbous and increase readily by offsets the largest of which are most proper for use the bulbs are oblong and irregular seldom becoming large generally growing in clusters they do not swell like roots that grow singly the soil best adapted for their growth is a light rich sandy loam though they will thrive well in any rich soil that is not saturated with moisture plant them in october or november in drills 6 inches apart 3 inches deep and about 8 inches from row to row if a quantity of soot be mixed with the soil it will greatly prevent the attacks of a maggot which frequently commits depredations upon this plant in the spring draw away the earth from the bulbs leaving them entirely naked nothing further is required than to keep them free from weeds in july the tops begin to turn yellow when the roots can be taken up and dried in the same manner as garlic if the planting is delayed till spring the bulbs will not require to be put underground but merely planted as onion sets which their culture very much resembles scurret scioncicerum chevers french zuckervessel german scurret is considered an nutritious vegetable and would be more generally cultivated or not with the large space of ground required to raise a quantity for general use it is a perennial plant, a native of asia and has been cultivated in europe about 200 years the roots are composed of long fleshy tubers joined together in the crown or head they are cooked like saucify and form a very white, sweet and pleasant vegetable culture soil suitable for the carrot will also grow this root in perfection sow the seeds thinly in drills half an inch deep and 10 inches wide at any time from the middle of april to the first of may the ground having been previously well dug sow a few radish seeds in the drills to distinguish them and a mitt of homing to destroy the weeds lest they overgrow the crop in 5 or 6 weeks they can be thinned out with a hoe to 5 or 6 inches apart nothing more will be requisite accepting a constant stirring of the soil and keeping down weeds about the first of November the roots will be fit for use and continue to sow till spring on the approaches of your frost taken up, cleaned and towed away like other roots in sand or dry earth spinach or spinach spinach spinach spinach spinach spinach this vegetable is a hardy annual said to be a native of Spain and has been cultivated to a considerable extent for many years if eaten freely it is of a laxative and cooling nature but does not afford much nutriment it is admitted to be innocent and its effects in all kinds of diseases and a lot of medical men to be eaten when other vegetables are denied the leaves of the plants being of a very succulent or moist nature must be boiled about 10 minutes in a very small portion of water in which a gentle handful of salt has been put as it boils clear out the scum which arises drain it well in a colander season it with butter and pepper or dressed with eggs and vinegar there are three varieties of garden spinach and cultivation which differ in the size and shape of the leaves and the greater or less prickliness of the seeds prickly seeded or winter spinach is the best for sowing in September for winter crops round seeded is preferred for spring sowing and in mild latitudes it is generally used it produces a rounder fuller and more fleshy leaf flander spinach this is a prickly seeded variety having great breadth of foliage it is more luxuriant and of a greener color it is not in general use but deserves special attention culture this vegetable is generally sown broad host as it is easier performed to system re-deprecate as being unprofessional without neatness and giving afterwards more labor to keep clean sowing very thinly in drills a quarter of an inch deep and 9 inches from row to row for winter and early spring crops sowing about the end of August and again about the middle of September for early summer crops sowing about the end of March and frequently to the middle of May it succeeds in any common garden soil but the more it has been previously enriched with manure the better and it will not produce its large expensive leaves nor fully develop its extraordinary growth unless highly nurtured it is a rank grower and consequently a gross feeder always select an open situation avoiding the vicinity of trees or buildings if the ground is light and dry it should be trodden down firmly or rolled with a roller the spring crops can be sown very conveniently between peas or on ground where the pole beans are intended to be planted the crop must be well-howed and faithfully cultivated which draws the moisture to the roots encouraging the growth where the ground is in proper condition the plants may stand 9 inches apart and the crop will be easily gathered but if the ground is poor and the plants stinted the produce is nearly worthless the seeds will come up in from 10 days to 2 weeks they don't the plants when too thick they have 3 or 4 leaves an inch broad that may be used to the main crop is sufficiently thin when the plants have leaves 2 or 3 inches broad they will be fit for gathering which is done by cropping the outer leaves the root and heart remaining to shoot out again we have seen leaves of the round and flander spinach 2 feet in circumference in this vicinity the winter spinach has generally a very thin layer of straw or other light covering laid over it which greatly protects the roots and prevents them being thrown out by the frost gardeners who have any emulation endeavor to cover a portion of their most advanced crop with mats or any covering that they can take off in mild weather this enables them to procure a dish of this festival at any period during the winter months we would further observe that if this crop is not kept quite thin but one plant allowed to touch its neighbor they will draw up and speedily run to seed 2 ounces of seed will plant 5 drills each 40 feet long squash curcabita, mellow people courgette au poitrain French this festival is in general used from June to August 01, even October and is extensively cultivated in this vicinity for the market there is no garden however I'm pretending should admit its culture they may be cooked in the very simplest form requiring about an hour's boiling and season when done, mash them place them in a colander and press out the water freely season with pepper, cream and butter and dish them up for the table there are several sorts for both summer and winter use the former only deserves attention as the latter are inferior to the cashaw pumpkin early bush or patapan from its dwarf habit and productiveness is preferred for early crops it is of a yellowish white color round and pan shaped many anchors of them are grown for our markets green striped or large green this crook necked variety is perfectly green with a few light stripes in it some prefer it to the former though not generally it being both later and more rampant in growth culture plant in May, June and July in hills 4 feet each way in the same manner as directed for cucumbers the general management in after culture is the same in every respect half an ounce of seed will supply any family they are fit for use when about the size of the fist when the skin becomes so hard and the nail of the finger cannot