Danvers Onion.Danvers Onion.
This comparatively recent variety was obtained by selection from the Common Yellow. It is somewhat above medium size, and inclined to globular in its form. Average bulbs measure three inches in diameter, and two inches and three-fourths in depth. The skin is yellowish-brown, but becomes darker by age, and greenish-brown if long exposed to the sun; the flesh is similar to that of the Yellow,—white, sugary, comparatively mild, and well flavored.
The superiority of the Danvers Onion over the last named consists principally, if not solely, in its greater productiveness. When grown under like conditions, it yields, on the average, nearly one-fourth more; and, on this account, the variety is generally employed for field culture. It is, however, not so good a keeper; and, for shippingpurposes, is decidedly inferior to the Yellow,—its globular form rendering it more liable to decay, from the heat and dampness incident to sea voyages.
When cultivated for the market, the land is thoroughly ploughed, and well enriched with fine decomposed manure. The surface is then harrowed, and next raked free of stones, and lumps of earth. The seed is sown in April, usually by machines, in rows fourteen inches apart, and three-fourths of an inch in depth; three pounds of seed being allowed to an acre. The crop is treated in the usual form during the summer; and ripens the last of August, or early in September. When the tops have entirely withered, the bulbs are raked from the drills, and spread a few days in the sun for drying; after which they are sorted, and barrelled for storing or the market. The yield varies from five to eight hundred bushels per acre.
Deptford.Thomp.
Brown Deptford.
Very similar to, if not identical with, the English Strasburg. "It sometimes exactly agrees with the description of that variety: but it occasionally has a pale-brown skin, without any tinge of red; and, when this is the case, its flavor is milder than that of the last named."
With the exception of its more globular form, the bulb much resembles the Yellow Onion of this country.
Early Silver Nocera.
Early Small Silver Nocera. White Nocera.Thomp.Blanc Hatif de Nocera.Vil.
This is a very small variety of the Early Silver-skin, with a small, occasionally roundish, but generally oblate bulb. The skin is white; but the layers beneath are striped with bright-green lines. The leaves are very small. Sometimesthe bulb has only a single leaf, frequently but two; and, if there are more than four, the plant has not its true character.
It is an excellent sort for pickling; and is the smallest and earliest variety known,—being fifteen or twenty days earlier than the Early Silver-skin: but it is very liable to increase in size, and to degenerate. Very little known or cultivated in this country.
Early Red Wethersfield.
A sub-variety of the Large Red Wethersfield, and the earliest of the red onions. Form and color nearly the same as the Large Red; bulb small, measuring about two inches and a half in diameter, and about an inch and a half in depth. It is close-grained; mild; a good keeper; forms its bulbs, with few exceptions, and ripens, the last of July; being three or four weeks earlier than the Large Red. Cultivated to a limited extent in various places on the coast of New England, for early consumption at home, and for shipment to the South and West.
This variety and the Intermediate are very liable to degenerate: they tend to grow larger and later, approaching the original variety; and can be preserved in a pure state only by a careful selection of the bulbs set for seed.
Early Silver-Skin.
Blanc Hatif.Vil.
This is a small early variety of the Silver-skin, measuring two inches and three-fourths in diameter, and an inch and three-fourths in depth. The neck is small, and the skin silvery-white. It is much esteemed for its earliness and mild flavor, and is one of the best of all varieties for pickling. When cultivated for the latter purpose, it should be sown and treated as directed for the Silver-skin.
Fusiform, or Cow-Horn.
Corné de Bœuf.Vil.
This is a large onion, growing from eight inches to a foot in length. It tapers rather regularly from the base to the top, and is frequently bent or curved in the form of a horn; whence the name. Skin copper-red. It is late, lacks compactness, is very liable to degenerate, decays soon after being harvested, and must be considered more curious than useful.
Intermediate Red Wethersfield.
An early variety of the common Large Red. Bulb of medium size, flattened; neck small; color deep purple.
It is rather pungent, yet milder than the Large Red; keeps well; and is grown to a considerable extent, in certain localities in New England, for shipping.
James's Keeping.
James's Long Keeping. De James.Vil.
This is an English hybrid, said to have been originated by a Mr. James, an extensive market-gardener in Surrey, Eng. The bulb is pyriform, or pear-shaped; and measures four inches and upwards in depth, and two inches or more at its broadest diameter. Skin copper-yellow,—the coating next under it reddish-brown; flavor strong. It is not early, but is much prized for its long keeping; the bulbs not sprouting so early in spring as those of most varieties.
