The Common and Curled Cress, Lepidium sativum, are annual plants, and, like Mustard, used only as small salading the former is sown in narrow drills during the spring, summer, and autumn, and in pots, or upon the bottom of a drill (not covered) in the back bed of the stove in winter.

The Curled Cress should be sown broad-cast, at intervals of three or four weeks, during the spring and summer; the radical leaves are those used, and are frequently employed as a garnish, as well as for salads.

The Curled Cress, if neglected in its cultivation, is liable to degenerate to the Common sort; but if properly treated it is capable of being improved in a very high degree for this purpose I have for many years supplied one of the first houses in London with a stock which has never been surpassed by that of any other. This is effected by selecting every spring a number of the most perfectly curled plants as soon as they can be discovered, and pricking them out at five or six inches apart from each other, and at a distance from the Common sort the seed from these plants may be considered as stock seed; and from the plants of this seed should all the succeeding plants be annually selected, taking care, if possible, to make choice of those only which are more thickly curled than the stock from which they have been obtained.

The Golden Cress is rather slenderer in growth than the Common Cress. It is very dwarf, and is consequently short when cut as a salad herb for use. It has a mild and delicate flavour, and affords a pleasant addition to our stock of small salads. It should be sown and managed in the same manner as the Curled Cress.

26. CUCUMBERS.

The varieties of Cucumber, Cucumis sativa, are numerous : the following are those most generally cultivated :

1. Early Frame.

2. Early Southgate.

3. Long Prickly.

4. Short Prickly.

5. Green Turkey.
6. White Turkey.
7. White-spined.

8. Patagonian.

The two first sorts are those principally used for early crops in frames, and in the forcing-house; the Green Turkey and White Spined for later crops; and the Long and Short Prickly for ridges in the open air. For this last purpose, the plants are raised in frames, and when large enough to transplant, two or three plants are put into a pot: they are to be kept in the frame till they are strong enough to turn out under the handglasses, in the latter part of April, for the first crop. For the last crop, the seeds are sown under the glasses in May and June. It is a great advantage to the crop in the open air, to cover the ridges with clean straw or pease haulm, when the plants are grown long enough to train upon the ridges: this will serve to keep the sun from parching the ground in hot dry weather, and to prevent the blossoms and young fruit from being covered with soil during heavy rains. The covering of the ridges with straw or haulm has another advantage-that of preventing, in a great measure, the fruit from becoming spotted when the autumn is wet and cold: the thickness of this covering should not be less than two inches when pressed close to the ground.

The Patagonian Cucumber is grown in the open ground; and whilst young, the fruit is sliced and pickled in the manner of Mango.

27. ENDIVES.

Cichorium Endivia, or Garden Endive, is a hardy annual, a native of the East Indies, and, according to the Hortus Kewensis, was cultivated here in 1548. For many years there were only three sorts cultivated in our gardens, namely, the Batavian, and the Green

N N

and White Curled. Lately there have been several other varieties introduced by the Horticultural Society of London.

The following are the sorts which have been reported in the Hort. Trans. Vol. vi. p. 133. : —

1. BATAVIAN ENDIVES (SCAROLES OF THE French).

2. CURLED ENDIVES (CHICORÉES OF THE FRench).

6. Small Green Curled French.

Fine Curled.

Chicorée d'E'té.

Chicorée Frisée Fine d'Italie.

7. Small Green Curled.

Green Curled.
Chicorée de Meaux.
Chicorée Endive.

Chicorée Frisée.

8. Large Green Curled.

Green Curled.

Cut Yellow Winter Endive,
of the Germans.

9. Italian Green Curled.

Indivia Riccia.

10. Dutch Green Curled. Large Green Curled, of the Dutch.

11. Long Italian Green Curled. Indivia Longa.

12. White Curled.

White Endive.

Chicorée Blanche.
Chicorée toujours Blanche.

Under the Batavian Endives are included all the varieties with broad leaves, generally rounded at the points, with the margin slightly ragged or torn, not curled. These are called by the French Scaroles.

No. 1. is the common Batavian Endive of our gardens. It is one of the hardiest of the broad-leaved sorts; and as the lower leaves are much longer than the inner ones, it ties up well for blanching.

No. 3. is somewhat new, and is the best of this class. Its inner leaves form a heart more readily than the other; it blanches with little trouble, and is mild and sweet without being bitter.

Nos. 7. and 8. are the green curled sorts of our gardens: they are the most hardy of this class, and always require to be tied up to blanch them properly.

The sowings of Endive are to be made at three or four different periods. If a very early crop be required, a small quantity of the Green Curled sort should be sown in June; and for the subsequent crops, the sowings of other sorts in addition may be made at intervals of three or four weeks till the middle of August.

Endive requires a rich soil, in order to ensure its quick growth; to be planted thin on the borders, and to be tied up when it has attained its full growth, in order to blanch it fit for use.

28. FENNEL.

Anethum Foeniculum, or Common Fennel, is a native of England, and a perennial. Finochio is a variety of Fennel, a native of Italy: the latter is the sort usually cultivated in gardens, and is principally used in a boiled state, and served up with fish.

Both sorts are perennial, and propagated by sowing their seeds in March or April, and also by slips of the

root.

29. GARLIC.

Allium sativum, or Garlic, is a hardy perennial, a native of the south of France.

The root is a compound bulb, consisting of ten or twelve smaller parts, or bulbs, that are termed cloves. Garlic is propagated by dividing its root into cloves, and planting them in drills in February or March; the

drills twelve or fifteen inches apart, and the cloves at six inches from each other in the drill.

As soon as the leaves begin to decay, take up the roots, and after they are dry, hang them up in a dry room for use.

30. GOURDS.

The varieties of Gourd are numerous, and they vary considerably in size, shape, and colour: many of these are grown for their beauty and singularity; but two only appear to be deserving of cultivation with us as an article of food; these are,

1. Cucurbita Melopepo.
Large American Gourd.
Potiron Jaune, of the French.

2. Cucurbita Ovifera.

Succade Gourd.
Vegetable Marrow.
Courge à la Möelle.

The first sort is the largest of the Gourd tribe. It is nearly globular, very slightly ribbed, of a pale buff or salmon colour, and thickly reticulated over its whole surface with narrow vermicular processes. It keeps well through most part of the winter, and is very thick in flesh.

It is used in France in soups, as well as mashed as a vegetable in the manner of potatoes. It has a pleasant and peculiar flavour, and is an excellent substitute for carrots and turnips.

Mr. Call grew one four feet ten inches in circumference, that weighed 103 lbs.

Mr. Caswell grew another which weighed 104 lbs. ; and another from America weighed 140 lbs.

It requires similar treatment with the common Gourd, viz. a rich loam well manured; and if laid eighteen inches or two feet thick, upon a large body of dung, the size of the fruit will be proportionately increased.

The second sort, Vegetable Marrow, is highly deserving of cultivation.