iriä
latter Is by some considered as a distinct species (P . sativa). It has ra th e r larger leaves, and is less
succulent than th e P . olerácea.
4005. Culture . Both sorts are raised from seed, and for a bed 4 ft. by 4. ft., sown either broadcast or In
drills, 9 in. apart, one-eighth of an ounce will suffice. “ Each variety is somewhat tende r; th e green,
which is usually preferred, is perhaps ra the r the hardiest. An early crop may be sown in February or
March,’ on .......... a moderate - 1 - —A--hotbed:Al. - 1 A..the .1 plants . A. will uire th e aid of a gentle heat till the middle of iviay;
when th e seed may be sown in a warm border,
If a continued succession is required, sow every r
during summer,. tifl August,„ . or while the A plant
a be raised; generally in small drills, from 3 in . to 6 in .
asunder. T h e plants will soon come up: they should remain where sown. In very dry hot weather,
water thrice a week. The shoots may be gathered for use when they are from 2 in. to 5 in. in height,
and are well furnished with leaves. Cut them off low, and the bottom part will soon sprout out again.”
400G. To save seed. “ Leave some of the first open-border plauts to ru n ; they will give ripe seed in
autumn.” {A b e rc rom b ie .)
S ubsect. 3. Tarragon. — Artemisia. 'Dracúnculus L. {Blackw. t. i l 6 . ) ; Sijng. Polyg.
Super. L. and Compósitce J, L ’Estragón, Fi\ ; Dragun, Ger. ; and Dragmcello, Ital.
4007. The tarragon is a perennial plant, a native of Siberia, but cultivated in our
gardens from tlie time of Tusser, in 1548. Its branched stem rises 1^ ft. high, and has
naiTow leaves, green on both sides. The smell of the plant is fragrant, aud its taste
aromatic.
4008. Use. T h e leaves and tender tips are used as an ingredient in picklca. A simple infusion of the
plant in vinegar makes a pleasant fish sauce. In France it is employed, on account of its agreeable
pungency, to correct the coldness of salad herbs ; it is also put in soups, and other compositions.
4009. Culture . “ Avoid planting tarragon in a wet tenacious soil ; as in th a t case the root is apt to
perish in a severe winter. This herb may be propagated in the spring by seed ; or more expeditiously,
by offset bottom slips, or sections of th e root and top, planted in spring or autumn : also plentifully in
summer, from June to August, by slips or cuttings of the spring stalks or branch shoots. The germs are
to be planted in beds or borders from Gin. to 9 in. apart, and properly watered. They will quickly
increase in a branchy head, for use th e same year, to gather green, as wanted ; and a portion may be
dried and housed for winter. When th e stems are running up for fiower, if seed is not wanted to be
saved, cut them down ; which will force up fresh young shoots. It would be proper, towards th e end of
autumn, to transplant some full plants close under a south fence, to preserve them more effectually in
winter, and cause an earlier production of young tops in spring.”
4010. To obtain g r e e n ta r ra g o n in w in te r . “ Plant some stocky roots in a hotbed, or in pots placed in
a hothouse.” {A be rc rombie .)
Subsect. 4. Fennel.— Anethum Fceniculum L. {Eng. Bot. t. 1208.); Pent. Trig. L.
ami Umbelliferce J. L ’Aneth, Fr. ; DiUkraut, Ger. ; Dille, Dutch ; Aneto, Ital. ; and
Eneldo, Span.
4011. X/ic./ènneZ is a perennial plant, naturalised in England, and found in chalky
soils. The whole plant is aromatic, and has long been an inmate of the garden.
4012. Use.. T h e tender stalks of common fennel are used in salads ; th e leaves, boiled, enter into many
fish sauces; and, raw, are garnishes for several dishes. The blanched stalks of the variety called
are eaten with oil, vinegar, and popper, as a cold salad, and they are likewise sometimes put into so u d s .
4013. The va rie tie s a xQ ~ ^
1. Common, or Sweet i clmractcrised l)y a tendency in the I by earthing up, and is then very
2. :/irk-greenJeaved. _ ! stalk to swell to a considerable thick- tender. It is a good deal cultivated