pierce it easily it is unfit for use Swiss chard or silver beet Ceta vulgaris, Argentina Swiss chard German this spinaeus plant is becoming very generally distributed as a vegetable its leaves only are used it is a variety of the beet having right green foliage with the leaf stock and mid rib of a pure white and is sometimes known under the name of sea kale beech from the fact that the foot stock and nerves of the leaves can be used like that vegetable the leaf after being deprived of the strong membranes is cooked like spinach and very favorable received at the table the root portion of the plant is not generally made use of culture this is accomplished in the same manner and by the same process as detailed for the beet page 28 it is extensively cultivated in France Germany and Switzerland to those who are fond of a vegetable diet it may form a very prominent portion in the month of June July and August the warm season when spinach and sea kale cannot be obtained so for the first crop in March and for the second in May an ounce of seed will supply a large family end of section 12 recording by Jennifer Stearns conquered New Hampshire chickadee78.wordpress.com for more information or to volunteer visit LibriVox.org recording by Dennis Sayers the family kitchen gardener by Robert Buist section 13 Terragon Artemisia Dracunculis Lastragon French Dragoon German Terragon is a perennial plant a native of Siberia in Tartary where it is covered during the winter months with snow the French are particularly fond of it in salads the leaves and young tops are used as ingredients in pickles and a simple infusion of them in vinegar makes an excellent fish sauce the leaves are also eaten with beef steaks with a fragrant smell and an aromatic taste culture it is propagated by parting the roots in spring and planting them in a light rich soil one foot apart but free from dung that is not thoroughly decomposed six plants will supply a family cover them in severe winters with rough litter or a few branches and leaves if they are planted in moist soil heavy and continued frosts will destroy their roots they delight in a warm dry situation time timeless vulgaris them French Thymian German the common garden time is a low evergreen shrub it is a native of England, Spain and Greece it has an agreeable aromatic smell and a warm pungent taste its culinary use is principally for soups and seasoning of every description culture a few bushes of this plant is all that is necessary for a family they can be procured by the slip or division of the root or from seeds the latter are very small and should be sown in moist weather on a spot of fine soil cover the seed very lightly and press it with the back of the spade a spot of ground one foot square is sufficient time that is intended for winter use should be cut when just coming into bloom tied up in bundles dried in the shade in paper tomato like a persicum tomato French German in taking a retrospect of the past 18 years there is no vegetable on the catalog that has obtained such popularity 1828 through 9 it was almost detested in 10 years more every variety of pill and panacea was extract of tomato it now occupies as great a surface of ground as cabbage and is cultivated the length and breadth of the country as a culinary dish it is on every table from July to October contiguous to large cities where a high price is given for the first and earliest supply the exertions of the experienced market gardener bring every operation to bear on its early maturity it is brought to the table in an infinite variety of forms being stewed and seasoned stuffed and fried roasted and raw and in nearly every form palatable to all it is also made into pickles, ketchup and salted in barrels for winter use so that with a few years more experience we may expect to see it as an everyday dish from January to January it belongs to the same family as the potato and like it is destined to be universally cultivated in all climates where it will mature and we yet expect to see it grown to an extent similar to the traditions of the wealthy who inhabit colder latitudes that they too may enjoy this favorite there are several kinds grown for fancy purposes but only three sorts for the table these are the large smooth red this is a very recent variety in every respect similar to the common sort only being smooth with differences and indentations pear shaped this variety is of a reddish pink color very fleshy contains fewer seeds than the former sorts equally as good for stewing and preferable for pickling being more firm and of a better shape cherry shaped this variety is very appropriately named and created expressly for pickling and forms a very beautiful variety there are several other fancy sorts generally of a yellow color which have an interest to those who are fond of variety culture it is indispensable in good gardening to have this popular vegetable fit for the table at the earliest possible period to resort to the best and most expeditious means at their command hotbeds in March are generally used to grow a few hundreds or thousands as once require so the seed very thinly and cover it slightly it is generally sure of vegetating and if the plants come up thickly they draw and crowd each other in a few days to be three or four inches high requiring to be freely aired if in a hotbed at all favorable periods in time of sunshine as they advance in growth transplant into other frames under glass where they will stand two or three inches apart to harden and prepare for removal to the open ground about the first of May at some sheltered spot plant them three feet apart by the side of a close fence or other erection where they will have the full benefit of the sun the whole day when they are about a foot high draw earth to their stems and surround them with branches for support the earliest plants should have a few inches taken off their tops as they have set their fruit this will cause them to ripen more rapidly where there is plenty of space under glass it is a good plan to pot a quantity of the plants in April and encourage their growth by every possible means transplanting them into the open air as soon as there is a possibility of settled warm weather which is generally about two or three weeks away in this vicinity those who have not such convenient arrangements as above can place a small box or large pot with good rich earth in their kitchen window and so in it a few seeds about the middle of March or the first of April by this means they will have the crop ready for the summer for a general crop so about the last week of April on a sheltered warm spot of ground in light rich soil if the nights are cold cover with a little straw or other brush keep the plants thin that they may grow stocky and strong transplant about the 20th of May two feet from plant to plant and three feet from row to row where they are to remain the frame in which the cabbage plants were during winter is an excellent spot for these seeds which may be sown as soon as they are removed in March protect with mats and shutters and cold weather the seed grows best when it is only very slightly covered although great care is taken for its early protection it is of a very hardy nature and will lie dormant in the ground