II. ALLIACEOUS PLANTS
The Cive. Garlic. Leek. Onion. Rocambole. Shallot. Welsh Onion.
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THE CIVE.
Chive. Allium schoenoprasum.
The Cive is a hardy, bulbous-rooted, perennial plant, indigenous to France and Great Britain. The leaves, which are produced in tufts, are seven or eight inches in length, erect and cylindrical, or awl-shaped. The bulbs are white, oval, and of small size; usually measuring about half an inch in diameter. The flower-stalk rises to the height of the leaves, and produces, at its extremity, a globular group of purplish, barren flowers.
Propagation and Culture.--As the plant seldom, if ever, produces seeds, it is always propagated by a division of the roots, or bulbs. These are produced in compact groups, or bunches, seven or eight inches in diameter. "One of these groups may be divided into a dozen or more parts, each of which will, in a short time, form a cluster equal in size to the original. They should be planted in spring or autumn, in rows eighteen inches apart, and twelve or fifteen inches asunder in the rows. All the cultivation they require is to be kept free from weeds; and they will thrive in any common garden soil. A planting will last many years; but it is well to renew it every third or fourth year."
Use.--The young leaves are the parts of the plant used; but, whether used or not, to keep them in a fresh and tender condition, the plants should be frequently shorn to the ground. They possess the flavor peculiar to the Onion family; and are principally used in flavoring soups, and as an ingredient in spring salads. The leaves and bulbs are sometimes taken together, and eaten crude, as a substitute for young onions. In omelets, the Cive is considered almost indispensable.
There are no varieties.
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COMMON GARLIC.
Allium sativum.
This is a perennial plant, from the south of Europe. The root is composed of from ten to fifteen small bulbs, called "cloves," which are enclosed in a thin, white, semi-transparent skin, or pellicle. The leaves are long and narrow. The flower-stem is cylindrical, about eighteen inches in height, and terminates in an umbel, or group, of pale-pink flowers, intermixed with small bulbs. The seeds are black, and, in form, irregular; but are seldom employed for propagation; the cloves, or small bulbs, succeeding better.
Planting and Cultivation.--Garlic thrives best in a light, well-enriched soil; and the bulbs should be planted in April or May, an inch deep, in rows or on ridges, fourteen inches apart, and five or six inches apart in the rows. "All the culture necessary is confined to keeping the ground free from weeds. When the leaves turn yellow, the plants may be taken up; and, having been dried in the sun, they should be tied up in bunches by the stalks, and suspended in a dry, airy room, for use."--Thomp.
Use.--It is cultivated for its bulbs, or cloves, which possess more of the flavor of the onion than any other alliaceous plant. These are sometimes employed in soups, stews, and other dishes; and, in some parts of Europe, are eaten in a crude state with bread. "It is not cultivated to any considerable extent in this country; its strong flavor, and the offensive odor it communicates to the breath, causing it to be sparingly used in our cookery.
"Where attention is paid to culture, the Common Garlic will attain a size of seven and a half inches in circumference, each bulb; whereas, when grown negligently and unskilfully, it does not attain half that size. Twenty ordinary bulbs weigh one pound."--M'Int.
EARLY ROSE GARLIC.
Early Pink.
This is a sub-variety of the Common Garlic. The pellicle in which the small bulbs are enclosed is rose-colored; and this is its principal distinguishing characteristic. It is, however, nearly a fortnight earlier.
For culinary purposes, it is not considered superior to the Common Garlic. Propagation and cultivation the same; though, in warm climates, the bulbs are sometimes planted in autumn.
GREAT-HEADED GARLIC. Vil.
Allium ampeloprasum.
This species is a hardy perennial, and is remarkable for the size of its bulbs; which, as in the foregoing species and variety, separate into smaller bulbs, or cloves. The leaves and stem somewhat resemble those of the leek; the flowers are rose-colored, and are produced at the extremity of the stalk, in large, regular, globular heads, or umbels; the seeds are similar to those of the Common Garlic, but are seldom used for reproduction; the cloves, or small bulbs, being generally employed for this purpose. It is used and cultivated as the Common Garlic.
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THE LEEK.
Allium porrum.
The Leek is a hardy biennial, and produces an oblong, tunicated bulb; from the base of which, rootlets are put forth in great numbers. The plant, when full grown, much resembles what are commonly known as "Scallions;" the lower, blanched portion being the part eaten. This varies in length from four to eight inches, and in diameter from less than an inch to more than three inches. The leaves are long, narrow, smooth, and pointed; and spread in opposite directions, somewhat in the form of a fan. The flower-stem proceeds from the centre of this collection of leaves, and is about four feet in height. The flowers are white, with a stripe of red, and are produced in terminal, globular groups, or umbels; the seeds are black, irregular, but somewhat triangular in form, and, with the exception of their smaller size, are similar to those of the onion. About twelve thousand seeds are contained in an ounce; and they retain their vitality two years.
Soil, Sowing, and Cultivation.--The Leek is very hardy, and easily cultivated. It succeeds best in a light but well-enriched soil. When fine leeks are desired, it can hardly be made too rich. It should also be thoroughly spaded over, and well pulverized to the depth of at least twelve inches. The seed should be sown in April, at the bottom of drills made six or eight inches deep, and eighteen inches asunder. Sow the seeds thinly, cover half an inch deep, and thin the young plants to nine inches distant in the drills. As the plants increase in size, draw the earth gradually into the drills, and around the stems of the leeks, until the drills are filled. By this process, the bulbs are blanched, and rendered tender and mild flavored. The seeds are sometimes sown broadcast, and in July transplanted to trenches, and subsequently cultivated, as before directed. The plants are also sometimes set on the surface, and afterwards earthed up to the height of six or eight inches in the process of cultivation. In October, the leeks will be suitable for use; and, until the closing-up of the ground, may be drawn from time to time as required for the table. For winter use, they should be preserved in earth or sand.
Early leeks may be obtained by sowing the seeds in a hot-bed in February or March, and transplanting to the open ground in June or July.
Seed.--To obtain seed, some of the finest plants of the growth of the previous year should be set out in April, fifteen inches apart, and the stems sunk to the depth of three or four inches. "The seed ripens in autumn, and its maturity is known by the heads changing to a brown color. It is best preserved in the heads; and these should be cut off with a portion of the stalk a foot in length, tied in bunches, and hung in a dry, airy situation. In this manner, the seed will retain its vegetative powers for two or three years: after that time, it is not to be depended on."--Thomp.
Use.--"The whole plant, except the roots, is used in soups and stews. The white stems, which are blanched by being planted deep for the purpose, are boiled, served with toasted bread and white sauce, and eaten like asparagus." It has the flavor, and possesses the general properties, of the onion.
Varieties.--
COMMON FLAG. Vil.
Long Flag.
The stem, or blanched portion, of this variety is about six inches in depth, and an inch in diameter. The leaves are put forth in opposite directions, are comparatively erect, and of a glaucous-green color.
The variety is remarkably hardy, and well suited for open culture.
LARGE ROUEN. Thomp.
Gros de Rouen. Vil.
Leaves very dark-green, broad, and of thick substance; stem rather short, but remarkably thick, sometimes measuring nearly four inches in diameter. It is now the variety most cultivated near Paris; and, since its general dissemination, has been much approved by all who have grown it. It is found to be the best kind for forcing, as it acquires a sufficient thickness of stem sooner than any other. In England, it is pronounced one of the best, if not the best, of all varieties.
LITTLE MONTAGNE. Vil.
Stem very short and slender; foliage deeper green than that of the Common Flag. It is the smallest of the leeks. Not much cultivated.
LONDON FLAG.
Large Flag. Broad Flag. English Flag. Gros Court. Vil.
Stem about four inches in length, and nearly an inch and a half in diameter. The leaves are larger, of a paler color, and softer in their texture, than those of the Common Flag.
The London-flag Leek is hardy, and of good quality. It is more generally cultivated in this country than any other variety.
MUSSELBURGH. Thomp.
Scotch Flag. Edinburgh Improved.
Stem somewhat shorter than that of the London Flag, but of equal thickness. The swelling at the base has the same form. The leaves are broad and tall, and spread regularly in a fan-like manner. Their color is deeper than that of the Long Flag or the Large Rouen, but paler than the London Flag. Hardy, and of excellent quality. It originated in England.
PROLIFEROUS LEEK. Trans.
This is a viviparous variety of the common leek, producing young plants on its flower-stalk instead of flowers. The leaves are similar to those of the London Flag; and the plant, in its young state, before it runs to flower, exactly resembles it. The flower-scape is from two to three feet high, and supports a compact, irregular, globose umbel, composed of numerous small bulbs, intermixed with flowers. Some of these bulbs occasionally produce a second umbel, on scapes of from six to eight inches in length, but of much smaller dimensions than the principal one.
The variety is cultivated in rows, like other leeks; and the bulbs will remain sound several months after they have ripened.
SMALL EARLY NETHERLAND. Thomp.
Small Summer Brabant.
Leaves long, narrow, dark-green; stem small. On this account, it is not so valuable as many others for a main crop: besides, if sown at the same time, it is liable to run to seed before winter. A small sowing, however, may be made with advantage for early use.
YELLOW POITOU. Thomp.
Jaune du Poitou. Vil.
A remarkably large variety; the leaves having sometimes measured five feet in length, and six inches in breadth. They are of a yellowish-green color. The underground or blanched portion of the stem is yellowish-white, and is more tender than that of any other variety. On this account, and also for its large size, it deserves cultivation. The great length of the leaves makes it important that more space should be allowed between the plants than is usually allotted to other varieties.
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THE ONION.
Allium cepa.
The Onion is a half-hardy biennial plant: the roots and leaves, however, are annual; as they usually perish during the first year. The bulbs, for which the plant is generally cultivated, are biennial, and differ to a considerable extent in their size, form, and color. The flower-stalk, which is developed the second year, is from three to four feet in height, leafless, hollow, swollen just below the middle, and tapers to the top. The flowers are either white or rose-colored, and are produced at the extremity of the stalk in a regular, globular group, or umbel. The seeds ripen in August. They are deep blue-black, somewhat triangular, and similar in size and form in all the varieties. An ounce contains about seventy-five hundred seeds, which retain their vitality two years.
Soil and Cultivation.--The Onion requires a light, loamy, mellow soil; and, unlike most kinds of garden or field vegetables, succeeds well when cultivated on the same land for successive years. With the exception of the Top and the Potato Onion, all the varieties are raised from seed. Previous to sowing, the ground should be thoroughly spaded over or deeply ploughed, and the surface made smooth and even. The seed should be sown as early in spring as the soil may be in good working condition. Sow in drills fourteen inches apart, and half an inch in depth. When the plants are three or four inches high, thin them to two inches asunder; and, in the process of culture, be careful not to stir the soil too deeply, or to collect it about the growing bulbs. The onions will ripen in August, or early in September; and their full maturity will be indicated by the perfect decay of the leaves, or tops. The bulbs may be drawn from the drills by the hand, or by the use of a common garden-rake. After being exposed for a few days to the sun for drying, they will be ready for storing or the market.
Preservation.--The essentials for the preservation of the bulbs are a low temperature, freedom from frost, dryness, and thorough ventilation.
Seed.--For the production of seed, select the ripest, firmest, and best-formed bulbs; and, in April, transplant them to lines two feet and a half or three feet distant, and from nine to twelve inches apart in the lines, sinking the crowns just below the surface of the ground. As the plants advance in height, tie them to stakes for support. The seeds ripen in August: and the heads, or umbels, should be cut off when they assume a brown color; for then the capsules begin to open, and shed their seeds. After being threshed out, the seed should be exposed to the action of the sun until it is thoroughly dried; for, when stored in a damp state, it is extremely liable to generate heat, and consequently to lose its vitality.
Varieties.--Few of the numerous varieties are cultivated to any extent in this country. Many of the kinds succeed only in warm latitudes, and others are comparatively unimportant. The Danvers, Large Red, Silver-skin, and the Yellow seem peculiarly adapted to our soil and climate. The annual product of these varieties greatly exceeds that of all the other sorts combined.
BLOOD-RED. Thomp.
French Blood-red. Dutch Blood-red. St. Thomas.
Bulb middle-sized, or rather large, flattened; skin dull red,--the coating next within glossy, and very dark red. The internal layers are palest at the base; and, except at the top, are only colored on their outsides. Each layer is paler than the one which surrounds it; till the centre is reached, which is white.
It is a good keeper, but one of the strongest flavored of all varieties. It imparts to soups, or other dishes of which it may be an ingredient, a brownish or blackish color.
BROWN PORTUGAL. Thomp.
Brown Spanish. Cambrai. Oporto.
A medium-sized, roundish, or flattened onion; neck small; skin yellowish-brown,--next interior layer not tinged with red. It is a popular variety in some parts of France; and is remarkable for its productiveness, excellent quality, and keeping properties.
DANVERS.
Danvers Yellow.
This comparatively recent variety was obtained by selection from the Common Yellow. It is somewhat above medium size, and inclined to globular in its form. Average bulbs measure three inches in diameter, and two inches and three-fourths in depth. The skin is yellowish-brown, but becomes darker by age, and greenish-brown if long exposed to the sun; the flesh is similar to that of the Yellow,--white, sugary, comparatively mild, and well flavored.
The superiority of the Danvers Onion over the last named consists principally, if not solely, in its greater productiveness. When grown under like conditions, it yields, on the average, nearly one-fourth more; and, on this account, the variety is generally employed for field culture. It is, however, not so good a keeper; and, for shipping purposes, is decidedly inferior to the Yellow,--its globular form rendering it more liable to decay, from the heat and dampness incident to sea voyages.
When cultivated for the market, the land is thoroughly ploughed, and well enriched with fine decomposed manure. The surface is then harrowed, and next raked free of stones, and lumps of earth. The seed is sown in April, usually by machines, in rows fourteen inches apart, and three-fourths of an inch in depth; three pounds of seed being allowed to an acre. The crop is treated in the usual form during the summer; and ripens the last of August, or early in September. When the tops have entirely withered, the bulbs are raked from the drills, and spread a few days in the sun for drying; after which they are sorted, and barrelled for storing or the market. The yield varies from five to eight hundred bushels per acre.
DEPTFORD. Thomp.
Brown Deptford.
Very similar to, if not identical with, the English Strasburg. "It sometimes exactly agrees with the description of that variety: but it occasionally has a pale-brown skin, without any tinge of red; and, when this is the case, its flavor is milder than that of the last named."
With the exception of its more globular form, the bulb much resembles the Yellow Onion of this country.
EARLY SILVER NOCERA.
Early Small Silver Nocera. White Nocera. Thomp. Blanc Hatif de Nocera. Vil.
This is a very small variety of the Early Silver-skin, with a small, occasionally roundish, but generally oblate bulb. The skin is white; but the layers beneath are striped with bright-green lines. The leaves are very small. Sometimes the bulb has only a single leaf, frequently but two; and, if there are more than four, the plant has not its true character.
It is an excellent sort for pickling; and is the smallest and earliest variety known,--being fifteen or twenty days earlier than the Early Silver-skin: but it is very liable to increase in size, and to degenerate. Very little known or cultivated in this country.
EARLY RED WETHERSFIELD.
A sub-variety of the Large Red Wethersfield, and the earliest of the red onions. Form and color nearly the same as the Large Red; bulb small, measuring about two inches and a half in diameter, and about an inch and a half in depth. It is close-grained; mild; a good keeper; forms its bulbs, with few exceptions, and ripens, the last of July; being three or four weeks earlier than the Large Red. Cultivated to a limited extent in various places on the coast of New England, for early consumption at home, and for shipment to the South and West.
This variety and the Intermediate are very liable to degenerate: they tend to grow larger and later, approaching the original variety; and can be preserved in a pure state only by a careful selection of the bulbs set for seed.
EARLY SILVER-SKIN.
Blanc Hatif. Vil.
This is a small early variety of the Silver-skin, measuring two inches and three-fourths in diameter, and an inch and three-fourths in depth. The neck is small, and the skin silvery-white. It is much esteemed for its earliness and mild flavor, and is one of the best of all varieties for pickling. When cultivated for the latter purpose, it should be sown and treated as directed for the Silver-skin.
FUSIFORM, OR COW-HORN.
Corné de Boeuf. Vil.
This is a large onion, growing from eight inches to a foot in length. It tapers rather regularly from the base to the top, and is frequently bent or curved in the form of a horn; whence the name. Skin copper-red. It is late, lacks compactness, is very liable to degenerate, decays soon after being harvested, and must be considered more curious than useful.
INTERMEDIATE RED WETHERSFIELD.
An early variety of the common Large Red. Bulb of medium size, flattened; neck small; color deep purple.
It is rather pungent, yet milder than the Large Red; keeps well; and is grown to a considerable extent, in certain localities in New England, for shipping.
JAMES'S KEEPING.
James's Long Keeping. De James. Vil.
This is an English hybrid, said to have been originated by a Mr. James, an extensive market-gardener in Surrey, Eng. The bulb is pyriform, or pear-shaped; and measures four inches and upwards in depth, and two inches or more at its broadest diameter. Skin copper-yellow,--the coating next under it reddish-brown; flavor strong. It is not early, but is much prized for its long keeping; the bulbs not sprouting so early in spring as those of most varieties.
LARGE RED.
Wethersfield Large Red.
Bulb sometimes roundish, but, when pure, comparatively flat. It is of very large size; and, when grown in favorable soil, often measures five inches or more in diameter, and three inches in depth. Skin deep purplish-red; neck of medium size; flesh purplish-white, moderately fine-grained, and stronger flavored than that of the Yellow and earlier Red varieties. It is very productive; one of the best to keep; and is grown to a large extent, in many places on the seacoast of New England, for shipping to the South and West. It is almost everywhere seen in vegetable markets; and, with perhaps the exception of the Yellow or Danvers, is the most prominent of the sorts employed for commercial purposes. It derives its name from Wethersfield, Conn.; where it is extensively cultivated, and where it has the reputation of having originated.
A sub-variety of the foregoing is cultivated in some localities, with nearly the same variation in form that exists between the Danvers and Common Yellow. It will probably prove somewhat more productive; but it is neither better flavored, nor to be preferred for its superior keeping properties.
MADEIRA.
Large Globe Tripoli. Romain. De Madère Rond. De Belle Garde. Vil.
This is a roundish, obovate onion, of remarkable size, often measuring six inches and a half in depth, and six inches in diameter; neck thick and large; skin reddish-brown,--the layer next within, pale red.
