361. It is justly remarked by Nicol, that vegetables are seldom improved by forcing ; but that sea-cale is perhaps an exception ; the forced shoots produced at midsummer being more crisp and delicate in flavour than those procur ed in the natural way, in April or May. Certainly no vege table is more easily or more cheaply forced. It is done in two ways; either in the beds in the open air, or in hot-bed frames or Hued pits. In the open air beds, the operation consists merely in placing blanching covers over the plants as soon as the leaves are decayed in the end of autumn ; and then covering up the whole, bed with stable-dung, packing it closely between the pots, and heaping It over the tops of them to the depth of six inches or more. In the course of December the sea-cale vegetates, and ad vances in proportion to the heat generated by the fermen tation of the covering of dung. In general, It is fit for cut ting in January and February. If the heat of the litter at any time decline, a portion of new stable dung is mixed with it. The advantages of having blanching pots with •moveable lids, arc, in this kind of forcing, very great: the temperature may more easily be ascertained, by lifting a lid in one or two parts of the bed, and introducing a ther mometer: in the same way, it is easy to examine whether the shoots be ready for cutting, and to select the most for ward froth severalstools, without materially disturbing the dung and dissipating the heat. The method of forcing sea cale on the open ground was described by Mr Maher, in 1805, in the paper above alluded to ; but he was not ac quainted with blanching-pots having moveable tops. It is also described by Nicol, in his " Kalendar," 1810, with the improved blanching-pots. It is curious, therefore, that Abercrombie, in his " Practical Gardener," 1813, should take no notice of it, while he recommends planting sea-cale in hot-beds under Frames and glasses.
362. Mr Barton, gardener at Bothwell Castle in Scot land, covers the sea-cale beds to the depth of a foot and a half, with leaves, as they fall from the trees, and are raked from the shrubberies and walks in the end of autumn, adding over all a very slight layer of long dung, sufficient only to keep the leaves from being blown about. The shoots rise sweet and tender among the leaves, early in the spring, being in some measure forced, and very perfect etiolation is at the same time accomplished.
In a hot-bed frame, or in Hued pits, sea-cale is forced nearly in the same manner as asparagug The plants should be strong and healthy, and at least three years old : they are by this mode of forcing exhausted, and not worth preserving. The best way therefore is, to sow a bed of sea-cale annually : in this way a regular succession of plants will always be ready, either for forcing in the open ground or in hot-bed frames.
By the various improvements, therefore, of late years made in the culture of sea-cale, this desirable vegetable may be commanded for table, with very little trouble or expence, at any time from November till May ; a period including all the dead months of the year. It may be affirmed that sea-cale shoots, when duly blanched, are not inferior to asparagus when prepared like it ; and farther, that they form an excellent ingredient for soups. Not only the head or shoot (sometimes also called the crown) is fit for use, but the blanched stalks of the unfolding leaves, four or five of which are attached to each head. Before
boiling, these are detached, and tied in small bundles like asparagus. It is a vegetable o hich (as remarked by Sir George Nlackenzie, in the paper already mentioned) can not easily be overdone in cooking ; it should be thoroughly drained, and then suffered to remain a few minutes before the fire, that a farther portion of moisture may be exhaled. From four to six heads, according to the size, make a tolerable dish.
363. It is somewhat strange, that in France the use of sea-cale as a delicate culinary vegetable should be nearly unknown. Bastien, in an edition of his popular Manuel du Jardinier, published in 1807, describes the thou marin d'ilngleterre correctly enough ; but he appears to have tried to make use of the full grown leaves, instead of the blanched shoots, in early spring : a coarser mess can hardly be imagined ; and it is no wonder therefore that he should deny the merits of sea-cale, and resign the plant, as he does, with a sneer, to colder climates !---mais elle convient mieux que d'autres dans des climats froids. When the French gardeners learn how to cultivate it, and particularly when they are able to force and to blanch it at mid-winter, by the simple means above described, there can be no doubt that sea-cale will become a favourite with the Pari sians.
When seed is wanted, if two or three strong plants be 1f:ft to flower, they will not fail to produce it in The flower is of a rich white colour, and gives the plant an ornamental appearance ; when fully expanded, the flowers smell strongly of honey.
Artichoke.
361. The Artichoke (Cynara Scolymus, L.; Syngenesia Polygamia Z.qualis ; Cinarocephalx, Juss.) is a perennial plat. It is a native of Italy, according to and of the south of France, according to Garidel : but B.ckmann, (History of Inventions and Discoveries, translated by John ston, vul. i. p. 339, et seq ) has given reasons for thinking, that its native country is uncertain, the Italian and French specimens being probably only the outcasts of gardens, and that the plant mentioned by ancient Greek and Roman writers, is not to be considered as our artichoke, but as a similar plant, the true artichoke having been brought to Italy from the Levant only in the 15th century. It is not known to have been cultivated in English gardens till near the middle of the 16th century.
It is a remarkable and a well known plant in gardens. From the root spring many' large pinnatifid leaves, three or lour feet long, covered with an ash-coloured down ; the midrib deeply channelled and furrowed. The appearance of the flower-heads is familiar. These, in an immature state, contain the part used, which is the fleshy receptacle, commonly called the bottom, freed from the bristles and seed-down, vulgarly called the choke. in the usual way of cooking, the entire heads are boiled. In eating, the por tions of the receptacle adhering to the base of the calyx leaves or scales are also used. The bottoms are some times fried in paste, and they form a desirable ingredient in ragouts. They are occasionally used for pickling ; and sometimes they are slowly dried, and kept in paper bags for winter use. lrr France the bottoms of young artichokes are frequently used in the raw state as a salad ; thin slices are cut from the bottom, with a scale or calyx-leaf attach ed, by which the slice is lifted, and dipped in oil and vine ga• before eating.