all winter vegetating in the spring as the season advances in some seasons there is a caterpillar very destructive to the vines against which the only remedy is picking them off as soon as they appear for the proper culture of this crop it is indispensable to have rich ground that where on the winter spinach was grown will suit if in good heart truffle tuber-terral truffe french truffle german the truffle is a subterraneous fungus growing naturally some inches below the surface in some parts of Italy France and even Great Britain we do not suppose that its cultivation has been attempted in this country neither are we intimately acquainted with the process of its culture it has been successfully grown by several individuals in England who procured the truffle from where it was found growing laying it in somewhat similar situation in the vicinity of woods or in the open field it is a very singular production combining in the opinion of naturalists a flavor of both flesh and vegetable it is of a globular formation about the size of a hen's egg without any roots or fibers it is sometimes seen of a dark brown color while at other times it is of a whitish appearance the surface is uneven and rough the flesh firm white when young but as it becomes old it approaches black with light brown veins dogs and swine have been trained to search for the truffle in Italy it is called swine's bread as these animals are exceedingly fond of them the Indians tie a cord to the hog's foot and drive him observing where he roots the French and English have dogs called truffle dogs trained to sent it out these dogs point out the spot by scraping and barking and the truffles which are generally found in clusters are dug up with the spade they are used like the mushroom in stuffings, gravies and other high season preparations and will keep perfectly sound for several months culture they have been successfully cultivated in Germany, France and England on which there is a large pamphlet published to which we refer those who wish information on the subject we are not acquainted with the manner of their growth and it is not our habit to detail to others what we do not practically know turnip brassica rappa navet French Steckhrub German the turnip is a vegetable common to all temperate and cold latitudes it has been known for 250 years and has become in some countries an extensive field crop it is not positively known of what country it is a native horticultural and agricultural science has brought it to its present perfection it is accounted a salubrious root but in weak stomachs it is apt to produce flatulency and prove difficult of digestion it is frequently used medicinally in coughs hoarseness and other asthmatic disorders the syrup of turnip after being extracted by baking and mixed with honey is a family receipt for these complaints turnips are principally used at the table with boiled roasts or mashed and strained and mixed with butter cream and other seasoning for which purpose mid-sized turnips are better than large ones as the latter, being of a spongy nature contain more water than those smaller in the present day during the great deficiency of the potato crop they form a partial substitute for that valuable root especially in Europe where some of the fleer kinds of the turnip have been found by recent analysis to give nearly as much nourishment the young sprouts from the tops in spring make excellent greens there are only a few sorts suitable for garden culture early white dutch or white strapped leaves is a very early kind of a round flat form the leaves are short and narrow this and the following variety will produce roots fit for the table in six weeks from sowing early red top dutch or strapped lead red top has every character of the former except that the portion of the root which is fully exposed above ground is of a red or purple color early yellow dutch is a very beautifully formed variety of the color indicated by its name it is quite firm sweet round in form and keeps well of this class there are also the white and yellow stone yellow malta snowball and some others all of which we think in this climate inferior to the three described for spring use the following swede or rutabaga turnips should be sown the purple top swede is of an oval tapering form and requires to be sown in July flesh very fine and keeps till spring improved swede we are highly in favor of this variety of turnip either for the garden or field it has a better formed root than the common sort the leaves do not grow so strong the flesh is of a fine yellow and very pleasant flavor the following are the relative nutritive properties of the swede and garden or field turnips four ounce swede turnip afford 110 grams nutritive matter four ounce dutch or garden afford 85 grams nutritive matter culture the soil most genial for the turnip is acknowledged to be a gravelly sandy loam some say poor soil where no other vegetables will grow is the best I say good rich soil with a dry bottom in such so for an early crop as soon as the frost is out of the ground either broadcast or in drills 10 inches apart and one fourth of an inch deep an ounce of seed will sow a bed 4 feet wide and 40 feet long rake the surface even if dry weather press the ground with the back of the spade or a light wooden roller one sowing only can be made in the spring from the middle to the end of July is the proper time for sowing the swede or rutabaga drills are most suitable for this sort draw them 15 inches apart and thin out the plants as they grow till they stand 8 inches from each other this variety requires very frequent use of the hoe and stirring the soil to keep it sweet and encourage the growth requisite to mature this best and most nutritious of turnips in August sow the other sorts for a fall and winter supply it is best to make two sowing say about the first and towards the middle or end of the month roll or trap firm the ground after the seed at this period of the year the first sowing to mature early for immediate use the last sowing to store away for a winter supply in some seasons we have to sow and so and so again either from drought or the effects of the fly which frequently destroys it as soon as it vegetates in dry seasons it is particularly destructive in garden culture a few pots of water every evening will promote the growth of the seed and bring it speedily away from the attacks of the fly we must be observed to have the ground always fresh dug before sowing soot, wood ashes and air slaked lime are all said to be preventives if strewn over the plants we feel assured that its application will retard their progress but cloudy or showery weather is more effectual when the current year and seed of one or two years old be sown on the same piece of ground separately the old seed will frequently be cut off while the seed of the current year will escape good seed will germinate in from 36 to 48 hours when the crop is destroyed stir or dig the ground immediately and so again when the plants have grown about 2 inches away introduce the hoe and thin out 2 or 3 inches apart and in a week or 2 more give them another hoeing and thinning till they stand 6 inches from each other do not draw any earth to their roots in fact the reverse was our practice 