The variety is much prized for its extraordinary size, and for its mild, sugary flavor. The plants, however, often fail to form good bulbs; and, even when well matured, the latter are liable to decay soon after being harvested. It requires a long, warm season for its greatest perfection. The seed should be sown early, in drills sixteen inches apart; and the plants should be thinned to eight inches apart in the rows.
Not suited to New England or the cooler sections of the United States.
NEW DEEP BLOOD-RED.
Brunswick Deep Blood-red. Rouge Très Foncé de Brunswick. Vil.
Bulb very small, flattened,--two inches and a quarter in diameter, and an inch and a half in depth; neck small; skin deep violet-red, approaching black. A half early variety, remarkable for its intense purplish-red color.
PALE RED.
Rouge Pale, de Niort. Vil.
Bulb roundish, flattened on the upper side, but not so much so as the Blood-red, of which this may be considered a variety; size medium, two inches and a half in diameter, one inch and three-quarters in depth; neck small; skin copper-red, much paler than that of the Blood-red. Compared with the last named, it is earlier and of milder flavor. This and the Blood-red are much esteemed by some for their extreme pungency and for their diuretic properties.
PARIS STRAW-COLORED.
Jaune des Vertus. Vil.
A large, somewhat flattened variety, much cultivated about Paris; skin fine russet-yellow; neck small. It is not early, but very productive, and of excellent quality.
PEAR-SHAPED.
Bulb pyriform, measuring four inches and a half in depth, and two inches in diameter at the broadest part; neck small; skin copper-red. It is quite late, but is of good quality, and keeps well.
POTATO ONION.
Underground Onion.
Bulb flattened, from two and a half to three inches in diameter, and about two inches in depth; skin copper-yellow; flavor sugary, mild, and excellent. It does not keep so well as many other varieties; but remains sound longer, if the leaves are cut two or three inches above the top of the bulb at the time of harvesting.
The Potato Onion produces no seeds, neither small bulbs upon its stalks, in the manner of many of the species of the Onion family; but, if a full-grown bulb be set in spring, a number of bulbs of various sizes will be formed, beneath the surface of the ground, about the parent bulb. By means of these it is propagated, and an abundant supply often secured in localities where the varieties raised from seed frequently wholly fail, either from the maggot, effects of climate, or other causes.
Like the other kinds of onions, it requires a rich, deep soil, well manured, and dry at the bottom. This should be deeply and thoroughly stirred, and then raised in ridges of moderate height, fifteen inches apart. In April, select the large bulbs, and set them on the ridges, ten inches apart, with the crown of the bulbs just below the surface of the ground. The subsequent culture consists in keeping them clean from weeds, and gathering a little earth about them from time to time in the process of cultivation. As soon as the tops are entirely dead, they will be ready for harvesting.
It is very prolific, yielding from four to six fold. Such of the crop as may be too small for the table should be preserved during the winter, to be set in the following spring; planting them out in April, in drills one foot apart and three inches from each other in the drills, and sinking the crowns just below the surface of the ground. They attain their full size by September.
SILVER-SKIN.
White Portugal, of New England.
Bulb of medium size, flattened,--average specimens measuring about three inches in diameter, and an inch and a half or two inches in thickness; neck very small; skin silvery-white. After the removal of the outer envelope, the upper part of the bulb is often veined and clouded with green, while the portion produced below ground is generally clear white. Flesh white, fine-grained, sugary, and remarkably mild flavored.
It forms its bulb early and regularly, ripens off well, and is quite productive; an average yield being about four hundred bushels per acre. It is a very poor keeper; and this is its most serious objection. It is always preserved through the winter with much difficulty, and almost invariably decays if kept from light and exposed to dampness. The best method for its preservation is to spread the roots in a dry, light, and airy situation.
The Silver-skin Onion is much esteemed in the middle and southern sections of the United States, and is cultivated to a considerable extent in New England. It is well adapted for sowing in August, or the beginning of September, for early use, and for marketing during the ensuing spring. Where the winter are mild, the crop, with slight protection, will sustain no injury in the open ground. In Europe it is much esteemed, and extensively grown for pickling, as its "white color, in contrast with the fine green veins, or lines, gives it a very agreeable appearance. For pickling, the seed should be sown very thickly, then slightly covered with fine soil, and afterwards rolled. If the seed is covered more deeply, the bulb, from not being quite on the surface, has a larger and thicker neck; so that it loses its finely rounded form, and is, moreover, less compact."
This variety, erroneously known in New England as the "White Portugal," is unquestionably the true Silver-skin, as described both by English and French authors. The application of the term "Silver-skin" to the common Yellow Onion, as very extensively practised by seedsmen and market-men in the Eastern States, is neither pertinent nor authorized.
STRASBURG. M'Int.
Yellow Strasburg. Flanders. Dutch. Essex.
This is the variety most generally cultivated in Great Britain. Its form varies from flat to globular, or oval; bulb large, three inches wide, and full two inches in depth; outside coating brown, of firm texture. Divested of this, the color is reddish-brown, tinged with green. Flavor comparatively mild. It is a very hardy sort, succeeds in cold localities, and keeps well.
The Strasburg and Deptford Onions much resemble the common Yellow Onion of New England; and the difference between the sorts is not great, when English-grown bulbs of the first-named varieties are compared with the bulbs of the Yellow Onion, American-grown: but seeds of the Strasburg or Deptford, raised in England and sown in this country, almost invariably fail to produce plants that form bulbs so generally or so perfectly as American-grown seeds of the Yellow Onion.
TOP OR TREE ONION.
Egyptian.
Bulb large, a little flattened; producing, instead of seeds, a number of small bulbs, or onions, about the size of a filbert, which serve as a substitute for seeds in propagation. The flesh is coarse; and the bulbs are very liable to decay during winter, unless kept in a cool and dry situation. The variety has been considered rather curious than useful.
Planting and Culture.--"Either the bulbs formed in the ground, or the small ones upon the stems, may be planted out in April or May. The former are set one foot apart in each direction, and the stem-bulbs four inches apart in rows eight inches asunder. Stems that bear heavily require to be supported. When ripe, the stem-bulbs should be dried, and kept free from damp in a cool place."
TRIPOLI. Thomp.
Flat Madeira. De Madère Plat. Vil.
This is one of the largest varieties. The bulb tapers abruptly from the middle to the neck, and almost equally so to the base. It is five inches and upwards in diameter; color light reddish-brown,--beneath the skin, pale brownish-red, tinged with green.
It requires the whole season, and in some localities is considered excellent for a late crop. The flesh is soft, and the bulbs soon perish after being taken from the ground. In its season, it is much esteemed for its mild and delicate flavor. Like the Madeira Onion, the plants fail to form bulbs so generally as other varieties. Not adapted to the climate of the Northern States.
TWO-BLADED. Thomp.
Double Tige. Vil.
This variety derives its name from the fact that the small bulbs have generally but two leaves. The larger ones have more; rarely, however, exceeding four: but, unless by far the greater portion have only two leaves, either the seed or the cultivation is at fault.
The bulbs are small, flat, light-brown, very firm, and attain maturity early; the neck is small, and the top of the bulb is depressed or hollowed around the stem. It keeps well, and is an excellent variety.
WHITE GLOBE. Thomp.
Form nearly ovoid, very regular and symmetrical; skin greenish-yellow, marked with rose-colored lines,--the pellicle changing to white on drying. The bulb measures about four inches in depth, and two inches and three-fourths in its largest diameter. It keeps well, and is an excellent variety.
YELLOW GLOBE.
Nearly allied to the preceding variety; the size and form being the same. Skin reddish-yellow. It is hardy, productive, of good flavor, keeps well, and deserves general cultivation.
WHITE LISBON.
Lisbon. Thomp. Early Lisbon. White Florence.
A very large, globular onion, measuring four inches in diameter, and about four inches in depth; neck comparatively thick; skin smooth, thin, clear, and white.
It is a late variety; and, although comparatively hardy, requires a long, warm season for its full development. Under the most favorable conditions, both with regard to soil and exposure, many of the plants fail to form a good bulb. On account of its hardiness, it is a good sort for sowing in the autumn for a supply of young onions for spring salads; or, if these young bulbs be set in the open ground in April, fine, large onions will be formed towards the end of summer. The variety is better suited to the climate of the Middle States than to that of the Northern and Eastern.
WHITE PORTUGAL, OR SPANISH. Thomp.
White Spanish. White Reading. Cambridge. Soufre D'Espagne. Vil.
A very large, flat onion, measuring three inches and upwards in width by about two inches in depth; skin loose, of a pale-brown or yellowish-brown, falling off spontaneously, and exhibiting the next coating, which is greenish-white. It has a small neck, and is particularly mild flavored. One of the best for early winter use, but early decays.
Very distinct from the White Portugal of the New-England markets.
YELLOW ONION.
Silver-skin of New England.
One of the oldest varieties, and, as a market onion, probably better known and more generally cultivated in this country than any other sort. The true Yellow Onion has a flattened form and a very small neck. Its size is rather above medium,--measuring, when well grown, from three inches to three inches and a half in diameter, and from two inches to two inches and a half in depth. Skin yellowish-brown, or copper-yellow,--becoming somewhat deeper by age, or if exposed long to the sun; flesh white, fine-grained, comparatively mild, sugary, and well flavored. It keeps well, and is very prolific: few of the plants, in good soils and seasons, fail to produce good-sized and well-ripened bulbs. For the vegetable garden, as well as for field culture, it may be considered a standard sort.
The Danvers Onion, which is but a sub-variety of the common Yellow, may prove somewhat more profitable for extensive cultivation, on account of its globular form; but neither in its flavor nor in its keeping properties can it be said to possess any superiority over the last named.
The term "Silver-skin," by which this onion is very generally though erroneously known throughout New England, has created great confusion between seedsmen and dealers. Much perplexity might be avoided if its application to the Yellow Onion were entirely abandoned. The genuine Silver-skin, as its name implies, has a skin of pure, silvery whiteness; and is, in other respects, very dissimilar to the present variety.
When extensively cultivated for the market, it should be sown and subsequently treated as directed for the Danvers Onion. The yield per acre varies from four to six hundred bushels.
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ROCAMBOLE.
Allium scorodoprasum.
This plant is a half-hardy perennial from Denmark, partaking of the character of both the leek and garlic. Bulbs or cloves similar to those of the common garlic, with much the same flavor, though somewhat milder; leaves large; flower-stalk about two feet high, contorted or coiled towards the top, and producing at its extremity a group of bulbs, or rocamboles, intermixed with flowers.
Propagation and Culture.--It is propagated by planting either the underground bulbs, or the small cloves, or bulbs, that are produced upon the stem of the plant. These should be set in April, in drills ten inches apart, and four or five inches asunder in the drills. In the following August they will have attained their full size, and may be used immediately; or they may be taken up, spread to dry, tied in bunches, and housed, for future consumption. All the culture required is the removal of weeds, and the occasional stirring of the soil.
Use.--"The cloves, or small bulbs, as well those from the stem as those beneath the surface of the ground, are used in the manner of shallots and garlics, and nearly for the same purposes."
There is but one variety.
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SHALLOT.
Allium Ascalonicum.
The Shallot (sometimes written Eschalot) is a native of Palestine,--the specific term "Ascalonicum" being derived from Ascalon, a town in Syria: hence also the popular English name, "Scallion."
The root of the plant is composed of numerous small bulbs, united at their base; the whole being enclosed in a thin skin, or pellicle, varying in color in the different varieties. Leaves fistulous, or hollow, produced in tufts, or groups; flowers reddish, in terminal, compact, spherical bunches. The plants, however, very seldom blossom.
Soil.--"The soil best adapted for growing the Shallot is a light, rich, sandy loam; but, as such soils are scarce, any light, dry soil that has been cultivated and manured a year or two will answer." In wet soils, it is liable to be attacked by the maggot; and such location should, therefore, be avoided.
Propagation and Culture.--The roots of the Shallot, which are bulbous, are very readily increased by offsets. The bulbs are oblong, but somewhat irregular in their form, and seldom attain a large size. As they increase into clusters, they do not swell like roots that grow singly.
They are propagated by dividing these clustered roots into separate offsets, and planting the divisions in April, in very shallow drills one foot apart; placing them about six inches apart in the drills, and covering them lightly with earth. Soot mixed with the surface-soil has been found of much service to prevent the maggot from committing extensive depredations upon this plant. The only after-culture required is that of keeping them clean from weeds, and occasionally stirring the ground.
Harvesting.--"As soon as the leaves decay, the bulbs will have attained their growth, and should then be taken up, and spread out in some dry loft; when, after being thoroughly dried and picked, they may be put in bags, boxes, or tied in bundles by the stalks. If kept from frost, they will remain fit for use for several months."
Use.--The largest of the bulbs are selected, and employed in the same manner as garlic or onions. "On account of the mildness of its flavor, when compared with that of other cultivated plants of the Onion family, it is preferred in cookery as a seasoner in soups and stews. It is also much used in the raw state: the cloves, or sections of the root, cut up into small pieces, form an ingredient in French salads; and are also sprinkled over steaks, chops, &c. The true epicure, however, cuts a clove or bulb in two, and, by rubbing the inside of the plate, secures the amount of relish to suit his palate.
"Shallot vinegar is made by putting six cloves, or bulbs, into a quart bottle of that liquid; and, when sealed down, it will keep for years. The Shallot also makes an excellent pickle."--M'Int.
Varieties.--
COMMON OR SMALL SHALLOT.
Échalote ordinaire. Vil.
Bulbs about three-fourths of an inch in diameter at the base, elongated, and enclosed in a reddish-yellow skin, or pellicle; leaves small, ten or twelve inches high.
This variety is early, keeps well, and is one of the best for cultivation.
JERSEY. Vil.
Bulbs of large size, measuring two inches in length, and rather more than an inch in diameter at the base; grouped like the other varieties, and enclosed in a light-brown pellicle, as fine in texture as the skin of an onion, which this Shallot much resembles in form and odor. Compared with the Common Shallot, it is more round, the neck is smaller, and it is also more close or compact. Leaves remarkably glaucous, not tall, but of good substance,--quite distinct in these respects from the Small or the Large sort. It also sometimes produces seeds; which is, perhaps, a recommendation, as these, when sown, frequently produce new varieties. It is one of the earliest of all the sorts; but is comparatively tender, and decays early.
LARGE ALENÇON.
Échalote grosse d'Alençon. Vil.
Bulb very large, exceeding in size that of the Jersey Shallot; which variety it much resembles in form and color, and in being tender, decaying early, and sometimes running to seed. It is, however, not quite so early; and the leaves are longer and more glaucous. Flavor mild and pleasant.
At the time of harvesting, the bulbs should be long exposed to the sun, in order that they may be thoroughly dried before packing away. "The bulbs are slow in forming, and the worst keepers, as, when stored, they soon begin to sprout."
This variety, and also the Jersey Shallot, closely resemble the Onion. It is possible they may constitute a distinct species.
LARGE SHALLOT.
Échalote grosse. Vil.
Bulbs about two inches in diameter at the base, elongated, and enclosed in a brownish-yellow skin, or pellicle; leaves fifteen to eighteen inches high.
This variety, in size, much exceeds that of the Common or Small Shallot; and, though later in ripening, is nevertheless the first to be found in the market, as it forms its bulbs early in the season. Its keeping properties are inferior to the last named.
LONG KEEPING.
This resembles the Common Shallot; but is considered superior to that variety in its keeping properties, and in being less subject to the attack of the maggot. It is said that the variety may be kept two years.
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WELSH ONION.
Ciboule, of the French. Allium fistulosum.
The Welsh Onion is a hardy perennial from Siberia. It is quite distinct from the Common Onion, as it forms no bulbs, but produces numerous elongated, angular, tunicated stems, not unlike scallions, or some of the smaller descriptions of leeks. The flower-stem is about eighteen inches high, swollen near the middle, and terminates in a globular umbel of greenish-white flowers. The seeds are small, black, somewhat irregular in form, and retain their vitality two years. About thirty-six thousand are contained in an ounce.
Sowing and Cultivation.--The seeds are sown in drills about half an inch in depth, and the crop subsequently treated as the Common Onion.
There are two varieties:--
COMMON OR RED WELSH ONION.
Skin, or pellicle, reddish-brown, changing to silvery-white about the base of the leaves; the latter being fistulous, and about a foot in height. Its principal recommendation is its remarkable hardiness. The seeds are sometimes sown in July and August for the young stems and leaves, which are used during winter and early in spring as salad.
WHITE WELSH ONION.
Early White. Ciboule Blanche Hative. Vil.
This is a sub-variety of the Common Red. The skin is rose-white, and, like that of the last named, changes to silvery-white about the upper portion of the stem, or bulb; the leaves are longer, deeper colored, firmer, and less subject to wither or decay at their extremities, than those of the Common Red. The White is generally considered the better variety; as it is more tender, and milder in flavor, though much less productive.
The Welsh onions are of little value, except in cold latitudes; and are rarely found in the vegetable gardens of this country.
III. ASPARAGINOUS PLANTS
The Artichoke. Asparagus. Cardoon. Hop. Oosung. Phytolacca.
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THE ARTICHOKE.
Cynarus scolymus.
The Artichoke is a hardy perennial. The stem is from four to five feet in height, with numerous branches; the leaves are of remarkable size, frequently measuring three feet, and sometimes nearly four feet in length, pinnatifid, or deeply cut on the borders, and more or less invested with an ash-colored down; the mid-ribs are large, fleshy, and deeply grooved, or furrowed; the flowers are large, terminal, and consist of numerous blue florets, enclosed by fleshy-pointed scales; the seeds (eight hundred and fifty of which are contained in an ounce) are of a grayish color, variegated with deep brown, oblong, angular, somewhat flattened, and retain their vitality five years.
Soil.--Select a light, rich, and rather moist soil, and trench it well; incorporating in the process a liberal portion of old, well-decomposed compost. Sea-weeds, kelp, rock-weed, and the like, where they can be obtained, are the best fertilizers; but, where these are not accessible, a slight application of salt will be beneficial.
Propagation.--Artichokes may be propagated either by seeds, or by slips, or suckers, from established plants. If by slips, they should be taken off in May, when they have grown five or six inches in height, and transplanted four or five inches deep, in rows four feet apart, and two feet apart in the rows. Water freely, if dry weather occurs before the young plants are established. Keep the ground loose by frequent hoeings; and in August or September the heads will be fit for use. Before severe weather, the plants should be covered with straw or stable-litter.
