ENDIVE. Chicarium endivia. This plant, in great repute in Europe, is used for salads, the blanched leaves being the edible part. It is a hardy annual, said to have come originally from China,. The seeds are sown early in spring in a mellow, prepared bed and, when they have attained eight or ten leaves, are transplanted in rows about sixteen inches apart, by eight inches in the row. Keep the rows clean of weeds and, when the plants have reached their full develop ment of leaves, they arc drawn together and the tops tied with bast, or other soft material. Thus the heart will become blanched. If the weather is dry, the bottoms may be earthed up considerably, but if moist, it is apt to rot the plants. The time required to properly blanch them is about ten days, in warm weather, and from this to three weeks, according to the season and temperature. Some careful cultivators cover the plants with large pots after tying, which blanches tbe plant thoroughly. When properly grown and blanched, endive is an excellent autumn, winter, and spring salad for those who like the slightly bitter taste which blanching can not wholly eradicate. The varieties are many
and are divided into two classes, the Batavian and the Curled sorts. The large and the small Batavian are the hardiest varieties. Of the Curled sorts, the Green Curled, White Curled, and the Triple Curled, or Moss Endive, are good. Seed may be sown for succession up to the first of July. The late plants should be tied up for blanching just before freezing weather, and then taken up with eart4 around the roots and placed in a cool cellar just so they will not touch each other, and a little water poured about the roots. In this manner, with care, the plants may be kept until spring, Our experience with this plant.is that it does not pay. The same atten tion given to celery will furnish a salad much better relished by most American palates.