20 years ago they were sown on ridges and the earth drawn down as the plants advanced in growth the result was frequently 40 tons per acre taking up the crop turnips may be kept perfectly sound till spring by being taken up about the first of November or before severe frost sets in cut the leaves off to about half of an inch from the bulb collect the ladder and put them in a dry pit or a cellar cover with straw and earth overall thus protected they will be found fresh and perfect till February after which the suede will be fit for the table till April those for spring use can be pitted outdoors in a dry situation piling them in a conical form and covering them 3 inches of straw and a foot or 18 inches of earth which will be ample protection when opened in spring these will be found to have nearly all the flavor of being fresh from the field save seed in many cases this is very essential you will then be always sure of the age and quality select early in spring a few of the best formed roots draw deep drills 2 feet apart and place the bulbs therein covering them all over carefully with the earth they will soon shoot up and branch out ripening their seeds in July it is preferable however to change the seed of this as well as all other vegetables every few years and in purchasing but always from a responsible vendor who feels a vital interest in selling a pure and genuine article the seed will keep 3 years in a dry place if it is 2 years old soak it in water 24 hours before sowing end of section 13 recorded for LibriVox by Dennis Sayers from California section 14 of the Family Kitchen Gardener this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Lynn Carroll the Family Kitchen Gardener by Robert Weist section 14 vegetable marrow Cucurbita ovifera varia Pateron French we have been frequently greatly amused by some of our friends kindly presenting us with seeds purporting to be the marrow of all the vegetables or vegetable marrow it is a species of gourd introduced from Persia several years ago and has been found useful for culinary purposes in every stage of its growth when young it is cut in slices and fried with butter when more mature it is cut in quarters stewed in rich gravy and seasoned to taste in this way it is very agreeable and said to be both wholesome and nutritious culture this vegetable is characteristically situated between the pumpkin and the squash the seeds are very similar to those plants plant the seeds in hills about the first of May 6 feet apart and manage them as directed for the above it has an oval fruit inside very fleshy in saving the seed keep the plants distant from any of the family watercress cisimbrium nasturtium french brunen crescent the many virtues that were attributed to the watercress in days of old if at all applicable then are equally valuable at the present day its botanical name alludes to its warm and cordial qualities which were considered to infuse life into persons of low and dull spirits the crescent is also famed with anti-scorbutic qualities and may be safely eaten at all seasons of the year but is particularly in request in spring it should be found in our markets in profusion being particularly adapted to the constitutions of those who live chiefly on animal food watercresses are found growing in clear runs of water in springs throughout this country and Europe there is no mill near this city it is a plant that has winged leaves like the rose or like half grown leaves of the ash tree of a roundish heart-like shape with few indentures on the edges the upper part of which after more mature growth is of a reddish brown color and forms roots in the water at every joint wherever there is a running stream and a gravelly soil they may be cultivated to advantage in fact every spring house in the country should have attached to it a bed of watercresses they may be obtained by the simple process of throwing the plants on the water the seeds will ripen and soon propagate in abundance they can also be cultivated in low moist loamy soil they can be cultivated and drained at pleasure give it a deep digging with the spade in March or April make beds four feet wide and set the plants therein at about six inches apart water them abundantly they will soon establish themselves and the only culture they require is to keep them moist and destroy carefully every weed in the absence of moisture the plants will be destroyed there are also the American Cress Barbaria Precox Cresson de Meri French Americanische Cressa German and the Winter Cress Erissium Barbaria Cresson de Terre French Winter Cressa German but both of these are subordinate Cress in every character and our pages may be occupied with more useful subjects closing remarks on vegetables through these few pages I have endeavored to inculcate upon the student the benefit of being always in time with a crop never delay doing today in the hope of having more time tomorrow do it at once if it can be done gardeners have not a moment to spare unoccupied ground weeds hoeing, raking, sowing, reaping digging preparing poles, rods stakes, manure and many other duties demand his attention at all times we have never seen a good gardener who did not feel it a pleasure to be in advance of these wants get once behind, lose time and it is hard to make up so early in the season and if you fail you have time for a second trial whereas if you so late and miss your crop the opportunity of recovering the loss is gone with it so before or just after rain but never when the ground is wet beware of sowing deep or in dry weather or in dry ground if this cannot be avoided soak your seeds in water a few hours sow them and then water the ground freely gardeners never sleep when the sun is up medicinal herbs the following is a list of such plants as are generally denominated medicinal herbs and which are found to be more or less wanted in most families we therefore give a short description of them and the purposes for which they are most commonly used they may in most instances be very easily cultivated the soil for growing the greater part should be light and dry but that of a poorer description is more suitable for some as lavender, rosemary, rue, sage, wormwood and a few others and if planted in a rich moist soil much of their aromatic quality flies off and they are rendered less capable of withstanding any severe weather angelica angelica, arc angelica angelique, french engelwurtz, german is a native of the northern parts of Europe and has been long cultivated it is biennial and propagated from its seeds which are to be sown as soon as gathered in August in a moist situation and when the plants are about 6 inches high they must be transplanted to a similar soil about 3 feet apart the plants will last many years provided they are not allowed to run to seed the flowering stems should be cut down when a few inches high the stalks of angelica were formerly blanched and eaten as celery but they are now only used as a sweet meat when candied by the confectioners the laplanders extol the utility of this herb for coughs and other disorders of the chest but in this country it is seldom employed for that purpose as many other symbols surpass it in aromatic and carminative powers anise seed vanilla anism boucage French