As plants of one year's growth produce but few heads, and are also later in their development of these than established plants, it is the practice of many cultivators to set a few young slips, and to destroy an equal part of the old plantation, yearly.
Propagation by Seeds.--"Sow the seeds in April, in a nursery-bed; making the drills a foot apart, and covering the seeds an inch deep. When the plants are three inches high, transplant as before directed. Plants from seeds will seldom flower the first year."--M'Int.
To raise Seeds.--Allow a few of the largest central heads to remain; and, just as the flowers expand, bend over the stalk so as to allow the rain to run from the buds, as the seeds are often injured by wet weather. In favorable seasons, they will ripen in September. According to English authority, little dependence can be placed on seedling plants: many produce small and worthless heads, whilst others produce those of large size and of good quality.
Taking the Crop.--"All of the heads should be cut as fast as they are fit for use, whether wanted or not; as allowing them to flower greatly weakens the plants, as does also permitting the stems that produced the heads to remain after the heads are cut off. For pickling whole, the heads should be cut when about two inches in diameter; for other purposes, when they have nearly attained their full size, but before the scales of the calyx begin to open. For what is called 'bottoms,' they should be cut when they are at their largest size, and just as the scales begin to show symptoms of opening, which is an indication that the flowers are about to be formed; after which, the heads are comparatively useless."--M'Int.
Use.--The portions of the plant used are the lowest parts of the leaves, or scales, of the calyx; and also the fleshy receptacles of the flower, freed from the bristles and seed-down. The latter are commonly called the "choke," on account of their disagreeable character when eaten.
Sometimes, particularly in France, the central leaf-stalk is blanched, and eaten like cardoons. The bottom, which is the top of the receptacles, is fried in paste, and enters largely into fricassees and ragouts. They are sometimes pickled, and often used in a raw state as a salad. The French also cut them into thin slices; leaving one of the scales, or calyx leaves, attached, by which the slice is lifted, and dipped in oil and vinegar before using. The English present the head whole, or cut into quarters, upon a dry plate; the guests picking off the scales one by one, which have a fleshy substance at the base. These are eaten after being dipped in oil and vinegar.
What is called "artichoke chard" is the tender leaf-stalks blanched, and cooked like cardoons. The Italians and French often eat the heads raw with vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper; but they are generally preferred when boiled.
Varieties.--
DARK-RED SPINED.
Bud very small. The variety is remarkable for the very long spines in which the scales terminate. For cultivation, it is inferior to the other sorts.
EARLY PURPLE.
Purple. Purple Globe. Artichaut Violet. Vil.
Heads rather small, obtusely conical; scales short and broad, pointed, green at the base, tinged with purplish-red on the outside, towards their extremities, moderately succulent, and of good quality. The variety is early, but not hardy. In France, it is considered excellent in its crude state, served with vinegar and oil; but not so good cooked.
GREEN GLOBE.
Large Round-headed. Globe.
A very large sort, much esteemed, and generally cultivated in England. Heads, or buds, very large, nearly round, and with a dusky, purplish tint. The scales turn in at the top, and the receptacle is more fleshy than that of most varieties. It is generally preferred for the main crop, as the scales, or edible parts, are thicker, and higher flavored, than those of any other artichoke. It is not a hardy variety, and requires ample protection during winter.
GREEN, OR COMMON.
French.
Bud very large, of a conical or oval form; scales deep-green, thick, and fleshy, pointed at the tips, and turned outwards. Though it has not the same thickness of flesh as the Green Globe Artichoke, it is much hardier, more prolific, and one of the best sorts for cultivation.
GREEN PROVENCE.
Bud large; scales comparatively long and narrow, of a lively green color, erect, fleshy at the base, and terminating in a sharp, brownish spine, or thorn; leaves of the plant deep-green. Most esteemed in its crude state; eaten as a salad in vinegar and oil.
LAON.
Gros vert de Laon. Vil.
Similar to the Common Green Artichoke, but of larger size. Scales rather loose and open, very deep-green, fleshy, and pointed. Much cultivated in the vicinity of Paris, and there considered the best.
LARGE FLAT BRITTANY.
Artichaut Camus de Bretagne. Vil.
Bud of medium size, somewhat globular, but flattened at the top; scales closely set together, green, brownish on the borders,--short, thick, and fleshy at the base. Earlier than the Laon, but not so fleshy. Much grown in Anjou and Brittany.
PURPLISH-RED.
Bud conical; scales green towards their tips, and purplish-red at their base. Not very fleshy, and in no respect superior to the other varieties.
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ASPARAGUS.
Asparagus officinalis.
Asparagus is a hardy, perennial, maritime plant. It rises to the height of five feet and upwards, with an erect, branching stem; short, slender, nearly cylindrical leaves; and greenish, drooping flowers. The seeds, which are produced in globular, scarlet berries, are black, somewhat triangular, and retain their germinative powers four years. Twelve hundred and fifty weigh an ounce.
It is indigenous to the shores of various countries of Europe and Asia; and, since its introduction, has become naturalized to a considerable extent in this country. It is frequently seen in mowing-fields upon old farms; and, in some instances, has found its way to the beaches and marshes of the seacoast.
Propagation.--It is propagated from seed, which may be sown either in autumn, just before the closing-up of the ground; or in spring, as soon as the soil is in good working condition. The nursery, or seed-bed, should be thoroughly spaded over, the surface levelled and raked smooth and fine, and the seed sown, not very thickly, in drills twelve or fourteen inches apart, and about an inch in depth. An ounce of seed is sufficient for fifty or sixty feet of drill.
When the plants are well up, thin them to three inches asunder; as they will be much stronger, if grown at some distance apart, than if allowed to stand closely together. Cultivate in the usual manner during the summer, and give the plants a light covering of stable-litter during the winter.
Good plants of one year's growth are preferred by experienced growers for setting; but some choose those of two years, and they may be used when three years old.
Soil and Planting.--"A rich, sandy, alluvial soil, impregnated with salt, is naturally best adapted to the growth of Asparagus; and, in such soil, its cultivation is an easy matter. Soils of a different character must be made rich by the application of fertilizing material, and light and friable by trenching. Sand, in wet, heavy, clayey soil, is of permanent benefit.
"The market-gardeners near London are aware of this; for, highly as they manure their ground for crops generally, they procure sand, or sandy mud, from certain parts of the Thames, for Asparagus plantations, where the soil is too heavy.
"The ground should be thoroughly trenched to the depth of two and a half or three feet: and, in order to make it rich, a large quantity of manure should be incorporated, as well at the bottom as near the surface,--using either sandy mud; the scourings of ditches made into compost; rock-weed, or kelp, where they can be procured; decayed leaves, or leaf-mould; the remains of hot-beds, good peat, or almost any other manure not in too crude a state.
"Where the soil is not so deep, and the subsoil coarse and rather gravelly, the ground is not trenched so deep; the bottom of the trench being merely dug over. Above this, however, a large quantity of manure is applied; and by this, with good after-management,--chiefly consisting in making the soil fine and light for the shoots to push through,--excellent crops are produced.
"The ground should be divided into beds either three or five feet wide, with an alley or path of two feet in width between. The reason for having some of the beds so much narrower than the others is, that the narrow ones are sooner heated by the sun's rays, and consequently an earlier production is induced.
"The distance between the rows in the beds may be regulated as follows: When the beds are three feet wide, two rows should be transplanted along them: each row should be a foot from the edge of the bed, and they will consequently be a foot apart. In beds that are five feet wide, three rows should be transplanted, also lengthwise,--one along the middle, and one on each side, a foot from the edge of the bed. The distance from plant to plant in the rows should not be less than one foot; at this distance, good-sized heads will be produced: but, if very large heads are desired for exhibition or competition, the plants should be fifteen, or even eighteen, inches asunder.
"The transplanting may be performed either in April or May. The three-feet beds should be traced out to run east and west, or so as to present the side of the bed to the direct action of the sun's rays when they are most powerful. Asparagus, in beds so formed, pushes earlier in the season than it does in beds running north and south. For all except the earliest beds, the direction is immaterial; and they may run east and west, or north and south, as may be most convenient.
"In proceeding to transplant, the beds, and paths, or alleys, should be marked off at the required distance. A stout stake should be driven at each corner of the beds, and from these the distances for the rows should be measured. There are various ways of transplanting. Some stretch a line, and cut out a trench only deep enough to allow the roots to be laid out without doubling; and they are spread out like a fan perpendicularly against the side of the cut, the crown of the plant being kept two inches below the surface of the ground. Some dig out a trench, and form little hillocks of fine soil, over which the roots are spread, extending like the sticks of an umbrella. Others make a ridge, astride which they set the plants, spreading their roots on each side of the ridge; and, again, some take off a portion of the soil on the bed, and, after the surface has been raked smooth, the roots of the plants are spread out nearly at right angles on the level.
"The first method is the most expeditious, and is generally practised in setting extensive plantations: but, whatever plan be preferred, the crowns of the plants should all be on the same level; otherwise those that are too high would be liable to be injured by the knife in cutting."
During the summer, nothing will be necessary but to keep the plants clear of weeds; and, in doing this, the hoe should be dispensed with as much as possible, to avoid injuring the roots. In the autumn, when the tops have completely withered, they should be cut down nearly level with the surface of the ground, and burned. The beds should then be lightly dug over, and three or four inches of rich loam, intermixed with well-digested compost, and salt at the rate of two quarts to the square rod, should be applied; which will leave the crowns of the roots about five inches below the surface.
Second Year.--Early in spring, as soon as the frost leaves the ground, dig over the beds, taking care not to disturb the roots; rake the surface smooth; and, during the summer, cultivate as before directed: but none of the shoots should be cut for use. In the autumn, after the stalks have entirely withered, cut down and burn as in the previous year; stir the surface of the bed, and add an inch of soil and manure, which will bring the crowns six or seven inches below ground,--a depth preferred, by a majority of cultivators, for established plantations.
Third Year.--Early in spring, stir the ground as directed for the two previous years. Some cultivators make a slight cutting during this season; but the future strength of the plants will be increased by allowing the crop to grow naturally as during the first and second years. In autumn, cut and burn as before; dig over the surface; add a dressing of manure; and, in the ensuing spring, the beds may be cut freely for use.
Instead of transplanting the roots, asparagus-beds are sometimes formed by sowing the seeds where the plants are to remain. When this method is adopted, the beds should be laid out and trenched, as before directed, and about three inches of soil removed from the entire surface. The seed should then be sown in drills an inch deep, at the distances marked out for the rows, and covered with rich, light soil. When the seedlings are two or three inches high, they should be thinned to nine or twelve inches apart; and, in thinning, the weakest plants should be removed. In the autumn, cut down the plants after they have withered, stir and smooth the surface, and add a dressing of manure. In the spring of the second year, stir the surface again; and, during the summer, cultivate as before. In the autumn, the plants will be ready for the dressing; which consists of the soil previously taken from the bed, with sufficient well-digested compost added to cover the crowns of the roots five or six inches in depth. The after-culture is similar to that of beds from transplanted roots.
"Asparagus-beds should be enriched every autumn with a liberal application of good compost containing some mixture of salt; the benefit of which will be evident, not only in the quantity, but in the size and quality, of the produce. The dressing should be applied after the removal of the decayed stalks, and forked in, that its enriching properties may be washed to the roots of the plants by winter rains.
"In general, transplanted Asparagus comes up quite slender the first year; is larger the second; and, the third year, a few shoots may be fit for cutting. It is nearly in perfection the fourth year; and, if properly managed, will annually give an abundant supply during the life of the maker of a bed or plantation."
Cutting.--"The shoots should be cut angularly, from two to three inches below the surface of the ground; taking care not to wound the younger buds. It is in the best condition for cutting when the shoots are four or five inches above ground, and while the head, or bud, remains close and firm.
"It is the practice to cut off all the shoots as they appear, up to the period when it is thought best to leave off cutting altogether. The time for this depends on the climate, season, nature of the soil, and strength of the plants. Where the climate is good, or when the season is an early one, cutting must be commenced early; and of course, in such a case, it ought not to be continued late, as the plants would thereby be weakened."
In the Middle States, the cutting should be discontinued from the 10th to the 15th of June; and from the 15th to the 25th of the same month in the Eastern States and the Canadas.
"If the plants are weak, they should be allowed to grow up as early as possible, to make foliage, and consequently fresh roots, and thus to acquire more vigor for the ensuing year. It is also advisable to leave off at an early period the cutting of some of the best of the beds intended for early produce, in order that the buds may be well matured early in autumn, and thus be prepared to push vigorously early in spring."
Asparagus-beds will continue from twenty to thirty years; and there are instances of beds being regularly cut, and remaining in good condition for more than fifty years.
Seed.--"Select some of the finest and earliest heads as they make their appearance in the spring; tie them to stakes during the summer, taking care not to drive the stake through the crown of the plant. If for the market, or to be sent to a distance, wash out the seeds in autumn, and dry thoroughly; if for home-sowing, allow the seeds to remain in the berries till used."
Use.--The young shoots are boiled twenty minutes or half an hour, until they become soft; and are principally served on toasted bread, with melted butter. It is the practice of some to boil the shoots entire; others cut or break the sprout just above the more tough or fibrous part, and cook only the part which is tender and eatable. This is snapped or cut into small sections, which are boiled, buttered, seasoned, and served on toast in the usual form. "The smaller sprouts are sometimes cut into pieces three-eighths of an inch long, and cooked and served as green pease." The sprouts are also excellent when made into soup.
It is one of the most productive, economical, and healthful of all garden vegetables.
Varieties.--"The names of numerous varieties occur in the catalogues of seedsmen: but there seems to be little permanency of character in the plants; such slight variations as appear from time to time being caused, to a considerable extent, by the nature of the soil, or by the situation in which the plants are grown. What are called the Red-topped and Green-topped may perhaps be somewhat distinct, and considered as varieties."--Glenny.
Soil and location have unquestionably much influence, both as respects the quality and size of the sprouts. A bed of asparagus in one locality produced shoots seldom reaching a diameter of half an inch, and of a very tough and fibrous character; while a bed in another situation, formed of plants taken from the same nursery-bed, actually produced sprouts so large and fine as to obtain the prize of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
If any variety really exists peculiar in size, form, color, or quality, it cannot be propagated by seed. Large sprouts may afford seeds, which, as a general rule, will produce finer asparagus than seeds from smaller plants; but a variety, when it occurs, can be propagated only by a division of the roots.
Mr. Thompson states, that on one part of Mr. Grayson's extensive plantation, on the south side of the Thames, near London, the so-called Grayson's Giant was produced; and in another section, the common sort: but, when both were made to change places, the common acquired the dimensions of the Giant, whilst the latter diminished to the ordinary size.
Seeds of the following named and described sorts may be obtained of seedsmen, and will undoubtedly, in nearly all cases, afford fine asparagus; but they will not produce plants which will uniformly possess the character of the parent variety:--
BATTERSEA. Rog.
Battersea is famed for producing fine asparagus, and the name is applied to the particular variety there grown. The heads are large, full, and close, and the tops tinted with a reddish-green color. It is probably intermediate between the Green and Purple-topped.
GRAVESEND. Rog.
Originated and named under like circumstances with the Battersea. The top is greener, and not generally so plump and close; but it is considered finer flavored. Both varieties are, however, held in great estimation.
GRAYSON'S GIANT.
This variety, as also the Deptford, Mortlake, and Reading, all originated and were named under the same conditions as the varieties before described. All are fine sorts; but the difference between them, and indeed between all of the kinds, if important, is certainly not permanent, so long as they are offered in the form of seeds for propagation.
Mr. Grayson, the originator of this variety, produced a hundred sprouts, the aggregate weight of which was forty-two pounds,--the largest ever raised in Britain.
GERMAN.
Asperge d'Allemagne. Vil.
This variety very nearly resembles the Giant Purple-topped. It is, however, considered a little earlier, and the top is deeper colored.
GIANT PURPLE-TOP.
Dutch. Red-top.
Sprout white; the top, as it breaks ground, purple; size very large, sometimes measuring an inch and three-fourths in diameter, but greatly affected by soil and cultivation.
A hundred sprouts of this variety have been produced which weighed twenty-five pounds.
GREEN-TOP.
This variety, when grown under the same conditions as the Giant Purple-top, is generally smaller or more slender. The top of the sprout, and the scales on the sides, are often slightly tinged with purple. The plant, when full grown, is perceptibly more green than that of the Giant Purple-top. From most nursery-beds, plants of both varieties will probably be obtained, with every intervening grade of size and color.
* * * * *
CARDOON.
Chardon. Chardoon. Cynara cardunculus.
In its general character and appearance, the Cardoon resembles the Artichoke. Its full size is not attained until the second year, when it is "truly a gigantic herbaceous plant," of five or six feet in height. The flowers, which are smaller than those of the artichoke, are produced in July and August of the second year, and are composed of numerous small blue florets, enclosed by somewhat fleshy, pointed scales. The seeds are oblong, a little flattened, of a grayish or grayish-green color, spotted and streaked with deep brown; and, when perfectly grown, are similar in size and form to those of the apple. About six hundred are contained in an ounce; and they retain their vitality seven years.
Soil, Propagation, and Culture.--The best soil for the Cardoon is a light and deep but not over-rich loam. It is raised from seed; which, as the plant is used in the first year of its growth and is liable to be injured by the winter, should be sown annually, although the Cardoon is really a perennial. It succeeds best when sown where the plants are to remain; for, if removed, the plants recover slowly, are more liable to run to seed, and, besides, seldom attain the size of those that have not been transplanted.
The seed should be sown as early in spring as the weather becomes warm and settled, in drills three feet apart, an inch and a half in depth, and the young plants afterwards thinned to twelve inches asunder in the drills. The leaves are blanched before being used.
It is sometimes raised and blanched as follows: Sow the seed at the bottom of trenches made about six inches deep, twelve inches wide, three feet apart, and of a length according to the supply required. At the bottom of the trench, thoroughly mix a small quantity of well-digested compost, and sow the seeds in small groups, or collections (three or four seeds together), at about twelve or fifteen inches apart, and cover them an inch or an inch and a half deep. When the young plants have acquired three or four leaves, they should be thinned out to single plants. During the summer, keep them free from weeds; and, as they require much moisture, it is well to water frequently, if the weather is very dry. In September, the plants will have attained their growth for the season, and be ready for blanching; which should be done in a dry day, and when the plants are entirely free from dampness. It is thus performed: The leaves of each plant are carefully and lightly tied together with strong matting; keeping the whole upright, and the ribs of the leaves closely together. The plant is then bound with twisted hay-bands, or bands of straw, about an inch and a half in diameter; beginning at the root, and continuing the winding until two-thirds or three-fourths of the height is covered. If there is no heavy frost, the leaves will blanch quickly and finely without further pains: but, if frosty weather occurs, it will be necessary to earth up about the plants, as is practised with celery; but care should be taken not to raise the earth higher than the hay-bands.