S. Xtu-ar/, or Finochio. This variety is | ness. Thisthickeuedpartis blanched I in Italy; sec § 143.
4014. P ro p a g a tio n . They are all raised from seed, of which half an ounce is sufficient for a seed-bed
4 ft. by 6 ft. Sometimes, also, they are raised from offsets from th e old plants, where only a few are
wanted. “ Sow in the spring in light earth, either in drills from G in. to 12 in. apart, or broadcast and
raked m. When th e plants are 3 in. or 4 in. high, thin or transplant a quantity 15 in. asunder. As the
roots of old plants divide into side offsets, these may be slipped off in spring, summer, or autumn and
planted 1 ft. apa rt. They wili produce immediate leaves for present supply, and in continuance- or for
an immediate larger supply of leaves, you may procure some established full roots, and plant as above :
let them be well watered.’' ’
4015. Su b sequent c u ltu r e . “ The same plants remain several years by the root: but as fennel sends un
strong stems for seed in summer, these, or a part of them, shoulà be cut down, to encourage a production
of young leaves below, in succession. It is apt to spread more than is desirable, if suffered to seed. The
swelling stems of th e finochio variety, when of some tolerable substance, should be earthed up on each
side 5 in. qr Gin. to blanch them white and tender. This will be effected in ten days or a fortnight; and
by successive sowings, or cutting down plants during summer, successive crops of blanched stalks’mav
be had from Ju n e to December.” •'
4016. To sa v e seed. Permit some of the best stalks to shoot ; they will produce large umbels of seed
in autumn. {A be rc rombie .)
Subsect. 6. Dill.—Anithum gravèolens L. {Blackw. t. 645.); Bent. Trig. L and
Umbellifera J. L ’Anitli, Fr. ; Dill, Ger. ; Dille, Dutch ; and Aneto, Ital.
4017. Tke dill is a hardy biennial plant, a native of Spain, and introdncod in 1570.
Tho plant is of upright growth, somewhat similar to fennel, but smaller. It has finely
divided leaves, and a slender single stem, bearing an umbel of flowers at top, which
appear in June and July. The whole plant is powerfully aromatic.
4018. Use. T h e leaves are used to heighten the relish of some vegetable pickles, particularlv cucumbers-
and also occasionally m soups and sauces. T h e whole herb is also used in medical preparations
4019. CuUure. It is raised from seed, of which half an ounce is sufficient for a bed 3 ft bv 4 ft ' “ Sow
annually m February, March, or April, or occasionally in autumn, as soon as the seed is rine 'to come
up stronger in th e spring, m any open compartment ; either in drills, 6 in. or I2in. a p a rt; or broadcast
thinly, and raked in evenly. T h e plants should remain where raised; and
should they rise too thick. They will shoot up in stalks, with leaves and 7 be thinned moderately,
autumn, for use in ^ ______ .-umbels in summer and
4020. To save seed. “ Leave some plants where ra ise d ; they will furnish plenty of seed r
in autumn.
Or, from self-sown seeds, many plants rise spontaneously in th e spring.” {A b a x rom b ie )
S u b s e c t . 6. Chervil. — ^cdndix Cerefblium L., Choerophÿllum sañvum of Persoon’s
Synopsis Plantarum {Eng. Bot, 1268.) ; Pentdnd. Dig. L. and Umbelliferce J.
Cerfeuil, Fr. ; Gartenkerhel, Ger, ; Tuinkervel, Dutch ; and Cerfoglio, Ital. { fg . 783.)
4021. The chervil is an annual plant, a native of various parts of the continent of
Europe, and sometimes obsenrad naturalised in our gardens in England. The plant
rises from 1 ft. to near 2 ft. high ; the leaves are of a very delicate textm’c, three
times divided ; and the flowers, of a whitish colour, appear in June. There is a variety
(cerfeuil frisé) cultivated in the Paids gardens with beautifully frizzled leaves.
4022. Use. T h e tender leaves are used in soups and
salads ; and those of the curled variety also in garnishing.
4023. C u ltu re . It is propagated from seed ; and for a bed
4 ft. by 4 ft., a quarter of an ounce is sufficient. “ Sow a
bed or two in August and September, as well to come in
use a t the end of th e same autumn, as to stand for winter
and spring. If a continued succession be required in spring
and summer, begin to sow again in the last fortnight of
February, and sow a portion every month till August, or
twice a month in the midst of summer ; as th e plants of the
spring and summer sowings soon run up for seed. Sow the
seed in shallow drills, from 6 in. to 9 in. apart, and earth in
lightly ; or sow occasionally broadcast, and rake in evenly,
ju s t covering the seed. T h e plants are to remain where
sown. When the leaves are 2 in., 3 in., or 4 in. in growth,
they are proper for gathering. Cut them off close, they
will shoot up again, and may be gathered in succession,
though the plants of the spring and summer sowing soon
spindle up into seed-stalks, ceasing to produce young leaves,
which are the useful parts.” In order to allow the curled
sorts to produce fully grown leaves for garnishing, sow
thinly, and thin out. {L in d le y 's Guide, &c., p. 541.)