anise German a native of Egypt in some other eastern countries the seeds are annually imported from Malta and Spain the plant is annual and propagated by sowing the seed in a light dry soil in spring anise seeds have a warm aromatic smell and a pleasant warm taste accompanied with a degree of sweetness they have been useful in many complaints but none more so than in flatulent colics and obstructions of the breast for diarrheas and for strengthening the tone of the stomach in general Balm Melissa Ophisanalis Melisse French Melissa German so called from the Greek word signifying honey because of the abundant and excellent honey of its flowers for which bees greatly frequented the garden balm is a native of the mountains of Geneva, Savoy, and Italy it is perennial and may be readily propagated by parting the roots in spring or autumn and planting them in beds of common garden mold the herb in its recent state has a weak aromatic taste and a pleasant smell somewhat of the lemon kind balm was formerly esteemed of great use in all complaints supposed to proceed from a disordered state of the nervous system as tea however it makes a grateful dilutant drink in fevers and in this way it is commonly used either by itself or as cedulated with lemons blessed thistle centaurea benedicta centaurea sudurithi french cardo benedictan German a native of the south of France Spain and the Levant it is annual and propagated from seed sown in autumn this plant has obtained the name of benedictus or blessed from its most extraordinary medicinal qualities it has an intensely bitter taste and disagreeable smell it was formerly employed to assist the operation of emetics but the flowers of chamomile are now substituted for it with equal advantage it was also thought when taken internally to be particularly efficacious in malignant fevers and in their appetite where the stomach has been injured by irregularities its good effects have been frequently experienced it has now lost much of its reputation and does not seem to be essentially different from other simple bitters borage borago ofesinalis boros french boragon german this herb is said to have originated from Aleppo but is now naturalized in many parts of Europe it is a hardy annual and easily cultivated from sowing the seeds in April which come up without any care borage is cultivated in our gardens on account of the supposed cordial virtues of its flowers but they have long lost their reputation in Italy its young and tender leaves are in common use both as a pot herb and a salad in France its flowers with those of nasturtium are put into salads as an ornament in England it is now nearly neglected but the flowers and upper leaves are sometimes used as an ingredient in that summer beverage composed of wine, water lemon juice and sugar called a cool tankard to which they seem to give an additional coolness caraway carvi french a native of many countries in the northern parts of Europe it is biennial and propagated by sowing the seeds in spring the seeds of this plant are well known to have a pleasant spicy smell and a warm aromatic taste and on that account they are much used as a common ingredient in cakes and are encrusted in sugar and confets they are also distilled with spiritus slickers to improve their flavor the tender leaves in spring are sometimes boiled in soups chamomile on themus nobiles chamomile, French Camilla, German grows wild in many parts of Europe it is a hardy perennial and easily propagated by parting the roots early in spring both the leaves and flowers of the chamomile have a strong though not ungrateful smell and a very bitter nauseous taste the flowers possess the stomacic and tonic qualities usually ascribed to simple bitters a watery infusion of them is frequently used for the purpose of exciting vomiting or for promoting the operation of emetics they are very generally used in emollient decoctions to assuage pain and externally as fomentations Clary Salvia Sclaria Orval French Chalacra German a native of Italy and Syria and long known in the English garden where it is a hardy perennial it is easily raised from seed which should be sown in March on any bed or border of common earth Clary was formerly much used in cookery but it is not now in much repute a wine is sometimes made from the herb and flower which has a flavor not unlike frontignac Coriander Coriandrum Sativum Coriandre French Coriandre German a native of the southern parts of Europe and of China it is a hardy annual and propagated from seed sown in autumn in an open situation on a bed of good fresh earth the dried seeds of Coriandre have a tolerably grateful smell with a moderately warm and slightly pungent taste they are carminative, soothing or softening and stomacic and are commonly sold by the confectioners encrusted by sugar Dill Anithum Graviolens Leneith French Dill German grows wild among the corn in Spain and Portugal and may be produced by sowing the seeds soon after they are ripe in any light soil the seeds of Dill have a moderately warm pungent taste and an aromatic smell but not of the most agreeable kind they were formerly much used in medicine but are now seldom employed they are sometimes put into pickles to heighten the flavor particularly of cucumbers Ella Campaign Inula Hellenium Inul French Inul German the Ella Campaign is a strong growing perennial plant a native of Britain rising from 3 to 5 feet high it is cultivated in most gardens and delights in a moist or shaded situation it can be propagated by dividing the root in the autumn the roots are thick, carrot shaped and aromatic when dried, ground and made into a tea it is considered an excellent remedy for a cold in some countries the root is candied and used as a stomachic for strengthening the tone of the viscera whorehound marrubium vulgari marrub French common in many parts of the world on waste ground and among rubbish in hot dry and dusty situations the plant is annual and may be raised by sowing the seeds in any of the spring months the leaves have a moderately strong smell of the aromatic kind but not agreeable their taste is very penetrating bitter and durable in the mouth this herb was extolled by the ancients for its efficacy in removing obstructions of the lungs it has been chiefly employed in humoral asmas, obstinate coughs and pulmonary consumptions its use is also said to be beneficial in affections of the liver which is made of the juice of this herb and sugar are esteemed good for colds though whorehound possesses some share of medicinal power its virtues do not appear to be clearly ascertained and it is now rarely prescribed by physicians Hyssopus Ophysinalis Hyssop French Hyssop German a native of the south of Europe must have been known among the ancients this plant being perennial is easily propagated by sowing the seeds in a border of light mold in the spring season or by slips and cutting and parting the roots the whole plant has a strong aromatic scent and the leaves and flowers are of a warm pungent taste they are sometimes reduced to powder and used with cold salad herbs Hyssop has the general virtues ascribed to aromatics and is recommended in asthma, coughs, and other disorders of the lungs the young leafy shoots and flower spikes are usually employed being