When colonial produce was excluded from most of the continental markets, the roots of succory were resorted to as a substitute for coffee-beans, and many still continue to use a mixture of auccory and coffee, in preference to the simple infusion of the latter. The roots are taken up when of the size of small parsnips ; they are cut into little pieces, of nearly equal size ; these are carefully dried, gene rally in an oven, so as to preserve their plumpness and avoid shrivelling ; and they are afterwards re duced to a powder in the manner of coffee-beans, as needed for. use. The succory root is thought to communicate to the infusion the power of acting as a gentle diuretic.
American Cress, although its name would lead us to expect a dis tant origin, is a plant indigenous to England, the Erysimum praecox of the Flora Britannica. It re sembles the common winter-cress, E. barbarea, but is smaller ; and it is only a biennial, while the for mer is a perennial plant. The leaves of the Ameri can cress have a pleasant warm taste ; while those of the common winter-cress are rather nauseous. It has of late years been very generally cultivated as a green salad plant. It may be sown either at broadcast, or thinly in drills a foot asunder, on any light soil. Two or three successive sowings may be made during the season, in order to have young plants ; but it may be noticed, that when the outer leaves are .regularly gathered, new ones are pro duced in succession. A late sowing should be made in August or September, on some sheltered border; the plants stand the winter without injury, and af ford leaves fit for use in February or March.
Melons.
The melon-ground is generally regarded as an ap pendage of the Kitchen Garden, and has been treat ed of in the Encyclopedia (article GARDENING, Part III.) under that head. To the ample instruc tions there given far the cultivation of the melon, little remains to be added, excepting a caution, founded on the observations of Mr Knight, against removing any leaves for which room can possibly be found. This is the more necessary, that many gar deners of the old school are very apt to think that, in thinning out the leaves, they are doing service, by admitting sun and air to the fruit, while they are probably inflicting a positive injury. The success of the fruit depends very much on the plant posses sing a luxuriant and healthy foliage, having the up per surfaces regularly presented to the light, and re maining as much as possible undisturbed in that po sition. Pegs are therefore to be freely employed, not only with the view of retaining the shoots in their place, but of keeping the leaves steady and up right ; and when water is necessary, it is to be in troduced without touching the leaves.
Two uncommon varieties of the melon, introduced of late years, may 'be shortly noticed ; the Salonica and the Valentia.—The Salonica Melon is nearly of a spherical shape, and without depressions on its surface; its colour approaches that of gold ; its pulp is pure white, of the consistence of that of the wa ter-melon, and very saccharine. The fruit should remain on the plant till it be completely matured ; for it improves in flavour and sweetness till it be come soft and be ready to decay.—The Valencia' Melon is produced plentifully in the countries bor dering on the Mediterranean. It is remarkable for the property of keeping for many weeks; insomuch that it has sometimes been imported into London from Spain. In this country it is raised in the manner of other melons. The fruit gathered, when
nearly ripe, and suspended in a dry airy room, will keep till January or February. Hence it is often called the Winter Melon. It is oval-shaped, and somewhat pointed at the ends ; the skin thin, and of a dark green colour ; the pulp whitish, firm, sac charine, and juicy : though the flavour is not rich, it is pleasant to the taste.
Succada.
A small green gourd has for some years past been cultivated in the neighbourhood of London, under the name of Succada or Vegetable Marrow. It may be raised in the spring on a common melon or cu cumber hot-bed; and in June transplanted to the open border, in a good aspect, and trained to a small temporary trellis. When the fruit is of the size of a hen's egg, it is accounted fit for use. It is dres sed in salt and water, squeezed, and served up in slices on a toast.
Mushrooms.
The usual mode of raising mushrooms, as well aBi of preparing the spawn, has already been described (Encyclopedia, Vol. IX. p. 443). But what is called Oldaker's method may deserve to be particularized. In forming the compost, he procures fresh short dung, from a stable, or from the path of'a horse-mill. The dung must neither have been exposed to wetness, nor subjected to fermentation. There is added about a fifth part of sheep's droppings, or of the cleanings of a cow-house, or of a mixture of both. The whole ingredients are to be thoroughly mixed and incor. porated. The beds, if they may be so called, are formed in coarse wooden boxes or drawers. A stra tum of' the prepared mixture about three inches thick, being deposited in the box, is beat together with a flat wooden mallet. Another layer is added, and beat together as before; and this is repeated till the beds be rather more than half a foot thick, and very compact. The boxes are then placed in the mushroom house, or in any out-house, where a slight increase of temperature can be commanded. A de gree of fermentation generally soon takes place in the mass; but if heat be not soon perceptible, an other layer must still be added, till sufficient action be excited. When the beds are milk warm (or be tween 80° and 90° Fabr.), some holes are dibbled in the mass, about nine inches apart, for receiving the mushroom spawn, which, it is to be presumed, has been previously prepared. The holes are left open for some time ; and when the heat is on the decline, but before it be quite gone, a piece of spawn is thrust into each opening, and the holes are closed with a little of the compost. A week afterwards, the beds are covered with a coating, an inch and a half thick, of rich mould, mixed with about a fifth part of horse droppings. This is beat down with - the back of a spade, and the bed may then be accounted ready for producing. The apartment is now kept as near ly and equally at 55° Fahr. as circumstances will al low. When the boxes become very dry, it is occa sionally found necessary to sprinkle over them a little soft water, but this must be done sparingly, and with great circumspection. The more that free air can be admitted, the flavour of the mushrooms is found to be the better ; but the exclusion of frost is indispensable. If a number of boxes or drawers be at first prepared, a few only at a time may be co vered with mould, and brought into bearing ; the rest being covered and cropped in succession, as mushrooms may happen to be in demand. In this way, they may be procured at every season of the year.