One method of blanching is simply to tie the leaves together with matting, and then to earth up the plants from time to time like celery; beginning early in September, and adding gradually every week until they are sufficiently covered. Those, however, blanched by the banding process, are superior, both in respect to color and in the greater length of the parts blanched.
Another practice is to earth up a little about the base of the plant, tie the leaves together with thread or matting, and then envelop the whole quite to the top with a quantity of long, clean wheat or rye straw, placed up and down the plant, and tied together with small cord or strong matting. The leaves will thus blanch without being earthed up, and speedily become white. This process is a good one, is economical, and presents a neat appearance.
"In either of the methods, it is very necessary to be careful that the plants are perfectly dry before they are enveloped in their covering: they will otherwise rot." In about three weeks after being tied up, the cardoons will be fit for use.
Harvesting.--When the stems and midribs of the leaves are thoroughly blanched, they are ready for use. Until the occurrence of severe weather, the table may be supplied directly from the garden: but, before the closing-up of the ground, "the plants should be taken up, roots and leaves entire, and removed to the cellar; where they should be packed in sand, laying the plants down in rows, and packing the sand around them, one course over another, till finished. In this way, they not only keep well, but become more perfectly blanched."
To raise Seed.--Allow two or three plants to remain unblanched, and leave them in the ground during the winter, protected by straw or other convenient material. They will grow to the height, and flower and seed, as before described. One plant will afford sufficient seed for any common garden.
Use.--"The stems of the leaves, as well as the mid-ribs, when blanched, are used for soups, stews, and even for salads, in autumn and winter. The longer these parts of the plant are, and the more rapidly they are grown, the more they are esteemed, on account of their greater crispness, tenderness, and color." The "Gardener's Chronicle" gives the following directions for dressing them:--
"When a Cardoon is to be cooked, the solid stalks of the leaves are to be cut in pieces about six inches long, and boiled, like any other vegetable, in pure water (not salt and water), till they are tender. They are then to be carefully deprived of the slime and strings that will be found to cover them; and, having been thus thoroughly cleansed, are to be plunged in cold water, where they must remain until they are wanted for the table. They are then taken out, and heated with white sauce, or marrow. The process just described is for the purpose of rendering them white, and of depriving them of a bitterness which is peculiar to them. If this is neglected, the cardoons will be black, not white, as well as disagreeable." M'Intosh remarks, that, when skilfully prepared, they form an excellent and wholesome dish, deserving far more general notice.
In France, the flowers are gathered, and dried in the shade; and, when so preserved, are used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk.
Varieties.--
COMMON, OR LARGE SMOOTH. Trans.
Smooth Large Solid. Plein Inerme. Vil.
This kind grows from four to five feet high. The leaves are large and strong, though somewhat smaller than those of the Tours or Prickly Cardoon. They are of a shining-green color, with little appearance of hoariness on the upper surface, and generally destitute of spines; though some of the plants occasionally have a few small ones at the base of the leaflets.
The Cardon Plein Inerme of the French, which is described in the "Bon Jardinier" as a novelty, corresponds nearly with the Large Smooth or Common Cardoon.
LARGE SPANISH. Trans.
D'Espagne. Vil.
Stem five or six feet high. The divisions of the leaflets are rather narrower, and somewhat more hoary, than those of the Common Cardoon. The ribs are longer, and the whole plant stronger and generally more spiny; though, on the whole, comparatively smooth. It is not, however, always very readily distinguished from the Common or Large Smooth Cardoon. It runs up to seed quicker than the other varieties.
PUVIS. Thomp.
Artichoke-leaved. Lance-leaved. Puvis de Bourg. Vil.
The Puvis Cardoon is remarkable for its strong growth, the large size it attains, and the thickness of the mid-ribs of the leaves, which are almost solid. The leaves are thick, and not at all prickly, or very slightly so. The terminal lobe is very large, and lance-formed: whence the name. It is a fine variety, and of more tender substance than the Tours Cardoon.
RED. Trans.
Blood-ribbed. Red-stemmed. Thomp. Large Purple.
The leaves of this variety are green, without any hoariness; long, narrow, and more sharply pointed than those of most of the other kinds. The ribs are large, solid, and tinged with red. A recent sort, excellent in quality, but wanting in hardiness.
TOURS. Trans.
Large Tours Solid. Cardon de Tours. Vil.
The leaves of this variety are very hoary on the upper surface; the divisions are broad, sharply pointed, and terminate with rigid, sharp spines. Spines also grow, in clusters of from three to five, at the base of the leaflets; and are very strong, and of a yellowish color. This variety is not so tall as the Spanish or Large Smooth. The ribs are large and solid.
The Tours Cardoon is cultivated by the market-gardeners around Paris; and, notwithstanding the inconvenience arising from its numerous and rigid spines, it is considered by them as the best, because of its thick, tender, and delicate ribs.
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THE HOP.
Humulus lupulus.
The Hop is considered a native of this continent, and is found wild in all parts of the United States. The root is perennial, but the stems are annual. The latter are from ten to twenty-five feet in length, angular, rough, and twine from right to left. The leaves are placed opposite each other on the stem, on long, winding footstalks: the smaller ones are heart-shaped; the larger ones three or five lobed, veiny, and rough. The barren and fertile flowers are produced on separate plants: the former being very numerous and paniculated; the latter in the form of an ament, or collection of small scales, which are more or less covered with a fine, yellow powder called "lupulin."
While several distinct sorts of the fertile or hop-bearing plant have been long in cultivation, only one variety of the male or barren plant is known.
Soil and Location.--Though it may be cultivated with success in a variety of soils, the Hop prefers a rich, deep loam, which should be thoroughly ploughed, and, if necessary, enriched with well-digested compost. In general, it may be said that "good corn-land is good hop-land." Hops, however, are reputed to be of better quality when raised on comparatively thin soils.
Propagation and Culture.--It is propagated by a division of the roots early in spring. When extensively cultivated, the plants are set in hills, five to seven feet apart, and three or four cuttings or slips allowed to a hill; but in garden culture, to procure the young shoots, the plants are set in rows about three feet apart, and one foot from plant to plant in the rows.
Use.--The plant is principally cultivated for its flowers, which are largely employed in the manufacture of malt liquors. The young shoots are cut in spring, when they are five or six inches in height, and eaten as salad, or used as asparagus, which they somewhat resemble in taste.
* * * * *
HOOSUNG, OR OOSUNG. Hov. Mag.
A lettuce-like plant from Shanghai. Stems cylindrical, from two to three feet high, erect, light green, with a green, succulent pith; leaves oblong, tapering to the base, the uppermost clasping; the flowers are small, yellow, in panicles slightly drooping. If sown in April or May, the plants will ripen their seed in August.
Sowing and Cultivation.--Sow in a cool frame, in either April or May, or continuously, for a succession, at intervals during May, and transplant into the open ground in the usual manner of treating lettuces; making the rows about eighteen inches apart, and placing the plants about the same distance apart in the rows. The plants will be fit for use early in June.
Use.--The succulent stem is the part used. This is divested of its outer rind, and either simply boiled, with a little salt in the water, and dressed as asparagus, or stewed in soy, with salt, pepper, and butter added, or boiled in soup as okra. It is a very agreeable and pleasant addition to the list of vegetable esculents, and worthy of trial.
The plant is very little cultivated; and there are no described varieties.
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PERENNIAL PHYTOLACCA.
Garget. Poke. Pigeon Berry. Phytolacca decandra.
A hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant, common by roadsides, in waste places, and springing up spontaneously on newly burned pine-lands. It has a branching, purplish stem, five to seven feet in height; and large, oval, pointed, entire leaves. The flowers are produced in July and August, in long clusters; and are of a dull-white color. The fruit consists of a flat, purple, juicy berry; and is sometimes used for dyeing purple.
Soil and Culture.--It will thrive in almost any soil or situation; and can be easily propagated from seed, or by dividing the roots. The plant requires little cultivation, and is so abundant in many localities as to afford an ample supply for the mere labor of gathering.
Use.--The young shoots are eaten early in the season, as a substitute for asparagus, which they resemble in taste. When treated in the manner of sea-kale, the flavor of the sprouts is scarcely distinguishable from that of asparagus. The root has reputed important medicinal properties; and, when taken internally, acts as a violent emetic.
ANNUAL PHYTOLACCA.
Phytolacca esculenta.
An annual species, with foliage similar to the foregoing. It is much less vigorous and stocky in habit. The seed should be sown in April, in drills fifteen inches apart. The young shoots, or plants, are used in the manner of the species before described.
IV. CUCURBITACEOUS PLANTS
The Cucumber. Egyptian Cucumber. Globe Cucumber. Gourd, or Calabash. The Melon. Musk-melon. Persian Melons. Water-melon. Papanjay, or Sponge Cucumber. Prickly-fruited Gherkin. Pumpkin. Snake Cucumber. Squash.
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THE CUCUMBER.
Cucumis sativus.
The Cucumber is a tender, annual plant; and is a native of the East Indies, or of tropical origin. It has an angular, creeping stem; large, somewhat heart-shaped, leaves; and axillary staminate or pistillate flowers. The fruit is cylindrical, generally elongated, often somewhat angular, smooth, or with scattering black or white spines; the flesh is white or greenish-white, and is divided at the centre of the fruit into three parts, in each of which the seeds are produced in great abundance. These seeds are of an elliptical or oval form, much flattened, and of a pale yellowish-white color. About twelve hundred are contained in an ounce; and they retain their vitality ten years.
Soil and Culture.--Very dry and very wet soils should be avoided. Cucumbers succeed decidedly best in warm, moist, rich, loamy ground. The essentials to their growth are heat, and a fair proportion of moisture. They should not be planted or set in the open air until there is a prospect of continued warm and pleasant weather; as, when planted early, not only are the seeds liable to decay in the ground, but the young plants are frequently cut off by frost.
The hills should be five or six feet apart in each direction. Make them fifteen or eighteen inches in diameter, and a foot in depth; fill them three-fourths full of thoroughly digested compost, and then draw four or five inches of earth over the whole, raising the hill a little above the level of the ground; plant fifteen or twenty seeds in each, cover half an inch deep, and press the earth smoothly over with the back of the hoe. When all danger from bugs and worms is past, thin out the plants; leaving but three or four of the strongest or healthiest to a hill.
Taking the Crop.--As fast as the cucumbers attain a suitable size, they should be plucked, whether required for use or not. The imperfectly formed, as well as the symmetrical, should all be removed. Fruit, however inferior, left to ripen on the vines, soon destroys their productiveness.
Seed.--"Cucumbers, from their natural proneness to impregnate each other when, grown together, are exceedingly difficult to keep true to their original points of merit;" and consequently, to retain any variety in its purity, it must be grown apart from all other sorts. When a few seeds are desired for the vegetable garden, two or three of the finest-formed cucumbers should be selected early in the season, and allowed to ripen on the plants. In September, or when fully ripe, cut them open, take out the seeds, and allow them to stand a day or two, or until the pulp attached to them begins to separate; when they should be washed clean, thoroughly dried, and packed away for future use.
For Pickling.--The land for raising cucumbers for pickling may be either swarded or stubble; but it must be in good condition, and such as is not easily affected by drought. It should be deeply ploughed, and the surface afterwards made fine and friable by being thoroughly harrowed. The hills should be six feet apart, and are generally formed by furrowing the land at this distance in each direction. Manure the hills with well-digested compost, level off, draw over a little fine earth, and the land is ready for planting.
This may be done at any time from the middle of June to the first week in July. The quantity of seed allowed to an acre varies from three-fourths of a pound, upwards. In most cases, growers seed very liberally, to provide against the depredation of worms and bugs; usually putting six or eight times as many seeds in a hill as will be really required for the crop. When the plants are well established and beyond danger, the field is examined, and the hills thinned to three or four plants; or, where there is a deficiency of plants, replanted.
As fast as the cucumbers attain the proper size, they should be plucked; the usual practice being to go over the plantation daily. In gathering, all the fruit should be removed,--the misshapen and unmarketable, as well as those which are well formed; for, when any portion of the crop is allowed to remain and ripen, the plants become much less productive.
In favorable seasons, and under a high state of cultivation, a hundred and twenty-five thousand are obtained from an acre; while, under opposite conditions, the crop may not exceed fifty thousand. The average price is about a dollar and twenty-five cents per thousand.
Varieties.--
EARLY CLUSTER.
Early Green Cluster.
A very popular, early cucumber, producing its fruit in clusters near the root of the plant: whence the name. The plant is healthy, hardy, and vigorous; fruit comparatively short and thick. Its usual length is about five inches, and its diameter about two inches; skin prickly, green,--at the blossom-end, often paler, or nearly white,--brownish-yellow when ripe; flesh white, seedy, tender, and well flavored, but less crispy or brittle than that of many other varieties.
It is a good early garden sort, and is very productive; but is not well adapted for pickling, on account of the soft and seedy character of its flesh.
EARLY FRAME.
Short Green.
One of the oldest of the garden sorts, justly styled a standard variety. Plant healthy and vigorous, six to ten feet in length; fruit straight and well formed, five inches and a half long, and two inches and a half in diameter; skin deep-green, paler at the blossom-end, changing to clear yellow as it approaches maturity, and, when fully ripe, of a yellowish, russet-brown color; flesh greenish-white, rather seedy, but tender, and of an agreeable flavor. It is a few days later than the Early Cluster.
The variety is universally popular, and is found in almost every vegetable garden. It is also very productive; succeeds well, whether grown in open culture or under glass; and, if plucked while young and small, makes an excellent pickle.
EARLY RUSSIAN.
This comparatively new variety resembles, in some respects, the Early Cluster. Fruit from three to four inches in length, an inch and a half or two inches in diameter, and generally produced in pairs; flesh tender, crisp, and well flavored. When ripe, the fruit is deep-yellow or yellowish-brown.
Its merits are its hardiness, extreme earliness, and great productiveness. It comes into use nearly ten days in advance of the Early Cluster, and is the earliest garden variety now cultivated. Its small size is, however, considered an objection; and some of the larger kinds are generally preferred for the main crop.
LONDON LONG GREEN. M'Int.
Fruit about a foot in length, tapering towards the extremities; skin very deep-green while the fruit is young, yellow when it is ripe; flesh greenish-white, firm, and crisp; flavor good.
This variety is nearly related to the numerous prize sorts which in England are cultivated under glass, and forced during the winter. There is little permanency in the slight variations of character by which they are distinguished; and old varieties are constantly being dropped from the catalogues, and others, with different names, substituted. Amongst the most prominent of these sub-varieties are the following:--
Carter's Superior.--Recently introduced. Represented as one of the largest and finest of the forcing varieties.
Conqueror of the West.--Eighteen to twenty inches in length. It is a fine prize sort, and succeeds well in open culture.
Cuthill's Black Spine.--Six to nine inches in length, hardy, early, and productive. An excellent sort for starting in a hot-bed. Fruit very firm and attractive.
The Doctor.--Sixteen to eighteen inches in length, and contracted towards the stem in the form of a neck. In favorable seasons, it will attain a good size, if grown in the open ground. Crisp, tender, and well flavored.
Eggleston's Conqueror.--"Very prolific, good for forcing, of fine flavor, hardy, and a really useful sort. Specimens have been grown measuring twenty-eight inches in length, nine inches and a half in circumference, and weighing five pounds."
Flanigan's Prize.--An old, established variety; having been grown in England upwards of thirty years. Length fifteen inches.
Hunter's Prolific.--Length eighteen inches. Very crisp and excellent, but requires more heat than most other varieties. Spines white; fruit covered with a good bloom, and not liable to turn yellow at the base.
Improved Sion House.--This variety has received many prizes in England. Not only is it well adapted for the summer crop, but it succeeds remarkably well when grown under glass.
Irishman.--Length twenty-two to twenty-five inches. Handsome, and excellent for exhibition.
Lord Kenyon's Favorite.--Length twelve to eighteen inches. A fine sort for winter forcing.
Manchester Prize.--This, like the Nepal, is one of the largest of the English greenhouse prize varieties. It sometimes measures two feet in length, and weighs twelve pounds. In favorable seasons, it will attain a large size in open culture, and sometimes perfect its seed.
Nepal.--One of the largest of all varieties; length about twenty-four inches; weight ten to twelve pounds.
Norman's Stitchworth-Park Hero.--A recently introduced variety, hardy, long, handsome, very prolific, and fine flavored.
Old Sion House.--Length about nine inches. This is a well-tried, winter, forcing variety. Like the Improved Sion House, it also succeeds well in open culture. Quality good, though the extremities are sometimes bitter.
Prize-fighter.--Length about sixteen inches. Good for the summer crop or for exhibition.
Rifleman.--This variety is described as one of the best prize cucumbers. It has a black spine; always grows very even from stem to point, with scarcely any handle; carries its bloom well; keeps a good fresh color; and is not liable to turn yellow as many other sorts. Length twenty-four to twenty-eight inches. An abundant bearer.
Ringleader.--A prominent prize sort, about fifteen inches in length. It succeeds well, whether grown under glass or in the open ground.
Roman Emperor.--Length twelve to fifteen inches.
Southgate.--This variety has been pronounced the most productive, and the best for forcing, of all the prize sorts. It is not so late as many of the English varieties, and will frequently succeed well if grown in the open ground.
Victory of Bath.--Length about seventeen inches. Well adapted for forcing or for the general crop.
LONG GREEN PRICKLY.
Long Prickly. Early Long Green Prickly.
This is a large-sized variety, and somewhat later than the White-spined. The plant is a strong grower, and the foliage of a deep-green color; the fruit is about seven inches in length, straight, and generally angular; skin dark-green, changing to yellow as the fruit approaches maturity,--when fully ripe, it is reddish-brown, and is often reticulated about the insertion of the stem; prickles black; flesh white, somewhat seedy, but crisp, tender, and well flavored.
The Long Green Prickly is hardy and productive; makes a good pickle, if plucked while young; and is well deserving of cultivation. It differs from the London Long Green and the Long Green Turkey in its form, which is much thicker in proportion to its length; and also in the character of its flesh, which is more pulpy and seedy.
LONG GREEN TURKEY.
Extra Long Green Turkey.