4024. To save seed. “ Leave some plants in th e spring:
they will shoot to stalks, and give ripe seed in July and Augu
st.” {Abe rc rombie .) To keep the curled sort tru e, Mr.
Lindley recommends the most perfectly curled plants to be
taken up carefully and transplanted into a bed to run up for
seed. { Ib id .)
S u b s e c t . 7. Horseradish.— Cochleària Armoràcea L. {Eng. Bot. 2223.); Tetrad.
Silic. L. and Crucîferæ J. Cranson, or Le Grand Baifort, Fi\ ; Merreitig, Gcr. ;
Micredik, or Micrihwortel, Dutch ; Ramolaccio, Ital ; and Rabano, Span.
4025. The horseradish is a perennial plant, growing natm-ally in marshy places, and
by the sides of ditches, in some parts of England. It has been long cultivated in gardens,
and fonns one of the most profitable articles raised by the market-gardener.
4026. Use. The root scraped into shreds is a well-known accompaniment of English roast beef. It
is also used in winter salads, in sauces, and sometimes eaten raw.
4027. P ro p a g a tio n a n d c u ltu r e . The following excellent instructions are by Knight : — “ Horseradish
thrives best in deep, soft, sandy loam, th a t is not very dry in summer, nor inundated in whiter ; tho
situation must be open. Du rin g winter, trench th e ground 3 ft. deep, and in the following February
procure your sets, in the choice of which take th e strongest crowns or leading buds from old plants,
cutting them about 2 in. long. Mark out th e ground in 4-feet beds and 1-foot alleys ; then take from
th e first bed 9 in. of the top soil, laying it upon the adjoining bed ; after which take out an opening at
one end of th e bed, in the common way of trenching, 15 in. deep from the present surface ; then level
the bottom, upon which plant a row of sets across th e bed, a t 9 in. apart each way, with their crowns
upright ; afterwards dig the n ex t trench the same width and depth, turning the earth into the first trench
over th e row of sets : thus proceeding trench after trench, to the end. Where more than the produce
of one bed is required for th e supply of the family for twelve months, th e third bed is n ex t to be planted,
which trea t as directed for th e first, only observing to lay the earth on the fourth, and so on for any
number of beds. Upon every alternate bed, which is not planted, a dwarf annual crop may be grown.
Th e plants must be kept clear from weeds during summer ; and as soon as the leaves decay in autumn,
let them be carefully raked off with a wooden-toothed rake. In the following February, 18 in. of the
earth of th e unplanted bed must be laid as light as possible, and equally, over the beds th a t are planted ;
then trench and plant the vacant beds exactly in the same manner as before directed. T h e following
autumn, the first planted horseradish may be taken up, by opening a trench a t one end of the bed to the
bottom of the roots, so th a t the sticks or roots of horseradish may be taken up entire and sound, which
for size and quality will be such as have not generally been seen. T h e following February th e one-
year-old crop will require additional earth, as before directed, which must, of course, be taken from
those beds which are now vacant, which when done, if th e ground appears poor, or unlikely to produce
another vigorous crop, they m ust have a crop of manure.” {H o r t. T r a n s ., vol. i. p. 207.)
4028. A7«titfhas also written on the culture of horseradish {H o r t. Traws., vol. v. p. 302.); and his practice,
very different from Knight’s, is also excellent, and perhaps preferable. Knight takes strong buds from
old plants, while Judd takes about 3 in. of th e top p a rt of each stick or root, and theu cuts clean off about
a quarter of an inch of this piece under the crown, so as to leave no appearance of a green bud. Judd
trenches only 2 ft. deep, and if he applies manure, puts it in the very bottom of the trench ; “ for, if not
so done, th e horseradish, which always puts out some side roots, would send out such large side roots
from the main root, in search of the dung lying contiguous, as materially to injure the crop. In planting,
holes are made 18 in. apart every way, and 16 in. or 18 in. deep. T h e root-cuttings are let down to the
bottom of the holes, which are afterwards filled up with fine sifted cinder-dust, and the surface of the
bed is then raked over. The season of planting is th e middle of March.”
4029. P e te r s en raises his plants from th e small side roots, from 9 in . to 12in. in length. These are
inserted horizontally into th e sides of elevated beds. Every year th e small side fibres are cut off these
roots, those a t the extremity being found sufficient to nourish it. At the end of the third year, th e roots
will be found to have attained a large size. T h e advantage of this plan of treating the root like a stem is,
that, when it is wanted for use, it is easily taken out of the ground without breaking. The roots also
attain a very large size, more especially if the side fibres are taken off about the end of June, before the
re turn of the sap, and thus retain th a t in the main stem which would have been otherwise distributed
among the side shoots. (See G a rd . M a g ., vol. viii. p. 436.)
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