cut as they are wanted the flower stems may be cut during the summer and tied up in bunches for use End of section 14 section 15 of the family kitchen gardener this is the LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Nani Blylaven the family kitchen gardener by Robert Breist section 15 Lavender Lavendula Spica is a very hearty plant of the south of Europe it may be readily increased by planting slips or cuttings of the young shoots in the spring the common lavender has been cultivated for ages past the fragrant smell of the flower is well known and to most persons is very agreeable to the taste it is bitterish warm and somewhat pungent the leaves are weaker and less grateful the flowers are often employed as a perfume and medicinally as mild stimulants in several complaints both internally and externally they are also sometimes used in the form of a conserve Penny Royal Mint Menta Polygium is a native of watered places it is easily propagated by parting the roots in spring they succeed best in strong moist soil and when planted on the edges of rivulets, ponds, etc Penny Royal has a warm pungent flavor similar to mint but more acrid and less agreeable both in taste and smell it possesses the general properties of other mints but is supposed to be of less efficacy as a stomacic this herb is less frequently used now for medicinal purposes than formally Peppermint Menta Labitarra a native of watered places in various parts of the world this variety has more penetrating smell than any of the other mints and a much stronger and warmer taste it may be increased with facility by young offset plants or shoots or by parting the roots in spring or by planting cuttings during any of the summer months in a moist soil Peppermint is as much cultivated for medicinal purposes as well as for distillation its stomacic and carminative qualities render it useful in flatulent colics for chemical affections and retchings in which it acts as a cordial the essence of peppermint was formally considered an elegant medicine and a cordial is made from this plant which is by many people much admired a native of the south of Europe the Levant and found occasionally in the grecian islands it is propagated from seed or by planting slips or cuttings in the early spring months rosemary has a fragrant aromatic smell and a warm pungent taste the leaves and tender tops are the strongest the flowers by themselves are much weaker but more agreeable this herb is reckoned one of the most powerful of these plants which stimulate and corroborate the nervous system it has therefore been recommended in various affections supposed to proceed from debilities it is generally given in the form of an infusion Rue Graviolans is a hardy shrub and a native of the south of Europe it is propagated in a similar manner to the rosemary and requires the same cultivation the common rue has a strong ungrateful odor and a bitter hot penetrating taste the leaves are so accurate as to irritate and inflame the skin if they are much handled rue was much used by the ancients who ascribed it to many excellent qualities employed by some as tea and externally in various kinds of formantations a conserve made by beating the fresh leaves with thrice their weight of sugar is the most comodious form for using the urban substance it is a powerful astringent and adaptive to phlegmatic habits or weak and hysterical constitutions suffering from retarded or obstructive secretions sage salvia aficionalis is a native of the south of Europe a perennial and readily increased by planting slips or cuttings in April sage has a strong fragrant smell and a warm bitterish aromatic taste it was an ancient times considered a remedy of general efficacy in all diseases at present however few practitioners consider it as an article of much importance in medicine if frequently employed as astuterific it seems to have no advantage in this respect over many other plants the Chinese who are said to have experienced the good effect of sage value it highly and prefer it to their own tea the Dutch have long been in the habit of drying sage leaves in great quantities and taking them out to China where for every pound of sage they get in exchange 4 pounds of tea and a summary of various descriptions scurvy grass coachledria aficionalis common on the seacoast of Europe and not unfrequent in mountainous countries far inland it is biannual and propagated from seed sown in the spring or by parting the roots and planting them in light moist soil this plant has a warm acrid bitter taste and a pleasant smell when bruised it has been considered as one of the most effectual of all the anti-scorbutics when eaten as a salad with watercress etc sorrel remex acetuosala some species of the sorrel is found in every part of the world where ever seen it indicates a poor sour soil it is particularly a French dish and considered an effectual remedy for the health of the plant it is often used as a salad since occasionally boiled as a sauce and maybe cooked similarly to spinach it is increased by seeds or division of the roots plant in a light rich moist soil in rows 10 inches apart they will furnish a plentiful supply of leaves the same season they afterwards only require to be kept clean and to have the seed stems cut down as well tansy tenastium vulgari a native of banks, hedges and borders of fields in most parts of the middle Europe it is perennial and easily propagated by seed and also by parting roots in spring and planting them in a light soil or situation tansy has a strong aromatic smell in a bitter taste it is tonic and stomatic and has the usual qualities attributed to a warm or aromatic kind it was formerly much used in puddings but has of late been neglected and is now seldom used either as a culinary vegetable or a medicinal herb wormwood artemisia absintheum it is a hardy perennial and may be propagated by slips in March or October or raised from seed sown after they are ripe the leaves have a strong offensive smell and a very bitter taste the flower equally bitter but it is nauseous wormwood is a moderately warm stomatic and co-operant and for these purposes it was formerly in common use but now it has given place to bitters of a less ungrateful kind wormwood was formerly much used by brewers instead of hops to give the bitter taste to their malt liquors and to preserve them this plant very powerfully resists putrification and has made a valuable ingredient in antiseptic fermentations applications of our remarks to various parts of the united states the word spring when applied to the season is everywhere known when thus applied to us in the preceding pages it is intended to convey to the reader the period of the year when the buds of the earliest trees appear green early in spring is indicated by the buds on the trees beginning to swell late in spring when the leaves fall forward about philadelphia spring generally begins from the 10th to the 15th of march in south carolina the northern parts of georgia and alabama spring begins five weeks earlier than it does with us in the southern parts of virginia and kentucky spring generally opens about the 20th of february in massachusetts and the upper part of new york spring opens from the 25th of march to the 1st of april by