A distinct and well-defined variety; when full grown, sometimes measuring nearly eighteen inches in length. Form long and slender, contracted towards the stem in the form of a neck, and swollen towards the opposite extremity; seeds few, and usually produced nearest the blossom-end. The neck is generally solid. While the fruit is young, the skin is deep-green; afterwards it changes to clear yellow, and finally assumes a rusty-yellow or yellowish-brown. Flesh remarkably firm and crisp; exceeding, in these respects, that of any other variety. Very productive and excellent.
Its remarkably firm and crispy flesh, and the absence of seeds, render it serviceable for the table after it has reached a very considerable size. For the same reasons, it may be pickled at a stage of its growth when other more seedy and pulpy sorts would be comparatively worthless.
SHORT PRICKLY.
Short Green Prickly. Early Short Green Prickly.
This variety somewhat resembles the Long Prickly; but it is shorter, and proportionally thicker. Its length, when suitable for use, is about four inches. Skin prickly, green, changing to yellow at maturity; flesh transparent greenish-white, rather seedy, but tender, crisp, and fine flavored.
The variety is very hardy and productive, comes early into fruit, and is one of the best for pickling. It is a few days later than the Early Cluster.
UNDERWOOD'S SHORT PRICKLY.
This is an improved variety of the common Short Prickly, and is the best of all the sorts for extensive cultivation for pickling. The plant is hardy and productive. The fruit, when young, is very symmetrical, and of a fine deep-green color. Its flesh is characterized by extraordinary crispness and solidity. When more advanced, the color becomes paler, and the flesh more soft and seedy. The fruit, at maturity, is yellow.
WHITE SPANISH.
The form of this variety is similar to that of the White-spined. The fruit measures about five inches in length, two inches in diameter, and is generally somewhat ribbed. When suitable for use, the skin is white; a characteristic by which the variety is readily distinguished from all others. The flesh is crisp, tender, and well flavored. At maturity, the fruit is yellow.
WHITE-SPINED.
Early White-spined. New-York Market.
This very distinct variety is extensively grown for marketing, both at the North and South. The plants grow from six to ten feet in length; and, like those of the Early Frame, are of a healthy, luxurious habit. The fruit is of full medium size, straight, and well formed; about six inches in length, and two inches and a half in diameter. Skin deep-green; prickles white; flesh white, tender, crispy, and of remarkably fine flavor. As the fruit ripens, the skin gradually becomes paler; and, when fully ripe, is nearly white: by which peculiarity, in connection with its white spines, the variety is always readily distinguishable.
The White-spined is one of the best sorts for the table; and is greatly prized by market-men on account of its color, which is never changed to yellow, though kept long after being plucked. It is generally thought to retain its freshness longer than any other variety, and consequently to be well fitted for transporting long distances; though, on account of its peculiar color, the freshness may be less real than apparent.
For the very general dissemination of this variety, the public are, in a great degree, indebted to the late I. P. Rand, Esq., of Boston, whose integrity as a merchant, and whose skill as a practical vegetable cultivator and horticulturist, will be long remembered.
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EGYPTIAN CUCUMBER.
Hairy Cucumber. Round-leaved Egyptian. Concombre chaté. Vil. Cucumis chate.
This is a tender, annual plant, with an angular, creeping stem, and alternate, somewhat heart-shaped, leaves. The flowers are axillary, about an inch in diameter, and of a pale-yellow color; the fruit is small, oblong, and very hairy.
It is of little value as an esculent, and is rarely cultivated. The fruit is sometimes eaten in its green state, and also when cooked. According to Duchesne, the Egyptians prepare from the pulp a very agreeable and refreshing beverage.
Plant and cultivate as directed for melons or cucumbers.
* * * * *
GLOBE CUCUMBER.
Concombre des prophètes. Vil. Cucumis prophetarum.
A tender annual from Arabia. Stem slender, creeping, and furnished with tendrils, or claspers. The leaves are about three inches in diameter, five-lobed, and indented on the borders; the flowers are axillary, yellow, and nearly three-fourths of an inch in diameter; the fruit is round, and rarely measures an inch in thickness; skin striped with green and yellow, and thickly set with rigid hairs, or bristles; the seeds are small, oval, flattened, and of a yellowish color.
Planting and Culture.--The seeds should be planted at the time of planting cucumbers or melons, in hills four or five feet apart, and covered about half an inch deep. Thin to two or three plants to a hill.
Use.--The fruit is sometimes eaten boiled; but is generally pickled in its green state, like the common cucumber.
As a table vegetable, it is comparatively unimportant, and not worthy of cultivation.
* * * * *
CALABASH, OR COMMON GOURD.
Bottle Gourd. Cucurbita lagenaria.
The Calabash, or Common Gourd, is a climbing or creeping annual plant, frequently more than twenty feet in height or length. The leaves are large, round, heart-shaped, very soft and velvety to the touch, and emit a peculiar, musky odor, when bruised or roughly handled. The flowers, which are produced on very long stems, are white, and nearly three inches in diameter. They expand towards evening, and remain in perfection only a few hours; as they are generally found drooping and withering on the ensuing morning. The young fruit is hairy, and quite soft and tender; but, when ripe, the surface becomes hard, smooth, and glossy. The seeds are five-eighths of an inch in length, somewhat quadrangular, of a fawn-yellow color, and retain their vitality five years. About three hundred are contained in an ounce.
Cultivation.--The seeds are planted at the same time and in the same manner as those of the Squash. The Gourd succeeds best when provided with a trellis, or other support, to keep the plant from the ground; as the fruit is best developed in a pendent or hanging position.
Use.--The fruit, while still young and tender, is sometimes pickled in vinegar, like cucumbers. At maturity, the flesh is worthless: but the shells, which are very hard, light, and comparatively strong, are used as substitutes for baskets; and are also formed into water-dippers, and various other articles both useful and ornamental. The varieties are as follow:--
BOTTLE GOURD. Vil.
Fruit about a foot in length, contracted at the middle, largest at the blossom-end, but swollen also at the part next the stem.
There is a sub-variety, very much larger; but it is also later.
HERCULES CLUB.
Courge Massue d'Hercule. Vil.
Fruit very long. Specimens are frequently produced measuring upwards of five feet in length. It is smallest towards the stem, and increases gradually in size towards the opposite extremity, which is rounded, and near which, in its largest diameter, it measures from four to five inches. Its form is quite peculiar, and is not unlike that of a massive club: whence the name.
It is frequently seen at horticultural and agricultural shows; and, though sometimes exhibited as a "cucumber," has little or no value as an esculent, and must be considered much more curious than useful. It is of a pea-green color while growing, and the skin is then quite soft and tender; but, like the other varieties, the surface becomes smooth, and the skin very hard and shell-like, at maturity.
POWDER-HORN.
Courge Poire à Poudre. Vil.
Fruit long and slender, broadest at the base, tapering towards the stem, and often more or less curved. In its general form, it resembles a common horn, as implied by the name. Its usual length is twelve or fourteen inches; and its largest diameter, nearly three inches.
SIPHON GOURD.
Courge Siphon. Vil.
Fruit rounded, and flattened at the blossom-end; then suddenly contracted to a long, slender neck. The latter often bends or turns suddenly at nearly a right angle; and, in this form, the fruit very much resembles a siphon. Pea-green while young, pale-green when mature. Shell thick and hard.
* * * * *
THE MELON.
Of the Melon, there are two species in general cultivation,--the Musk-melon (Cucumis melo) and the Water-melon (Cucurbita citrullus); each, however, including many varieties. Like the Squash, they are tender, annual plants, of tropical origin, and only thrive well in a warm temperature. "The climate of the Middle and Southern States is remarkably favorable for them; indeed, far more so than that of England, France, or any of the temperate portions of Europe. Consequently, melons are raised as field crops by market-gardeners: and, in the month of August, the finest citrons or green-fleshed melons may be seen in the markets of New York and Philadelphia in immense quantities; so abundant, in most seasons, as frequently to be sold at half a dollar per basket, containing nearly a bushel of fruit. The warm, dry soils of Long Island and New Jersey are peculiarly favorable to the growth of melons; and, even at low prices, the product is so large, that this crop is one of the most profitable."--Downing.
Through the extraordinary facilities now afforded by railroads and ocean steam-navigation, the markets of all the cities and large towns of the northern portions of the United States, and even of the Canadas, are abundantly supplied within two or three days from the time of gathering: and they are retailed at prices so low, as to allow of almost universal consumption; well-ripened and delicious green-fleshed citron-melons being often sold from six to ten cents each.
Soil and Cultivation.--Both the Musk and the Water Melon thrive best in a warm, mellow, rich, sandy loam, and in a sheltered exposure. After thoroughly stirring the soil by ploughing or spading, make the hills six or seven feet apart in each direction. Previous to planting, these hills should be prepared as directed for the Squash; making them a foot and a half or two feet in diameter, and twelve or fifteen inches in depth. Thoroughly incorporate at the bottom of the hill a quantity of well-digested compost, equal to three-fourths of the earth removed; and then add sufficient fine loam to raise the hill two or three inches above the surrounding level. On the top of the hill thus formed, plant twelve or fifteen seeds; and, when the plants are well up, thin them out from time to time as they progress in size. Finally, when all danger from bugs and other insect depredators is past, leave but two or three of the most stocky and promising plants to a hill. When the growth is too luxuriant, many practise pinching or cutting off the leading shoots; and, when the young fruit sets in too great numbers, a portion should be removed, both for the purpose of increasing the size and of hastening the maturity of those remaining. "Keep the fruit from being injured by lying on the ground; and if slate, blackened shingles, or any dry, dark material, be placed beneath it, by attraction of the sun's rays, the fruit will ripen earlier and better."
The striped bug (Galereuca vittata) is the most serious enemy with which the young melon-plants have to contend. Gauze vine-shields, though the most expensive, are unquestionably the most effectual preventive. Boxes either round or square, twelve or fifteen inches in depth, and entirely uncovered at the top, if placed over the hills, will be found useful in protecting the plants. The flight of the bug being generally nearly parallel with the surface of the ground, very few will find their way within the boxes, if of the depth required. Applications of guano, ashes, dilutions of oil-soap, and plaster of Paris, applied while the plants are wet, will be found of greater or less efficacy in their protection. The pungent smell of guano is said to prevent the depredation of the flea-beetle, which, in many localities, seriously injures the plants early in the season, through its attacks on the seed-leaves.
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THE MUSK-MELON.
Cucumis melo.
Plant running,--varying in length from five to eight feet; leaves large, angular, heart-shaped, and rough on the upper and under surface; flowers yellow, one-petaled, five-pointed, and about an inch in diameter; seeds oval, flat, generally yellow, but sometimes nearly white, about four-tenths of an inch in length, and three-sixteenths of an inch in breadth,--the size, however, varying to a considerable extent in the different varieties. An ounce contains from nine hundred to eleven hundred seeds; and they retain their germinative properties from eight to ten years.
Varieties.--These are exceedingly numerous, in consequence of the great facility with which the various kinds intermix, or hybridize. Varieties are, however, much more easily produced than retained: consequently, old names are almost annually discarded from the catalogues of seedsmen and gardeners; and new names, with superior recommendations, offered in their stead. The following list embraces most of the kinds of much prominence or value now cultivated either in Europe or this country:--
BEECHWOOD.
Fruit nearly spherical, but rather longer than broad,--usually five or six inches in diameter; skin greenish-yellow, thickly and regularly netted; flesh green, melting, sugary, and excellent. An early and fine variety.
BLACK-ROCK CANTALOUPE. Loud.
A large-fruited, late variety; form variable, but generally round, and flattened at the ends; size large,--ten inches in diameter, eight inches deep, and weighing eight or ten pounds. The skin varies in color from grayish-green to deep-green; becomes yellow at maturity, and is thickly spread with knobby bunches, or small protuberances. Rind very thick; flesh reddish-orange, melting, and sugary. It requires a long season for its full perfection.
CHRISTIANA.
This variety was originated by the late Capt. Josiah Lovett, of Beverly, Mass. Form roundish; size rather small,--average specimens measuring nearly the same as the Green Citron; skin yellowish-green; flesh yellow, sweet, juicy, and of good quality. Its early maturity is its principal recommendation; the Green Citron, Nutmeg, and many other varieties, surpassing it in firmness of flesh, sweetness, and general excellence.
It would probably ripen at the North, or in short seasons, when other sorts generally fail.
CITRON.
Green-fleshed Citron. Green Citron.
Fruit nearly round, but flattened slightly at the ends,--deeply and very regularly ribbed; size medium, or rather small,--average specimens measuring about six inches in diameter, and five inches and a half in depth; skin green, and thickly netted,--when fully mature, the green becomes more soft and mellow, or of a yellowish shade; flesh green, quite thick, very juicy, and of the richest and most sugary flavor. It is an abundant bearer, quite hardy, and remarkably uniform in its quality. It is deservedly the most popular as a market sort; and for cultivation for family use, every thing considered, has few superiors.
In common with the Carolina Water-melon, the Green Citron is extensively grown at the South for shipping to the northern portions of the United States; appearing in the markets of New York and Boston three or four weeks in advance of the season of those raised in the same vicinity in the open ground.
EARLY CANTALOUPE.
This variety possesses little merit aside from its very early maturity. It is a roundish melon, flattened a little at the ends, ribbed, and of comparatively small size; usually measuring about five inches in diameter. Skin yellowish, often spotted with green, and sometimes a little warty; rind quite thick; flesh reddish-orange, sweet, and of good flavor.
It is exceedingly variable in size, form, and color.
HARDY RIDGE. Loud.
Fruit rather small, round, depressed, strongly ribbed, and irregularly warted all over its surface; skin dull yellow, mottled with dull green; flesh an inch thick, bright orange-red, sweet, and well flavored; rind thick; weight from three to four pounds. Not an early, but a productive variety.
LARGE-RIBBED NETTED.
Common Musk-melon.
Fruit very large, oval, strongly ribbed; skin yellow, very thickly netted, sometimes so closely as to cover nearly the entire surface; flesh salmon-yellow, remarkably thick and sweet, but not fine-grained or melting, when compared with the more recent and improved varieties.
Hardy and productive. In good soil and favorable seasons, the fruit sometimes attains a length of fifteen inches, and weighs upwards of twenty pounds.
MUNROE'S GREEN FLESH. Vil.
A comparatively new variety. The fruit is nearly spherical, but tapers slightly towards the stem, and is rather regularly as well as distinctly ribbed. Its diameter is about five inches. Cicatrix large; skin greenish-yellow, thickly and finely netted over the entire surface; rind thin; flesh green, remarkably transparent, comparatively thick, very melting, and highly perfumed.
NUTMEG.
Fruit oval, regularly but faintly ribbed, eight or nine inches in length, and about six inches in its broadest diameter; skin pale-green, and very thickly netted; rind thin; flesh light-green, rich, sweet, melting, and highly perfumed.
The Nutmeg Melon has been long in cultivation, and is almost everywhere to be found in the vegetable garden, though seldom in a perfectly unmixed state. When the variety is pure, and the fruit perfectly ripened, it is of most delicious excellence, and deservedly ranked as one of "the best."
ORANGE CANTALOUPE.
An oval variety, about six inches in length by five inches in diameter, rather prominently ribbed. Skin yellow, marbled with green, thickly netted about the stem, and sparsely so over the remainder of the surface; rind thick; flesh reddish-orange, sweet, highly perfumed, and of good flavor. Very early and productive.
PINE-APPLE.
Form roundish, inclining to oval, either without ribs or with rib-marking, very faintly defined; size small,--the average diameter being about five inches and a half; skin olive-green, with net-markings more or less abundant; rind thin; flesh green, melting, sweet, and perfumed. Season early.
It is an excellent sort, easily grown, and very productive.
PRESCOTT CANTALOUPE. Vil.
Fruit generally somewhat flattened, but variable in form, deeply ribbed; size large,--well-grown specimens measuring eight or ten inches in diameter, and weighing from seven to nine pounds; skin thickly covered with small tubercles; color varying from grayish-green to clear-green, more or less deep, changing to yellow at maturity; rind very thick; flesh orange-red, sugary and melting, and of delicious flavor.
There are numerous sub-varieties, as grown by different gardeners, varying somewhat in form, color, and time of maturity; all, however, corresponding nearly with the above description, though known by different names, as the "White," "Gray," "Black," "Prescott," &c. Much esteemed in France, and extensively grown by market-gardeners in the vicinity of Paris.
SKILLMAN'S FINE-NETTED.
This variety much resembles the Pine-apple. Form rounded, flattened slightly at the ends; flesh green, sugary, melting, and excellent. It has been pronounced "the earliest of the green-fleshed sorts."
VICTORY OF BATH.
A recently introduced variety of English origin. Fruit egg-shaped, faintly ribbed, rounded at the blossom-end, and slightly contracted towards the stem,--at the insertion of which, it is flattened to a small, plane surface; size medium,--about six inches deep, and five inches in diameter; skin green, clouded with yellow, and sparsely covered with fine net-markings; skin thin; flesh green.
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PERSIAN MELONS. Trans.
These differ remarkably from the varieties commonly cultivated. They are destitute of the thick, hard rind which characterizes the common sorts, and which renders so large a portion of the fruit useless. On the contrary, the Persian melons are protected by a skin so thin and delicate, that they are subject to injury from causes that would produce no perceptible effect on the sorts in general cultivation. As a class, they are not only prolific, but their flesh is extremely tender, rich, and sweet, and flows copiously with a cool juice, which renders them still more grateful. They are, however, not early; and, for their complete perfection, require a long and warm season.
Varieties.--
DAMPSHA. M'Int.
Flesh dark-green near the skin, rather whitish towards the centre, quite melting, and of excellent flavor. The first-produced fruit in the season is somewhat cylindrical, bluntly pointed at both ends; the whole surface being prominently netted, and of a pale-yellow or dark-olive color. The secondary crop has the fruit more pointed and less netted, and the skin becomes much darker. Like the other varieties of winter melons, it may be preserved a long time after being taken from the vines, if suspended in a dry room. Weight four to five pounds.
DAREE. Trans.
This resembles the Geree Melon in color, as well as in many other respects. It is of the same form; but the rind, when netted, exhibits coarser reticulations. The flesh is white, thick, crisp, and melting; when fully ripened, very sweet, but rather insipid if imperfectly matured. It is always, however, cool and pleasant.
GEREE. Trans.
