When it is wished to save seed, the best plants of the approved kinds arc selected, and planted at a distance from all others, so as to avoid any intermixture of pollen. If the plants have stood over winter, they produce their flowers more abundantly, the stem becoming thick, and rising be tween two and three feet high ; and such plants also ripen their seed more certainly and early.
Endive.
373. Endive (Cichorium Endivia, L.; Syngenesia Pay gamia 'Equalis ; Cinarocephale, Juss.) is an annual, or at most a biennial plant, a native of Ciiina and Japan. The root-leaves are numerous, large, sinuate, toothed, smooth ; the stem rises about two feet high, is branched, and pro duces pale blue flowers. It was introduced into this coun try about the middle of the 16th century.
There are three varieties ; Broad-leaved Batavian, Green curled leaved, and White curled leaved. The curled varieties, having less of the bitter quality, are now gene rally preferred ; and the green curled, being the hardiest sort, is adopted for the late or winter crops. Endive is one of the principal ingredients in autumn and winter sa lads, and is frequently used for stewing, and for putting in soups.
The seed is not sown till after the middle of May, often not till near the middle of June ; because, if sown earlier, the plants would be apt to run to flower. Another sowing is made in July. The seeds are scattered thinly, so that the plants may not rise in clusters, and become weak. When they are about three or four inches high, they are transplanted into a well prepared bed of rich soil, in rows a foot asunder, and at the distance of ten inches from each other in the row ; or in large drills, at the same distances, the blanching being it, this way facilitated. In dry weather, watering is necessary.
374. The blanching is the next operation ; and on this being well dune, the tenderness, crispness, and mild fla vour of the endive depend. It is accomplished by tying up the heads with strands of bass-mat or small willow twigs : this must be done when the plant is dry, that is, when neither rain nor dew rests on it ; and some nicety is requisite in gathering the leaves together in regular order, so as not to cross each other, and in rejecting such leaves as are unhealthy. The plants are at first tied two inches
below the top; afterwards about the middle of the plant. In three weeks or a month they are found to be blanched ; and they continue fit for use in this state for about a fort night. A few plants are therefore tied up every week, when the weather permits, in order to their being ready for use in succession.
The plants from later sowing are placed in sheltered borders near a wall or hedge ; and when very severe weather conies on, the rows are protected with dry fern or any other light coveting. After October, indeed, the mode adopted is, to make some trenches or small oblong mounds of earth, and to sink the plants nearly to the head in these: here they become sufficiently blanched ,in four or five weeks; and if additional plants be sunk in the trenches (very fortnight, when the weather happens to be so mild and dry as to permit it, the endive season may be continued for a long time. Endive thus blanched in the earth must be dug out with the spade, and it requires to be very tho roughly washed.
A few of the strongest and most early plants are selected for producing seed. These arc planted in the beginning of March, in a sheltered situation, if possible, near a pal ing, to which the flower-stems may be tied, so as to pre vent accidents from the wind. The flowers come out in June, and are succeeded by ripe seeds about the middle of July. The seeds are gathered at different times, as they are observed to become ripe.
Parsley.
375. Parsley ("lpium Petroselinum, L.; Pentandria Digynia ; Umbellifer,e)is a biennial plant, considered as a na tive of Sardinia, but naturalized in several places of Eng land and Scotland.
Three varieties are cultivated ; Common parsley, and Curled parsley, for the leaves ; and Large-rooted or Ham burgh parsley, for the roots.
The common and the curled parsley are raised in drills, generally on the edges of a border in the kitchen-garden. They are sown in February, or early in March, as the seeds lie from a month to six weeks in the ground before spring ing. Parsley bears transplanting, so that blanks in the edging may easily be filled up in rainy weather.