these reservations being kept in view the details of this work may be made applicable to any part of the united states end of section 15 section 16 of the family kitchen gardener this is a libervox recording all libervox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libervox.org recording by bologna times the family kitchen gardener by robert boist section 16 fruits this subject has engrossed the attention of scientific and practical men for the last 400 years we do not presume to enter into their speculations and investigations our object is a much humbler one to give a few simple and practical hints on the subject of fruit culture our own experience and that of one or two individuals upon whose judgment we can place reliance there are few, even of those who have studied the nature and character of fruits that out of their own collections know, at first sight, many varieties and such is the diversity of taste that we greatly question if five individuals out of 100 could be procured that would agree as to apples, pears, peaches or grapes this incongruity entirely disconcerts the inquiring amateur, gardener, or farmer but the reason of it is evident the slight differences that distinguish some varieties the alternative effects that soil has upon the growth and flavor of others as well as the favorable and unfavorable results from situation causing trees grafted from the same stock frequently to mature fruits so entirely dissimilar that they are inconsiderately noticed as being something new this desire for new fruit has become such a mania that it greatly encourages the introduction both at home and from abroad of sorts that are worthless compared with our old well-tried kinds these are also witheringly discarded by some crokers who raise the physiological cry of the old kinds wearing out this reasoning is not from analogy but is merely a supposition it would be a very easy task to renew any worn out tree that had only a few fresh and sound buds left or even to renovate trees that are in a declining state in the former case and the latter by scraping off the old bark from the trunk and branches and renewing the soil about the roots our object however is not to enter into a detail of the causes, effects and diseases of trees and their remedies these subjects are elaborately treated of in the periodicals of the day our object is to lay before our readers a really select catalog of select fruits that will be eatable the whole year from which more pleasure will be derived than by cultivating acres containing trees not too alike at least a name we say differing only in name for the cultivator will find that some fruits are grown under from 3 to 30 names so that after selecting with care 100 kinds of fruit there may prove to be not 50 distinct and one half of these not worth culture the fruit catalogs of the present day are very imposing bundles of paper and ink got up to allay the appetite for new fruits those whose sole object is to grow for domestic use or for sale should select such as agree with the climate or the locality and are known to be both good and productive such are those we now introduce promising that we are under obligations to Mr. Thomas Hancock an eminent orchidist and nurseryman of Burlington, New Jersey both for descriptions of fruits and their characteristic beauties or defects they are all propagated either by grafting or budding and as it is our desire that all our readers should know how to propagate and by what means to perpetuate every variety of fruit we will briefly detail the operations grafting whip or tongue grafting is the most in use in the best fruit tree nurseries and is so called from the manner of cutting both the stock and the scion and a sloping direction on one of their sides so that when brought together they fit exactly and thus may be tied together in former times this species of grafting was performed without a slit or tongue and in that case the former term was more applicable subsequently the slit or tongue has been added which has given rise to the latter term the scion and stock or tree being cut off obliquely at corresponding angles as the operator can judge make a slit nearly in the center of the sloping face of the stock downwards and a corresponding tongue of the scion upwards that is called tonging the tongue or wedge like process forming the upper part of the sloping face of the scion downwards in the cleft of the stock the inner barks of both being brought closely to unite on one side so as not to be displaced by tonging which ought to be done immediately with strong cotton twist tape or any threading material brought in a neat manner several times around the stock the next operation is to clay the whole thing over an inch thick on every side from about half an inch below the bottom of the graft to as much over the top of the stock finishing the whole in a long oval form and closing it effectually in every part to exclude air and water which is the sole object of claying grafting clay is very simply made of any heavy loam procured from a depth of the soil that has not been subject to culture combined with a fourth of droppings from the horse or a cow stable moistened and well beat together with a stick till perfectly incorporated and tough allowed to stand for a few days and then softened for use these materials are always at command there are several kinds of grafting wax but they are not so easily prepared and of no more utility than the clay grafting can be performed close to the ground and earth drawn up round the junction which will be as serviceable as clay cleft grafting is another method of operating upon large trees or stocks where the bark or rind is not too thick the head of the stock or branch being cut off smoothly is made in the top of the stock with a strong knife or chisel deep enough to receive the cyan which should be cut sloping like a wedge so as to fit the slit made in the stock the wedge side which is to be placed outward is to be made thicker than the other and in placing the cyan into the slit it must be so adjusted that the rind of inner bark of the cyan joins that of the stock for if these do not unite the grafts will not succeed when the stocks are large two grafts may be put in which tie firmly and clay over as directed for whip grafting as there will be a greater body of clay in this case it will be more liable to fall off it will therefore be necessary to wrap moss, soft hay or pieces of cloth round the balls to prevent the rain destroying them there are many other methods of grafting all on the same principle differently applied some of our amateur correspondence particularly John A. Crawford Esquire of Columbia South Carolina takes large limbs 2 or 3 inches in diameter and 5 to 10 feet long and grafts them into other stocks these limbs produce fruit the same season root grafting is also practiced to a considerable extent trees and stocks for grafting upon should always be fully established before being operated upon having had at least one season's growth farmers may graft in every field and head row and by every fence rail fruit trees require no more room than the growers of the ground in the shape of saplings, briars and thorns fruits make an apple return while the latter requires food