A handsome green fruit. In shape, it is oval, or ovate; and measures eight inches in length by four inches and a half in breadth. The skin is closely mottled with dark sea-green upon a pale ground, and is either netted or not. In the former case, the meshes are very close; by which character, it may be readily distinguished from the Daree. Stalk very short; flesh an inch and a half or two inches thick, bright-green, melting, very sweet, and highly flavored. Though perhaps equally rich, it is not so beautiful or so juicy as the Melon of Keiseng. A good bearer, but requires a warm, long season.
GERMEK. Trans.
Large Germek.
A handsome large-sized, ribbed fruit, shaped like a compressed sphere; usually six inches in length, and from seven to nine inches in diameter. Skin deep-green, closely netted; flesh from an inch and a half to two inches thick, clear green, firm, juicy, and high flavored. This is an excellent variety, an abundant bearer, ripens early, and exceeds in size any of the Persian melons.
GREEN HOOSAINEE. Trans.
A handsome egg-shaped fruit, five inches long by four inches broad: when unripe, of a very deep-green; but, in maturity, acquiring a fine, even, light-green, regularly netted surface, which, on the exposed side, becomes rather yellow. The flesh is pale-greenish white, tender and delicate, full of a highly perfumed, pleasant, sweet juice; the rind is very thin; the seeds are unusually large.
It is a variety of much excellence, a great bearer, and one of the hardiest of the Persian melons.
GREEN VALENCIA. M'Int.
A winter sort. Although not rich in flavor, it is firm, saccharine, and juicy; and upon the whole, if fully ripened, a more desirable melon than many of the summer varieties.
ISPAHAN. Trans.
Sweet Ispahan.
This has been pronounced "the most delicious of all melons." The fruit is egg-shaped, varying in length from eight to twelve inches, and weighing from six to eight pounds; skin nearly smooth, of a deep sulphur-yellow; flesh nearly white, extending about half way to its centre, crisp, sugary, and very rich.
It is a variety of much excellence, but is fully perfected only in favorable seasons.
MELON OF KEISENG. Loud.
A beautiful egg-shaped fruit, eight inches long, five inches wide in the middle, six inches wide at the lower extremity; very regularly and handsomely formed. Color pale lemon-yellow; flesh from an inch and a half to two inches and a quarter thick, nearly white, flowing copiously with juice, extremely delicate, sweet, and high flavored, very similar in texture to a well-ripened Beurré pear; rind thin, but so firm that all the fleshy part of the fruit may be eaten.
It differs from the Sweet Ispahan in being closely netted.
MELON OF SEEN.
A fruit of regular figure and handsome appearance, seven inches long by five inches wide. Shape ovate, with a small mamelon at the apex; surface pale dusky yellow, regularly and closely netted, except the mamelon, which is but little marked; rind very thin; flesh from an inch and a half to two inches thick, pale-green, sometimes becoming reddish towards the inside, exceedingly tender and juicy; juice sweet, and delicately perfumed. A good bearer, but requires a long season. Named from Seen, a village near Ispahan; where the variety was procured.
SMALL GERMEK. Trans.
This ripens about a week earlier than the Large Germek, but is not so valuable a fruit. In form, it is a depressed sphere, with about eight rounded ribs. It measures four inches in depth by four inches and a half in width. The skin is even, yellowish, with a little green about the interstices, obscurely netted; the flesh is green, inclining to reddish in the inside, an inch and a half thick, juicy, and high flavored; skin very thin. The pulp in which the seeds are immersed is reddish. It is not a great bearer, and the vines are tender.
STRIPED HOOSAINEE. Trans.
Fruit oval and much netted, dark-green in broad stripes, with narrow intervals of dull white, which become faintly yellow as the fruit ripens; pulp externally green, but more internally pale-red, excessively juicy, and more perfectly melting than that of the famous Ispahan Melon.
It is sweeter and higher flavored than any other Persian variety, but requires a long, warm season for its full perfection.
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THE WATER-MELON.
Cucurbita citrullus.
Plant running,--the length varying from eight to twelve feet; leaves bluish-green, five-lobed, the lobes rounded at the ends; flowers pale-yellow, about an inch in diameter; fruit large, roundish, green, or variegated with different shades of green; seeds oval, flattened, half an inch long, five-sixteenths of an inch broad,--the color varying according to the variety, being either red, white, black, yellowish or grayish brown. An ounce contains from a hundred and seventy-five to two hundred seeds, and they retain their vitality eight years.
The Water-melon is more vigorous in its habit than the Musk-melon, and requires more space in cultivation; the hills being usually made eight feet apart in each direction. It is less liable to injury from insects, and the crop is consequently much more certain. The seed should not be planted till May, or before established warm weather; and but two good plants allowed to a hill. The varieties are as follow:--
APPLE-SEEDED.
A rather small, nearly round sort, deriving its name from its small, peculiar seeds; which, in form, size, and color, are somewhat similar to those of the apple. Skin deep, clear-green; rind very thin; flesh bright-red to the centre, sweet, tender, and well-flavored. It is hardy, bears abundantly, seldom fails to ripen perfectly in the shortest seasons, and keeps a long time after being gathered.
BLACK SPANISH.
Spanish.
Form oblong; size large; skin very dark or blackish green; rind half an inch thick; flesh deep-red (contrasting finely with the very deep-green color of the skin), fine-grained, very sugary, and of excellent flavor. The variety is hardy, productive, thrives well, matures its fruit in the Northern and Eastern States, and is decidedly one of the best for general cultivation. Seeds dark-brown, or nearly black.
BRADFORD. W. D. Brinckle.
The Bradford is a highly prized, South-Carolina variety; size large; form oblong; skin dark-green, with gray, longitudinal stripes, mottled and reticulated with green; rind not exceeding half an inch in thickness; seed yellowish-white, slightly mottled, and with a yellowish-brown stripe around the edge; flesh fine red to the centre; flavor fine and sugary; quality "best."
CAROLINA.
Fruit of large size, and of an oblong form, usually somewhat swollen towards the blossom-end; skin deep-green, variegated with pale-green or white; flesh deep-red, not fine-grained, but crisp, sweet, and of fair quality; fruit frequently hollow at the centre; seeds black.
This variety is extensively grown in the Southern States for exportation to the North, where it appears in the markets about the beginning of August, and to some extent in July. Many of the specimens are much less marked with stripes and variegations than the true Carolina; and some shipments consist almost entirely of fruit of a uniform deep-green color, but of the form and quality of the Carolina.
Downing mentions a sub-variety with pale-yellow flesh and white seeds.
CITRON WATER-MELON.
Form very nearly spherical; size rather small,--average specimens measuring six or seven inches in diameter; color pale-green, marbled with darker shades of green; flesh white, solid, tough, seedy, and very squashy and unpalatable in its crude state. It ripens late in the season, and will keep until December. "It is employed in the making of sweetmeats and preserves, by removing the rind or skin and seeds, cutting the flesh into convenient bits, and boiling in sirup which has been flavored with ginger, lemon, or some agreeable article. Its cultivation is the same as that of other kinds of melons."--New American Cyclopædia.
CLARENDON. W. D. Brinckle.
Dark-speckled.
Size large; form oblong; skin mottled-gray, with dark-green, interrupted, longitudinal stripes, irregular in their outline, and composed of a succession of peninsulas and isthmuses; rind thin, not exceeding half an inch; seed yellow, with a black stripe extending round the edge, and from one to three black spots on each side,--the form and number corresponding on the two sides; flesh scarlet to the centre; flavor sugary and exquisite, and quality "best."
This fine melon originated in Clarendon County, South Carolina; and, when pure, may at all times be readily recognized by the peculiarly characteristic markings of the seeds.
ICE-CREAM.
A large, very pale-green sort; when unmixed, readily distinguishable from all other varieties. Form nearly round, but sometimes a little depressed at the extremities; rind thicker than in most varieties; flesh white, very sweet and tender, and of remarkably fine flavor; seeds white. It is prolific, and also early; and is remarkably well adapted for cultivation in cold localities, or where the seasons are too short for the successful culture of the more tender and late kinds. Its pale-green skin, white flesh, and white seeds, are its prominent distinctive peculiarities.
IMPERIAL. Down.
This variety is said to have been introduced from the Mediterranean. Fruit round, or oblate, and of medium size; skin pale-green, with stripes and variegations of white or paler green; rind thin; flesh pale-red, crisp, sweet, and of excellent flavor; seeds reddish-brown. Very productive, but requiring a warm situation and a long season for its complete perfection.
MOUNTAIN SPROUT.
This variety is similar to the Mountain Sweet. It is of large size, long, and of an oval form. Skin striped and marbled with paler and deeper shades of green; rind thin,--measuring scarcely half an inch in thickness; flesh scarlet, a little hollow at the centre, crisp, sugary, and of excellent flavor.
Like the Mountain Sweet, it is a favorite market sort. It is not only of fine quality, but very productive. Seeds russet-brown.
MOUNTAIN SWEET.
A large, long, oval variety, often contracted towards the stem in the form of a neck; skin striped and marbled with different shades of green; rind rather thin, measuring scarcely half an inch in thickness; flesh scarlet, and solid quite to the centre; seeds pale russet-brown, but often of greater depth of color in perfectly matured specimens of fruit.
A popular and extensively cultivated variety, quite hardy, productive, and of good quality. "For many years, it was universally conceded to be the best market sort cultivated in the Middle States, but of late has lost some of the properties that recommended it so highly to favor. This deterioration has probably been owing to the influence of pollen from inferior kinds grown in its vicinity."
ODELL'S LARGE WHITE. W. D. Brinckle.
Size very large, sometimes weighing sixty pounds; form round; skin gray, with fine green network spread over its uneven surface; rind nearly three-fourths of an inch in thickness; seeds large, grayish-black, and not numerous; flesh pale-red; flavor fine; quality very good. Productiveness said to exceed that of most other kinds.
This remarkably large melon originated with a negro man on the property of Col. A. G. Sumner, of South Carolina. Its large size, and long-keeping quality after being separated from the vine, will recommend the variety, especially for the market.
ORANGE.
Form oval, of medium size; skin pale-green, marbled with shades of deeper green; rind half an inch in depth, or of medium thickness; flesh red, not fine-grained, but tender, sweet, and of good quality. When in its mature state, the rind separates readily from the flesh, in the manner of the peel from the flesh of an orange.
When first introduced, the variety was considered one of the best quality; but it appears to have in some degree deteriorated, and now compares unfavorably with many other sorts.
PIE-MELON.
California Pie-melon.
Plant running,--the foliage and general habit resembling the Common Water-melon, but yet distinguishable by its larger size, more hairy stem, and its more stocky and vigorous character; fruit oblong, very large, measuring sixteen inches and upwards in length, and from eight to ten inches in diameter; skin yellowish-green, often marbled with different shades of light-green or pea-green; flesh white, succulent, somewhat tender, but very unpalatable, or with a squash-like flavor, in its crude state. As intimated by the name, it is used only for culinary purposes.
This melon should be cooked as follows: After removing the rind, cut the flesh into pieces of convenient size, and stew until soft and pulpy. Lemon-juice, sugar, and spices should then be added; after which, proceed in the usual manner of making pies from the apple or any other fruit. If kept from freezing, or from dampness and extreme cold, the Pie-melon may be preserved until March.
RAVENSCROFT. W. D. Brinckle.
Size large; form oblong; skin dark-green, faintly striped and marked with green of a lighter shade, and divided longitudinally by sutures from an inch and a quarter to two inches apart; rind not more than half an inch in thickness; seed cream-color, tipped with brown at the eye, and having a brown stripe around the edge; flesh fine red, commencing abruptly at the rind, and extending to the centre; flavor delicious and sugary; quality "best."
This valuable water-melon originated with Col. A. G. Sumner, of South Carolina.
SOUTER. W. D. Brinckle.
Size large, sometimes weighing twenty or thirty pounds; form oblong, occasionally roundish; skin peculiarly marked with finely reticulated, isolated, gray spots, surrounded by paler green, and having irregular, dark-green, longitudinal stripes extending from the base to the apex; rind thin, about half an inch thick; seed pure cream-white, with a faint russet stripe around the edge; flesh deep-red to the centre; flavor sugary and delicious; quality "best." Productiveness said to be unusually great.
This excellent variety originated in Sumpter District, South Carolina.
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PAPANJAY, OR SPONGE CUCUMBER.
Papangaye. Vil. Cucumis acutangulus.
This is an East-Indian plant, with a creeping stem, and angular, heart-shaped leaves. The flowers (several of which are produced on one stem) are yellow; the fruit is ten or twelve inches in length, about an inch and a half in diameter, deeply furrowed or grooved in the direction of its length, forming ten longitudinal, acute angles; the skin is hard, and of a russet-yellow color; the seeds are black, rough, and hard, and quite irregular in form,--about five hundred are contained in an ounce.
Use.--The fruit is eaten while it is quite young and small; served in the manner of cucumbers, or like vegetable marrow. When fully ripened, it is exceedingly tough, fibrous, and porous, and is sometimes used as a substitute for sponge: whence the name.
* * * * *
PRICKLY-FRUITED GHERKIN.
Gherkin. West-Indian Cucumber. Jamaica Cucumber. Cucumis anguria.
This species is said to be a native of Jamaica. The habit of the plant is similar to that of the Globe Cucumber, and its season of maturity is nearly the same. The surface of the fruit is thickly set with spiny nipples, and has an appearance very unlike that of the Common Cucumber. It is comparatively of small size, and of a regular, oval form,--generally measuring about two inches in length by an inch and a third in its largest diameter; color pale-green; flesh greenish-white, very seedy and pulpy. The seeds are quite small, oval, flattened, yellowish-white, and retain their vitality five years.
It is somewhat later than the Common Cucumber, and requires nearly the whole season for its full development. Plant in hills about five feet apart; cover the seeds scarcely half an inch deep, and leave three plants to a hill.
The Prickly-fruited Gherkin is seldom served at table sliced in its crude state. It is principally grown for pickling: for which purpose it should be plucked when about half grown, or while the skin is tender, and can be easily broken by the nail. As the season of maturity approaches, the rind gradually hardens, and the fruit becomes worthless. In all stages of its growth, the flesh is comparatively spongy; and, in the process of pickling, absorbs a large quantity of vinegar.
* * * * *
THE PUMPKIN.
Cucurbita pepo.
Under this head, on the authority of the late Dr. T. W. Harris, should properly be included "the common New-England field-pumpkin, the bell-shaped and crook-necked winter squashes, the Canada crook-necked, the custard squashes, and various others, all of which (whether rightly or not, cannot now be determined) have been generally referred by botanists to the Cucurbita pepo of Linnæus."
The term "pumpkin," as generally used in this country by writers on gardening and agriculture, and as popularly understood, includes only the few varieties of the Common New-England Pumpkin that have been long grown in fields in an extensive but somewhat neglectful manner; the usual practice being to plant a seed or two at certain intervals in fields of corn or potatoes, and afterwards to leave the growing vines to the care of themselves. Even under these circumstances, a ton is frequently harvested from a single acre, in addition to a heavy crop of corn or potatoes.
The Pumpkin was formerly much used in domestic economy; but, since the introduction of the Crook-necks, Boston Marrow, Hubbard, and other improved varieties of squashes, it has gradually fallen into disuse, and is now cultivated principally for agricultural purposes.
Varieties.--The following are the principal varieties, although numerous intermediate sorts occur, more or less distinct, as well as more or less permanent in character:--
CANADA PUMPKIN.
Vermont Pumpkin.
The Canada Pumpkin is of an oblate form, inclining to conic; and is deeply and regularly ribbed. When well grown, it is of comparatively large size, and measures thirteen or fourteen inches in diameter, and about ten inches in depth. Color fine, deep orange-yellow; skin or shell rather thick and hard; flesh yellow, fine-grained, sweet, and well flavored. Hardy, and very productive.
Compared with the common field variety, the Canada is much more flattened in its form, more regularly and deeply ribbed, of a deeper and richer color; and the flesh is generally much sweeter, and less coarse and stringy in its texture. It seems adapted to every description of soil; thrives well in all climates; and is one of the best sorts for agricultural purposes, as well as of good quality for the table.
CHEESE PUMPKIN.
Plant very vigorous; leaves large, deep-green; fruit much flattened, deeply and rather regularly ribbed, broadly dishing about the stem, and basin-like at the opposite extremity. It is of large size; and, when well grown, often measures fifteen or sixteen inches in diameter, and nine or ten inches in depth. Skin fine, deep reddish-orange, and, if the fruit is perfectly matured, quite hard and shell-like; flesh very thick, yellow, fine-grained, sweet, and well flavored. The seeds are not distinguishable from those of the Common Field Pumpkin.
The Cheese Pumpkin is hardy, remarkably productive, and much superior in all respects to most of the field-grown sorts. Whether the variety originated in this country, cannot probably now be determined; but it was extensively disseminated in the Middle States at the time of the American Revolution, and was introduced into certain parts of New England by the soldiers on their return from service. After a lapse of more than seventy-five years,--during which time it must have experienced great diversity of treatment and culture,--it still can be found in its original type; having the same form, color, size, and the same thickness, and quality of flesh, which it possessed at the time of its introduction.
COMMON YELLOW FIELD PUMPKIN.
Plant of vigorous, stocky habit, extending twelve feet and upwards in length; fruit rounded, usually a little more deep than broad, flattened at the ends, and rather regularly, and more or less prominently, ribbed. Its size is much affected by soil, season, and the purity of the seed. Average specimens will measure about fourteen inches in length, and eleven or twelve inches in diameter. Color rich, clear orange-yellow; skin, or rind, if the fruit is well matured, rather dense and hard; flesh variable in thickness, but averaging about an inch and a half, of a yellow color, generally coarse-grained, and often stringy, but sometimes of fine texture, dry, and of good quality; seeds of medium size, cream-yellow.
The cultivation of the Common Yellow Field Pumpkin in this country is almost co-eval with its settlement. For a long period, few, if any, of the numerous varieties of squashes, now so generally disseminated, were known; and the Pumpkin was not only extensively employed as a material for pies, but was much used as a vegetable, in the form of squash, at the table. During the struggle for national independence, when the excessively high prices of sugars and molasses prevented their general use, it was the practice to reduce by evaporation the liquid in which the pumpkin had been cooked, and to use the saccharine matter thus obtained as a substitute for the more costly but much more palatable sweetening ingredients. When served at table in the form of a vegetable, a well-ripened, fine-grained pumpkin was selected, divided either lengthwise or crosswise; the seeds extracted; the loose, stringy matter removed from the inner surface of the flesh; and the two sections, thus prepared, were baked, till soft, in a common oven. The flesh was then scooped from the shell, pressed, seasoned, and served in the usual form. By many, it is still highly esteemed, and even preferred for pies to the Squash, or the more improved varieties of pumpkins; but its cultivation at present is rather for agricultural than for culinary purposes.
CONNECTICUT FIELD PUMPKIN.
A large, yellow, field variety, not unlike the Common Yellow in form, but with a softer skin, or shell. It is very prolific, of fair quality as an esculent, and one of the best for cultivating for stock or for agricultural purposes.
LONG YELLOW FIELD PUMPKIN.
Plant hardy and vigorous, not distinguishable from that of the Common Yellow variety; fruit oval, much elongated, the length usually about twice the diameter; size large,--well-grown specimens measuring sixteen to twenty inches in length, and nine or ten inches in diameter; surface somewhat ribbed, but with the markings less distinct than those of the Common Yellow; color bright orange-yellow; skin of moderate thickness, generally easily broken by the nail; flesh about an inch and a half in thickness, yellow, of good but not fine quality, usually sweet, but watery, and of no great value for the table.
It is very hardy and productive; well adapted for planting among corn or potatoes; may be profitably raised for feeding out to stock; keeps well when properly stored; and selected specimens will afford a tolerable substitute for the Squash in the kitchen, particularly for pies.
Between this and the Common Yellow, there are various intermediate sorts; and, as they readily hybridize with each other, it is with difficulty that these varieties can be preserved in a pure state. Only one of the sorts should be cultivated, unless there is sufficient territory to enable the cultivator to allow a large distance between the fields where the different varieties are grown.
NANTUCKET.
Hard-shell. "Nigger-head."
Form flattened or depressed, but sometimes oblong or bell-shaped, often faintly ribbed; size medium or rather small; color deep-green, somewhat mellowed by exposure to the sun, or at full maturity; skin or shell thick and hard, and more or less thickly covered with prominent, wart-like excrescences; flesh comparatively thick, yellow, sweet, fine-grained, and of excellent flavor,--comparing favorably in all respects with that of the Sugar Pumpkin. It is a productive sort, and its flesh much dryer and more sugary than the peculiar, green, and warty appearance of the fruit would indicate. When cooked, it should be divided into pieces of convenient size; the seeds, and loose, stringy parts, removed from the inner surface of the flesh, and then boiled or baked in the skin or shell; afterwards scooping out the flesh, as is practised with the Hubbard Squash or other hard-shelled varieties of pumpkins. It is an excellent pie-variety, and selected specimens will be found of good quality when served as squash at the table. It will keep till February or March.
STRIPED FIELD PUMPKIN.
Habit of the plant, and form of the fruit, very similar to the Common Yellow Field Pumpkin. The size, however, will average less; although specimens may sometimes be procured as large as the dimension given for the Common Yellow. Color yellow, striped and variegated with green,--after being gathered, the green becomes gradually softer and paler, and the yellow deeper; flesh yellow, moderately thick, and, though by some considered of superior quality, has not the fine, dry, and well-flavored character essential for table use; seeds similar to the foregoing sorts.
The Striped Field Pumpkin is a hardy sort, and yields well. It is, however, exceedingly liable to hybridize with all the varieties of the family, and is with difficulty preserved in an unmixed condition. It should be grown as far apart as possible from all others, especially when the seed raised is designed for sale or for reproduction at home.
SUGAR-PUMPKIN.
Small Sugar-pumpkin.
Plant similar in its character and general appearance to the Common Field Pumpkin; fruit small, eight or nine inches at its broadest diameter, and about six inches in depth; form much depressed, usually broadest near the middle, and more or less distinctly ribbed; skin bright orange-yellow when the fruit is well ripened, hard, and shell-like, and not easily broken by the nail; stem quite long, greenish, furrowed, and somewhat reticulated; flesh of good thickness, light-yellow, very fine-grained, sweet, and well flavored; seeds of smaller size than, but in other respects similar to, those of the Field Pumpkin. The variety is the smallest of the sorts usually employed for field cultivation. It is, however, a most abundant bearer, rarely fails in maturing its crops perfectly, is of first-rate quality, and may be justly styled an acquisition. For pies, it is not surpassed by any of the family; and it is superior for table use to many of the garden squashes. The facility with which it hybridizes or mixes with other kinds renders it extremely difficult to keep the variety pure; the tendency being to increase in size, to grow longer or deeper, and to become warty: either of which conditions may be considered an infallible evidence of deterioration.
Varieties sometimes occur more or less marbled and spotted with green; the green, however, often changing to yellow after harvesting.
* * * * *
SNAKE OR SERPENT CUCUMBER.
Cucumis flexuosus.
Though generally considered as a species of cucumber, this plant should properly be classed with the melons. In its manner of growth, foliage, flowering, and in the odor and taste of the ripened fruit, it strongly resembles the musk-melon. The fruit is slender and flexuous; frequently measures more than three feet in length; and is often gracefully coiled or folded in a serpent-like form. The skin is green; the flesh, while the fruit is forming, is greenish-white,--at maturity, yellow; the seeds are yellowish-white, oval, flattened, often twisted or contorted like those of some varieties of melons, and retain their vitality five years.
Planting and Cultivation.--The seeds should be planted in May, in hills six feet apart. Cover half an inch deep, and allow three plants to a hill.
Use.--The fruit is sometimes pickled in the manner of the Common Cucumber, but is seldom served at table sliced in its crude state. It is generally cultivated on account of its serpent-like form, rather than for its value as an esculent.
Well-grown specimens are quite attractive; and, as curious vegetable productions, contribute to the interest and variety of horticultural exhibitions.
* * * * *
THE SQUASH.
All the varieties are tender annuals, and of tropical origin. They only thrive well in a warm temperature: and the seed should not be sown in spring until all danger from frost is past, and the ground is warm and thoroughly settled; as, aside from the tender nature of the plant, the seed is extremely liable to rot in the ground in continued damp and cold weather.
Any good, well-enriched soil is adapted to the growth of the Squash. The hills should be made from eight to ten inches in depth, two feet in diameter, and then filled within three or four inches of the surface with well-digested compost; afterwards adding sufficient fine loam to raise the hill an inch or two above the surrounding level. On this, plant twelve or fifteen seeds; covering about three-fourths of an inch deep. Keep the earth about the plants loose and clean; and from time to time remove the surplus vines, leaving the most stocky and vigorous. Three plants are sufficient for a hill; to which number the hills should ultimately be thinned, making the final thinning when all danger from bugs and other vermin is past. The dwarfs may be planted four feet apart; but the running sorts should not be less than six or eight. The custom of cutting or nipping off the leading shoot of the running varieties is now practised to some extent, with the impression that it both facilitates the formation of fruitful laterals and the early maturing of the fruit. Whether the amount of product is increased by the process, is not yet determined.
In giving the following descriptions, no attempt has been made to present them under scientific divisions; but they have been arranged as they are in this country popularly understood:--
Summer Varieties.--
APPLE SQUASH.
Early Apple.
Plant running, not of stocky habit, but healthy and vigorous; fruit obtusely conical, three inches broad at the stem, and two inches and a half in depth; skin yellowish-white, thin and tender while the fruit is young, hard and shell-like when ripe; flesh dry and well flavored in its green state, and often of good quality at full maturity.
The fruit is comparatively small; and, on this account, the variety is very little cultivated.
BUSH SUMMER WARTED CROOKNECK.
Early Summer Crookneck. Yellow Summer Warted Crookneck. Cucurbita verrucosa.
Plant dwarfish or bushy in habit, generally about two feet and a half in height or length; fruit largest at the blossom-end, and tapering gradually to a neck, which is solid, and more or less curved; size medium,--average specimens, when suitable for use, measuring about eight inches in length, and three inches in diameter at the broadest part; the neck is usually about two inches in thickness; color clear, bright-yellow; skin very warty, thin, and easily broken by the nail while the fruit is young, and suitable for use,--as the season of maturity approaches, the rind gradually becomes firmer, and, when fully ripe, is very hard and shell-like; flesh greenish-yellow, dry, and well flavored; seeds comparatively small, broad in proportion to the length, and of a pale-yellow color. About four hundred are contained in an ounce.
The Bush Summer Crookneck is generally esteemed the finest of the summer varieties. It is used only while young and tender, or when the skin can be easily pierced or broken by the nail. After the fruit hardens, the flesh becomes watery, coarse, strong flavored, and unfit for table use.
On account of the dwarfish character of the plants, the hills may be made four feet apart. Three plants will be sufficient for a hill.
EARLY WHITE BUSH SCOLLOPED.
White Pattypan. Cymbling. White Summer Scolloped. Pattison Blanc. Vil.
This is a sub-variety of the Early Yellow Bush Scolloped. The plant has the same dwarf habit, and the fruit is nearly of the same size and form. The principal distinction between the varieties consists in the difference of color.
By some, the white variety is considered a little inferior in fineness of texture and in flavor to the yellow; though the white is much the more abundant in the markets. Both of the varieties are hardy and productive; and there is but little difference in the season of their maturity.
In the month of June, large quantities are shipped from the Southern and Middle States to the North and East, where they anticipate from two to three weeks the products of the home-market gardens; the facilities afforded by steam transportation rendering nearly profitless the efforts of gardeners to obtain an early crop. As the variety keeps well, and suffers little from transportation, the squashes are generally found fresh and in good order on their arrival.
EARLY YELLOW BUSH SCOLLOPED.
Cymbling. Pattypan. Yellow Summer Scollop.
Plant dwarf, of rather erect habit, and about two feet and a half in height; leaves large, clear-green; fruit somewhat of a hemispherical form, expanded at the edge, which is deeply and very regularly scolloped. When suitable for use, it measures about five inches in diameter, and three inches in depth; but, when fully matured, the diameter is often ten or twelve inches, and even upwards. Color yellow; skin, while young, thin, and easily pierced,--at maturity, hard and shell-like; flesh pale-yellow, tolerably fine-grained, and well flavored,--not, however, quite so dry and sweet as that of the Summer Crookneck; seeds broader in proportion to their length than the seeds of most varieties, and of comparatively small size. Four hundred and twenty-five weigh an ounce.
This variety has been common to the gardens of this country for upwards of a century; during which period, the form and general character have been very slightly, if at all, changed. When grown in the vicinity of the Bush Summer Crookneck, the surface sometimes exhibits the same wart-like excrescences; but there is little difficulty in procuring seeds that will prove true to the description above given.
Like the Summer Crookneck, the scolloped squashes are used while young or in a green state. After the hardening of the skin, or shell, the flesh generally becomes coarse, watery, strong-flavored, and unfit for the table.
The hills should be made about four feet apart, and three plants allowed to a hill. Season from the beginning of July to the middle or last of August.
EGG-SQUASH.
Cucurbita ovifera.
An ornamental variety, generally cultivated for its peculiar, egg-like fruit, which usually measures about three inches in length, and two inches or two and a half in diameter. Skin, or shell, white. It is seldom used as an esculent; though, in its young state, the flesh is quite similar in flavor and texture to that of the scolloped varieties. "If trained to a trellis, or when allowed to cover a dry, branching tree, it is quite ornamental; and, in its ripened state, is quite interesting, and attractive at public exhibitions." Increase of size indicates mixture or deterioration.
"It has been generally supposed, that the Egg-squash was a native of Astrachan, in Tartary. Dr. Loroche included it in a list of plants not natives of Astrachan, but cultivated only in gardens where it is associated with such exotics as Indian corn, or maize, with which it was probably introduced directly or indirectly from America. We also learn from Loroche that this species varied in form, being sometimes pear-shaped; that it was sometimes variegated in color with green and white, and the shell served instead of boxes. Here we have plainly indicated the little gourd-like, hard-shelled, and variegated squashes that are often cultivated as ornamental plants.
"From these and similar authorities, it is evident that summer squashes were originally natives of America, where so many of them were found in use by the Indians, when the country began to be settled by Europeans."--Dr. T. W. Harris, in Pennsylvania Farm Journal.
GREEN BUSH SCOLLOPED.
Pattison Vert. Vil.
Fruit similar in size and form to the Yellow or White Bush Scolloped; skin or shell bottle-green, marbled or clouded with shades of lighter green. It is comparatively of poor quality, and is little cultivated.
GREEN-STRIPED BERGEN.
"Plant dwarf, but of strong and vigorous habit; fruit of small size, bell-shaped; colors dark-green and white, striped.
"An early but not productive sort, little cultivated at the North or East, but grown to a considerable extent for the New-York market. It is eaten both while green and when fully ripe."
LARGE SUMMER WARTED CROOKNECK.
A large variety of the Bush or Dwarf Summer Crookneck. Plant twelve feet and upwards in length, running; fruit of the form of the last named, but of much greater proportions,--sometimes attaining a length of nearly two feet; skin clear, bright yellow, and thickly covered with the prominent wart-like excrescences peculiar to the varieties; flesh greenish-yellow, and of coarser texture than that of the Dwarf Summer Crookneck. Hardy and very productive. The hills should be made six feet apart.
ORANGE.
Cucurbita aurantiaca.
Fruit of the size, form, and color of an orange. Though generally cultivated for ornament, and considered more curious than useful, "some of them are the very best of the summer squashes for table use; far superior to either the scolloped or warted varieties." When trained as directed for the Egg-squash, it is equally showy and attractive.
VARIEGATED BUSH SCOLLOPED.
Pattison Panaché. Vil.
Pale yellow, or nearly white, variegated with green. Very handsome, but of inferior quality.
Autumn and Winter Varieties.--
AUTUMNAL MARROW. J. M. Ives.
Boston Marrow. Courge de l'Ohio. Vil.
Plant twelve feet or more in length, moderately vigorous; fruit ovoid, pointed at the extremities, eight or nine inches in length, and seven inches in diameter; stem very large, fleshy, and contracted a little at its junction with the fruit,--the summit, or blossom-end, often tipped with a small nipple or wart-like excrescence; skin remarkably thin, easily bruised or broken, cream-yellow at the time of ripening, but changing to red after harvesting, or by remaining on the plants after full maturity; flesh rich, salmon-yellow, remarkably dry, fine-grained, and, in sweetness and excellence, surpassed by few varieties. The seeds are large, thick, and pure white: the surface, in appearance and to the touch, resembles glove-leather or dressed goat-skin. About one hundred are contained in an ounce.
In favorable seasons, the Autumnal Marrow Squash will be sufficiently grown for use early in August; and, if kept from cold and dampness, may be preserved till March.
Mr. John M. Ives, of Salem, who was awarded a piece of silver plate by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for the introduction of this valuable variety, has furnished the following statement relative to its origin and dissemination:--
SALEM, MASS., Feb. 7, 1858.
DEAR SIR,--As requested, I forward you a few facts relative to the introduction of the Autumnal Marrow Squash, the cultivation of which has extended not only over our entire country, but throughout Europe. It succeeds better in England than the Crooknecks; and may be seen in great abundance every season at Covent-Garden Market, in London.
Early in the spring of 1831, a friend of mine from Northampton, in this State, brought to my grounds a specimen of this vegetable, of five or six pounds' weight, which he called "Vegetable Marrow." As it bore no resemblance to the true Vegetable Marrow, either in its form or color, I planted the seeds, and was successful in raising eight or ten specimens. Finding it a superior vegetable, with a skin as thin as the inner envelope of an egg, and the flesh of fine texture, and also that it was in eating early in the fall, I ventured to call it "Autumnal Marrow Squash." Soon a drawing was made, and forwarded, with a description, to the "Horticultural Register" of Fessenden, and also to the "New-England Farmer."
In cultivating this vegetable, I found the fruit to average from eight to nine pounds, particularly if grown on newly broken-up sod or grass land. From its facility in hybridizing with the tribe of pumpkins, I consider it to be, properly speaking, a fine-grained pumpkin. The first indication of deterioration or mixture will be manifested in the thickening of the skin, or by a green circle or coloring of green at the blossom-end.
More recently, I have been informed, by the gentleman to whom I was indebted for the first specimen, that the seeds came originally from Buffalo, N.Y., where they were supposed to have been introduced by a tribe of Indians, who were accustomed to visit that city in the spring of the year. I have not been able to trace it beyond this. It is, unquestionably, an accidental hybrid.
Yours truly, JOHN M. IVES.
Mr. F. BURR, Jun.
CANADA CROOKNECK.
The plants of this variety are similar in habit to those of the Common Winter Crookneck; but the foliage is smaller, and the growth less luxuriant. In point of size, the Canada Crookneck is the smallest of its class. When the variety is unmixed, the weight seldom exceeds five or six pounds. It is sometimes bottle-formed; but the neck is generally small, solid, and curved in the form of the Large Winter Crooknecks. The seeds are contained at the blossom-end, which expands somewhat abruptly, and is often slightly ribbed. Skin of moderate thickness, and easily pierced by the nail; color, when fully ripened, cream-yellow, but, if long kept, becoming duller and darker; flesh salmon-red, very close-grained, dry, sweet, and fine-flavored; seeds comparatively small, of a grayish or dull-white color, with a rough and uneven yellowish-brown border; three hundred are contained in an ounce.
The Canada is unquestionably the best of the Crooknecked sorts. The vines are remarkably hardy and prolific; yielding almost a certain crop both North and South. The variety ripens early; the plants suffer but little from the depredations of bugs or worms; and the fruit, with trifling care, may be preserved throughout the year. It is also quite uniform in quality; being seldom of the coarse and stringy character so common to other varieties of this class.
CASHEW.
Cushaw Pumpkin.
Somewhat of the form and color of the Common Winter Crookneck. Two prominent varieties, however, occur. The first is nearly round; the other curved, or of the shape of a hunter's horn. The latter is the most desirable. It is not cultivated or generally known in New England or in the northern portions of the United States; for though well suited to Louisiana and other portions of the South, where it is much esteemed, it is evidently too tender for cultivation where the seasons are comparatively short and cool.
In an experimental trial by the late Dr. Harris, specimens raised from seed received from New Jersey "did not ripen well, and many decayed before half ripe."
The Crooknecks of New England "may be distinguished from the Cashew by the want of a persistent style, and by their furrowed and club-shaped fruit-stems."
COCOA-NUT SQUASH.
Cocoa Squash.
Fruit oval, elongated, sixteen to twenty inches in length, eight or ten inches in diameter, and weighing from fifteen to twenty pounds and upwards; skin thin, easily pierced or broken, of an ash-gray color, spotted, and marked with light drab and nankeen-brown,--the furrows dividing the ribs light drab; stem small; flesh deep orange-yellow, of medium thickness; seeds pure white, broader in proportion to their length than those of the Hubbard or Boston Marrow.