for which they do not pay there is no garden or farm but should have a few reserve plum, pear, apple, peach, cherry and quince stocks on which they can place any sort of fruit they wish to preserve and multiply these can be readily procured by sowing a few seeds or planting a few pits every year stone fruit such as the cherry, peach and plum do best by budding apples and pears do well by both grafting and budding budding is performed as follows budding the operation may be performed with any sharp then bladed knife which is called a budding knife with a thin ivory handle is best for the purpose it should be inserted about half an inch above the bud and passing about one fourth of the way through the wood of the chute come out again about the same distance below it the cut being as clean as possible the portion of the bark in the center of which the bud is situated is called the shield and when removed it contains a portion of the wood which is to be carefully removed with the point of the knife if the wood is dry and does not separate readily it is a sign that the bud is too old and it should be rejected when the wood is too old or too young the shield may be taken off only about one eighth of the way through the chute and inserted into the stock without removing the portion of the wood it contains this method particularly with very young chutes is very successful if it is necessary to transport the buds to some distance this may be safely done by cutting a portion of the chute and after cutting off the foliage wrap them up in damp moss a few large leaves or wet paper when they may be kept for three or four days and applying the bud to the stock an incision is to be made lengthwise through the bark but not so as to injure the wood about an inch in length and this is to be diagonally crossed at the top by another incision the thin ivory handle or back of the knife should be then used to raise the bark and the shield inserted with N gently pressing it to the bottom of the perpendicular incision when it is properly placed the portion of it above the diagonal cross should be cut off and great care should be taken that the bud is in close contact with the wood of the stock when this is done bind it up with damp matting or a cotton twist all except the bud which must be left free to the air but productive from the powerful action of the rain or wet either of which would defeat the whole operation in two weeks the success or failure will be known when the bandages must be loosened though not entirely taken away from July to the middle of September budding may be done choosing always cloudy weather or a few days after a heavy rain but for limited operations any evening may be chosen always following the indication of the free parting of the wood from the bark for if the bark does not rise with facility the buds are liable to perish for what of a due supply of nourishment the buds should always be selected from vigorous young wood that is nearly done growing cut off the leaves allowing about half an inch of the footstock for the convenience of inserting the buds early in the ensuing spring the stocks on which those buds are that have taken should be headed down to within two inches of the bud which will then grow rapidly and must be tied in an upright form to the portion of the stock left above the eye for that purpose when it has made a good growth and during the month of July or August the stock should be cut off close to the shoot by a sloping back cut when it will soon be covered with the growth of the wood those stocks that have not taken should be grafted as soon in the spring as that operation can be performed preparation of scions these are usually selected from the young wood of the previous season's growth as well as those of one or even two years though the former is to be preferred and should be taken from the outside branches that have been fully exposed to the sun and air they should be cut from the parent tree any time from January to the period of growth when they are collected label each sort correctly and place them in the ground covered to within an inch of their tops till the season of grafting arrives which is just before the buds open to growth cut the scions into lengths of from three to five eyes and where there is an abundance use the middle portion of the shoot only planting this season ends from the first of November till the swelling of the buds in spring autumnal planning is to be preferred in light dry soils and spring planting in retentive and heavy soils any time during the winter season will do when neither frost nor snow prevents the operation do not at any time expose the roots of trees in frosty dry windy weather and in lifting trees always retain as many of the fibers is practicable and cut off neatly all that are bruised with these precautions trees from five to fifteen years old may be safely removed we have seen entire orchards totally ruined at first as well as planting and some the trees lying to one side just as chance or the wind made them and others the trees hard looking and bark bound by deep planting the former is sheer neglect in securing the tree to a stake the latter misapplied care writers on the subject say dig a pit eighteen inches or two feet deep and cut with rich compost plant the tree therein one or two inches deeper than it was in the nursery row this looks very well but when applied it proves a grave to thousands in the first place the hole is much too deep the soil being all loose and fresh decomposes and falls down a few inches taking the tree with it so that in two years to put forth luxuriously it falls into the pit prepared for it never to recover dig the pit or hole fully one foot deep and three or four feet wide break and prepare the soil well in which place on its top your tree over which lay a load of well prepared soil sufficient to cover the roots entirely place a strong support to the tree with the wind disturbing the roots the soil will settle but not so as to take the roots of the tree into a tub of clay they will always be on the surface where nature intended them as the tree will now rely on the new vigorous fibers which will be produced in its new station if the soil be fine moist and worn by the sun's influence no fears need to be entertained but that they will come forth to carry on the growth of the plant many trees have to be procured from a distance perhaps thousands of miles if nursery trees they are generally packed in bundles packed is perhaps two business like an expression they are tied like a bundle of fuel for the kitchen trees that have to be sent a great distance should be packed in boxes the purchaser had better pay twice the cost of such to have it done as they are frequently as dry as rods when they come to hand in such a case have the trees soaked in water a few hours and cover them up in wet straw or hay for 12 hours more then puddle the roots in earth made to the consistency of thin mush plant them out in the proper places and give the stems and branches a syringing with water every day until they have begun to grow and occasionally afterwards if you have not got a syringe use a bowl a basin or any other utensil that will distribute the water end of section 16 recording by Bologna Times