The quality of the Cocoa-nut Squash is extremely variable. Sometimes the flesh is fine-grained, dry, sweet, and of a rich, nut-like flavor; but well-developed and apparently well-matured specimens are often coarse, fibrous, watery, and unfit for table use. The variety ripens in September, and will keep till March or April.
CUSTARD SQUASH.
Plant healthy and of vigorous habit, often twenty feet and upwards in length; fruit oblong, gathered in deep folds or wrinkles at the stem, near which it is the smallest, abruptly shortened at the opposite extremity, prominently marked by large, rounded, lengthwise elevations, and corresponding deep furrows, or depressions; skin, or shell, cream-white; flesh pale-yellow, not remarkable for solidity, or fineness of texture, but well flavored; the seeds are yellowish-white, and readily distinguished from those of other varieties by their long and narrow form. Under favorable conditions of soil and season, the Custard Squash attains a large size; often measuring twenty inches and upwards in length, eight or ten inches in diameter, and weighing from eighteen to twenty-five pounds.
It is one of the hardiest and most productive of all varieties. Crops are recorded of fourteen tons from an acre. It is esteemed by some for pies; but, as a table squash, is inferior to most other sorts. Its great yield makes it worthy the attention of agriculturists, as it would doubtless prove a profitable variety to be cultivated for stock.
From the habit of the plant, the form and character of the fruit, and its great hardiness and productiveness, it appears to be allied to the Vegetable Marrow.
EGG-SHAPED, OR REEVES. Thomp.
Fruit large, weighing from fifteen to twenty pounds; but in rich, highly manured soil, and with only a few on each plant, it may be grown to upwards of fifty pounds' weight. It is short, ovate, sometimes tapering rather abruptly. Skin, or shell, hard, of a reddish color; flesh firm, red, excellent in a ripe state cooked as a vegetable, or in any other way in which squashes are prepared. The stems run to a very great length, and bear all along most abundantly. Altogether, it is a sort highly deserving of cultivation.
It was brought into notice by John Reeves, Esq.; who has contributed to horticulture many valuable plants from China, where he resided for many years.
Plant in hills eight feet apart, and thin to two plants to a hill.
HONOLULU.
Plant twelve feet or more in length, remarkably strong and vigorous; leaves very large,--the leaf-stems often three feet and upwards in length; fruit large, oblate, depressed about the stem, broadly, and sometimes deeply, but in general faintly, ribbed; skin moderately thick, but not shell-like, of an ash-green color, striped and variegated with drab or lighter shades of green; flesh reddish-orange, very thick, of good flavor, but less dry and sweet than that of the Hubbard or Boston Marrow; seeds large, white.
This recently introduced variety is hardy, productive, a good keeper, excellent for pies, and by some esteemed for table use.
Specimens frequently occur of a reddish cream-color, striped and marked with drab or pale-yellow.
HUBBARD. J. J. H. Gregory.
Plant similar in character and appearance to that of the Autumnal Marrow; fruit irregularly oval, sometimes ribbed, but often without rib-markings, from eight to ten inches in length, seven or eight inches in diameter, and weighing from seven to nine pounds,--some specimens terminate quite obtusely, others taper sharply towards the extremities, which are frequently bent or curved; skin, or shell, dense and hard, nearly one-eighth of an inch thick, and overspread with numerous small protuberances; stem fleshy, but not large; color variable, always rather dull, and usually clay-blue or deep olive-green,--the upper surface, if long exposed to the sun, assuming a brownish cast, and the under surface, if deprived of light, becoming orange-yellow; flesh rich salmon-yellow, thicker than that of the Autumnal Marrow, very fine-grained, sweet, dry, and of most excellent flavor,--in this last respect, resembling that of roasted or boiled chestnuts; seeds white,--similar to those of the Autumnal Marrow. Season from September to June; but the flesh is dryest and sweetest during autumn and the early part of winter.
The Hubbard Squash should be grown in hills seven feet apart, and three plants allowed to a hill. It is essential that the planting be made as far as possible from similar varieties, as it mixes, or hybridizes, readily with all of its kind. In point of productiveness, it is about equal to the Autumnal Marrow. "The average yield from six acres was nearly five tons of marketable squashes to the acre."
Mr. J. J. H. Gregory, of Marblehead, Mass., who introduced this variety to notice, and through whose exertions it has become widely disseminated, remarks in the "New-England Farmer" as follows:--
"Of its history I know next to nothing, farther than that the seed was given to me by an aged female, about twelve years since, in remembrance of whom I named it; and that the party from whom she received it cannot tell from whence the seed came. I infer that it is of foreign origin, partly from the fact that the gentleman to whom I traced it is a resident of a seaport town, and is largely connected with those who follow the seas."
ITALIAN VEGETABLE MARROW. Thomp.
Courge Coucourzelle.
This forms a dwarf bush, with short, reclining stems, and upright leaves, which are deeply five-lobed. The fruits are used when the flowers are about to drop from their ends. They are then from four to five inches long, and an inch and a half to two inches in diameter. When ripe, the fruit is from fifteen to eighteen inches in length, and about six inches in diameter. It is of a pale yellow, striped with green. It should, however, be used in the young, green state; for, when mature, it is not so good as many of the other sorts. It bears very abundantly; and, as it does not run, may be grown in smaller compass than the true Vegetable Marrow.
MAMMOTH.
Mammoth Pumpkin. Large Yellow Gourd, of the English. Thomp. Potiron jaune, of the French. Cucurbita maxima.
This is the largest-fruited variety known. In a very rich compost, and under favorable conditions of climate, it grows to an enormous size. Fruit weighing a hundred and twenty pounds is not uncommon; and instances, though exceptional, are recorded of weights ranging from two hundred to nearly two hundred and fifty pounds.
The leaves are very large, and the stems thick, running along the ground to the distance of twenty or thirty feet if not stopped, and readily striking root at the joints.
The fruit is round, or oblate; sometimes flattened on the under side, owing to its great weight; sometimes obtusely ribbed, yellowish, or pale buff, and frequently covered to a considerable extent with a gray netting. Flesh very deep yellow; seeds white.
It is used only in its full-grown or ripe state, in which it will keep for several months; and even during the winter, if stored in a dry, warm situation. The flesh is sweet, though generally coarse-grained and watery. It is used in soups and stews, and also for pies; but is seldom served like squash at the table.
NEAPOLITAN.
Courge pleine de Naples. Vil.
Plant running; leaves small, smooth, striped and marked with white along the nerves; fruit nearly two feet in length, and rather more than five inches in its smallest diameter, bent at the middle, and broadly but faintly ribbed,--it increases in size towards the extremities, but is largest at the blossom-end, where it reaches a diameter of eight or ten inches; skin bright green; stem small; flesh bright, clear yellow; the neck is entirely solid, and the seed-end has an unusually small cavity; seeds dull white.
The late Rev. A. R. Pope, in a communication to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, describes it as follows: "New, very heavy; having a large, solid neck, and a small cavity for the seeds. Flesh sweet, dry, and somewhat coarse, but not stringy. Very superior for pies, and a good keeper."
PATAGONIAN.
A large, long Squash, prominently ribbed. It differs little in form or size from the Custard. Skin very deep green; flesh pale yellow; seeds of medium size, yellowish-white.
The plant is a vigorous grower, and the yield abundant; but its quality is inferior, and the variety can hardly be considered worthy of cultivation for table use. It may, however, prove a profitable sort for growing for agricultural purposes.
PURITAN.
Plant running, ten feet and upwards in length; leaves clear green, of medium size; fruit bottle-formed, fourteen or fifteen inches long, and about ten inches in diameter at the broadest part; neck solid, four or five inches in diameter; average weight eight to ten pounds; skin thin, usually white or cream-white, striped and marked with green, though specimens sometimes occur, from unmixed seed, uniformly green; flesh pale yellow, dry, sweet, mild, and well flavored; seeds of medium size, white. Season from August to January.
This variety, long common to gardens in the vicinity of the Old Colony, retains its distinctive character to a very remarkable degree, even when grown under the most unfavorable circumstances. Seeds, obtained from a gardener who had cultivated the variety indiscriminately among numerous summer and winter kinds for upwards of twenty years, produced specimens uniformly true to the normal form color, and quality. It is hardy and productive, good for table use, excellent for pies, and well deserving of cultivation.
SWEET-POTATO SQUASH.
Plant very similar in character to that of the Hubbard or Autumnal Marrow; fruit twelve or fourteen inches long, seven or eight inches thick, sometimes ribbed, but usually without rib-markings; oblong, tapering to the ends, which are often bent or curved in the manner of some of the types of the Hubbard; stem of medium size, striated; skin ash-green, with a smooth, polished surface; flesh salmon-yellow, thick, fine-grained, dry, and sweet,--if the variety is pure, and the fruit well matured, its quality approaches that of the Hubbard and Autumnal Marrow; seeds white.
The variety is hardy and productive, keeps well, and is deserving of cultivation. When grown in the vicinity of the last-named sorts, it often becomes mixed, and rapidly degenerates. In its purity, it is uniformly of one color; with perhaps the exception of the under surface, which is sometimes paler or yellowish. It has been suggested that this variety and the Hubbard may have originated under similar circumstances.
TURBAN.
Acorn. Giraumon Turban. Turk's-cap. Cucurbita piliformis.
Plant running; leaves small, soft, slightly lobed on the borders; fruit rounded, flattened, expanding about the stem to a broad, plain, brick-red surface, of ten or twelve inches in diameter. At the blossom-end, the fruit suddenly contracts to an irregular, cone-like point, or termination, of a greenish color, striped with white; and thus, in form and color, somewhat resembles a turban: whence the name. Flesh orange-yellow, thick, fine-grained, sugary, and well flavored; seeds white, comparatively short, and small.
The Turban Squash is not early, and should have the advantage of the whole season. "Its specific gravity is said to exceed that of any other variety. Its keeping properties are not particularly good; but its flavor, when grown on light, dry soil, will compare well with either the Autumnal Marrow or the Hubbard." It mixes very readily when grown in the vicinity of other varieties, is not an abundant bearer, and cannot be recommended for general cultivation.
Dr. Harris states that "this variety--sometimes called the 'Acorn Squash,' because, when the fruit is small, it resembles somewhat an acorn in its cup--seems to be the Cucurbita piliformis of Duchesne;" and he further adds, that "it sometimes grows to a large size, measuring fourteen or fifteen inches in transverse diameter, and looks like an immense Turkish turban in shape. Specimens raised in my garden in 1851 were little more than ten inches in diameter, and weighed ten pounds or more; having very thick and firm flesh, and but a small cavity within. They proved excellent for table use,--equal in quality to the best Autumnal Marrows. They keep quite as well as the latter."
VALPARAISO.
Porter's Valparaiso. Commodore Porter.
Plant running; leaves large, not lobed, but cut in rounded angles on the borders; fruit oval, about sixteen inches in length, ten or eleven inches in diameter, slightly ribbed, and largest at the blossom-end, which often terminates in a wart-like excrescence; skin cream-white, sometimes smooth and polished, but often more or less reticulated, or netted; flesh comparatively thick, orange-yellow, generally dry, sweet, and well flavored, but sometimes fibrous and watery; seeds rather large, nankeen-yellow, smooth and glossy.
The variety requires the whole season for its perfection. It hybridizes readily with the Autumnal Marrow and kindred sorts, and is kept pure with considerable difficulty. It is in use from September to spring. The variety, if obtained in its purity, will be found of comparative excellence, and well deserving of cultivation. Stripes and clouds of green upon the surface are infallible evidences of mixture and deterioration.
The late Dr. Harris, in a communication to the "Pennsylvania Farm Journal," remarks as follows: "The Valparaiso squashes (of which there seem to be several varieties, known to cultivators by many different names, some of them merely local in their application) belong to a peculiar group of the genus Cucurbita, the distinguishing characters of which have not been fully described by botanists. The word 'squash,' as applied to these fruits, is a misnomer, as may be shown hereafter. It would be well to drop it entirely, and to call the fruits of this group 'pompions,' 'pumpkins,' or 'potirons.' It is my belief, that they were originally indigenous to the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the western coast of America. They are extensively cultivated from Chili to California, and also in the West Indies; whence enormous specimens are sometimes brought to the Atlantic States. How much soever these Valparaiso pumpkins may differ in form, size, color, and quality, they all agree in certain peculiarities that are found in no other species or varieties of Cucurbita. Their leaves are never deeply lobed like those of other pumpkins and squashes, but are more or less five-angled, or almost rounded and heart-shaped, at base: they are also softer than those of other pumpkins and squashes. The summit, or blossom-end, of the fruit has a nipple-like projection upon it, consisting of the permanent fleshy style. The fruit-stalk is short, nearly cylindrical, never deeply five-furrowed, but merely longitudinally striated or wrinkled, and never clavated, or enlarged with projecting angles, next to the fruit. With few exceptions, they contain four or five double rows of seeds. To this group belong Mr. Ives's Autumnal Marrow Squash (or Pumpkin); Commodore Porter's Valparaiso Squash (Pumpkin); the so-called Mammoth Pumpkin, or Cucurbita maxima of the botanists; the Turban or Acorn Squash; Cucurbita piliformis of Duchesne; the Cashew Pumpkin; Stetson's Hybrid, called the 'Wilder Squash;' with various others."
VEGETABLE MARROW. Thomp.
Succade Gourd. Courge à la moëlle, of the French.
Plant twelve feet and upwards in length; leaves deeply five-lobed; fruit about nine inches long, and of an elliptic shape,--but it is sometimes grown to twice that length, and of an oblong form; surface slightly uneven, by irregular, longitudinal, obtuse ribs, which terminate in a projecting apex at the extremity of the fruit. When mature, it is of a uniform pale yellow or straw color. The skin, or shell, is very hard when the fruit is perfectly ripened; flesh white, tender, and succulent, even till the seeds are ripe. It may be used in every stage of its growth. Some prefer it when the flower is still at the extremity of the fruit; others like it older. When well ripened, it will keep well throughout the winter, if stored in a perfectly dry place, out of the reach of frost, and not exposed to great changes of temperature.
To have Vegetable Marrows large and fine for winter, the young fruit should be regularly taken off for use; and, when the plant has acquired strength, a moderate quantity should be allowed to set for maturity. Sufficient for this purpose being reserved, the young fruit that may be subsequently formed should be removed for use in a very young state. The vines, or shoots, may be allowed to run along the surface of the ground; or they may be trained against a wall, or on palings or trellises.
The seed should be planted at the same time and in the same manner as those of the Winter Crookneck or Boston Marrow.
WILDER.
Stetson's Hybrid.
The Wilder Squash was produced about twelve years since, from the Valparaiso and the Autumnal Marrow, by Mr. A. W. Stetson, of Braintree, Mass.; and was named for the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, a gentleman widely known for his patriotic devotion to the advancement of agricultural and pomological science in the United States.
The plant is a strong grower, and resembles that of the Valparaiso. The fruit is somewhat ovoid, but rather irregular in form, broadly and faintly ribbed (sometimes, however, without rib-markings), and varies in weight from twelve to thirty pounds and upwards; stem very large, striated or reticulated, and often turned at right angles near its connection with the fruit,--the opposite extremity terminates in the wart-like excrescence peculiar to the class; skin reddish-yellow, not unlike that of the Autumnal Marrow; the flesh is remarkably thick, of a salmon-yellow color, sweet and well flavored. In some forms of cookery, and especially for pies, it is esteemed equal, if not superior, to any other variety. When served in the customary manner of serving squash at table, it is inferior to the Hubbard or Autumnal Marrow. The seeds are white.
WINTER CROOKNECK.
Cuckaw.
This is one of the oldest and most familiar of the winter varieties. Plant hardy and vigorous; fruit somewhat irregular in form, the neck solid and nearly cylindrical, and the blossom-end more or less swollen. In some specimens, the neck is nearly straight; in others, sweeping, or circular; and sometimes the extremities nearly or quite approach each other. Size very variable, being affected greatly both by soil and season; the weight ranging from six pounds to forty pounds and upwards. A specimen was raised by Capt. Josiah Lovett, of Beverly, Mass., and exhibited before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the weight of which was nearly seventy pounds. Color sometimes green; but, when fully mature, often cream-yellow. The color, like that of the Canada Crookneck, frequently changes after being harvested. If green when plucked, it gradually becomes paler; or, if yellow when taken from the vines, it becomes, during the winter, of a reddish cream-color. Flesh salmon-yellow, not uniform in texture or solidity, sometimes close-grained, sweet, and fine flavored, and sometimes very coarse, stringy, and nearly worthless for the table; seeds of medium size, grayish-white, the border darker, or brownish. About two hundred are contained in an ounce.
It is a very hardy and productive variety; ripens its crop with great certainty; suffers less from the depredations of insects than most of the winter sorts; and, if protected from cold and dampness during the winter months, will keep the entire year.
WINTER STRIPED CROOKNECK.
This is a sub-variety of the common Winter Crookneck. Size large,--the weight varying from six to twenty-five pounds; neck large and solid; seed-end of medium size, and usually smooth; skin thin, very pale-green or light cream-white, diversified with lengthwise stripes and plashes of bright green,--the colors becoming gradually softer and paler after gathering; flesh bright orange, and, like that of the common Winter Crookneck, not uniform in texture or in flavor. Different specimens vary greatly in these respects: some are tough and stringy, others very fine-grained and well flavored. Seeds not distinguishable, in size, form, or color, from those of the Winter Crookneck.
The variety is hardy, grows luxuriantly, is prolific, and keeps well. It is more uniform in shape, and generally more symmetrical, than the Winter Crookneck; though varieties occur of almost every form and color between this and the last named.
As the plants require considerable space, the hills should not be less than eight feet apart. Two or three plants are sufficient for a hill.
"The 'Crookneck Squash,' as it is commonly but incorrectly called, is a kind of 'pumpkin,'--perhaps a genuine species; for it has preserved its identity, to our certain knowledge, ever since the year 1686, when it was described by Ray. Before the introduction of the Autumnal Marrow, it was raised in large quantities for table use during the winter, in preference to pumpkins, which it almost entirely superseded. Many farmers now use it instead of pumpkins for cattle; the vine being more productive, and the fruit containing much more nutriment in proportion to its size. It varies considerably in form and color. The best kinds are those which are very much curved,--nearly as large at the stem as at the blossom-end,--and of a rich cream-color. It is said to degenerate in the Middle and Southern States; where, probably, the Valparaiso or some kindred variety may be better adapted to the climate."--Dr. Harris.