Large Red.
Wethersfield Large Red.
Wethersfield Large Red Onion.WethersfieldLarge Red Onion.
Bulb sometimes roundish, but, when pure, comparatively flat. It is of very large size; and, when grown in favorable soil, often measures five inches or more in diameter,and three inches in depth. Skin deep purplish-red; neck of medium size; flesh purplish-white, moderately fine-grained, and stronger flavored than that of the Yellow and earlier Red varieties. It is very productive; one of the best to keep; and is grown to a large extent, in many places on the seacoast of New England, for shipping to the South and West. It is almost everywhere seen in vegetable markets; and, with perhaps the exception of the Yellow or Danvers, is the most prominent of the sorts employed for commercial purposes. It derives its name from Wethersfield, Conn.; where it is extensively cultivated, and where it has the reputation of having originated.
A sub-variety of the foregoing is cultivated in some localities, with nearly the same variation in form that exists between the Danvers and Common Yellow. It will probably prove somewhat more productive; but it is neither better flavored, nor to be preferred for its superior keeping properties.
Madeira.
Large Globe Tripoli. Romain. De Madère Rond. De Belle Garde.Vil.
This is a roundish, obovate onion, of remarkable size, often measuring six inches and a half in depth, and six inches in diameter; neck thick and large; skin reddish-brown,—the layer next within, pale red.
The variety is much prized for its extraordinary size, and for its mild, sugary flavor. The plants, however, often fail to form good bulbs; and, even when well matured, the latter are liable to decay soon after being harvested. It requires a long, warm season for its greatest perfection. The seed should be sown early, in drills sixteen inches apart; and the plants should be thinned to eight inches apart in the rows.
Not suited to New England or the cooler sections of the United States.
New Deep Blood-Red.
Brunswick Deep Blood-red. Rouge Très Foncé de Brunswick.Vil.
Bulb very small, flattened,—two inches and a quarter in diameter, and an inch and a half in depth; neck small; skin deep violet-red, approaching black. A half early variety, remarkable for its intense purplish-red color.
Pale Red.
Rouge Pale, de Niort.Vil.
Bulb roundish, flattened on the upper side, but not so much so as the Blood-red, of which this may be considered a variety; size medium, two inches and a half in diameter, one inch and three-quarters in depth; neck small; skin copper-red, much paler than that of the Blood-red. Compared with the last named, it is earlier and of milder flavor. This and the Blood-red are much esteemed by some for their extreme pungency and for their diuretic properties.
Paris Straw-Colored.
Jaune des Vertus.Vil.
A large, somewhat flattened variety, much cultivated about Paris; skin fine russet-yellow; neck small. It is not early, but very productive, and of excellent quality.
Pear-Shaped.
Bulb pyriform, measuring four inches and a half in depth, and two inches in diameter at the broadest part; neck small; skin copper-red. It is quite late, but is of good quality, and keeps well.
Potato Onion.
Underground Onion.
Bulb flattened, from two and a half to three inches in diameter, and about two inches in depth; skin copper-yellow;flavor sugary, mild, and excellent. It does not keep so well as many other varieties; but remains sound longer, if the leaves are cut two or three inches above the top of the bulb at the time of harvesting.
The Potato Onion produces no seeds, neither small bulbs upon its stalks, in the manner of many of the species of the Onion family; but, if a full-grown bulb be set in spring, a number of bulbs of various sizes will be formed, beneath the surface of the ground, about the parent bulb. By means of these it is propagated, and an abundant supply often secured in localities where the varieties raised from seed frequently wholly fail, either from the maggot, effects of climate, or other causes.
Like the other kinds of onions, it requires a rich, deep soil, well manured, and dry at the bottom. This should be deeply and thoroughly stirred, and then raised in ridges of moderate height, fifteen inches apart. In April, select the large bulbs, and set them on the ridges, ten inches apart, with the crown of the bulbs just below the surface of the ground. The subsequent culture consists in keeping them clean from weeds, and gathering a little earth about them from time to time in the process of cultivation. As soon as the tops are entirely dead, they will be ready for harvesting.
It is very prolific, yielding from four to six fold. Such of the crop as may be too small for the table should be preserved during the winter, to be set in the following spring; planting them out in April, in drills one foot apart and three inches from each other in the drills, and sinking the crowns just below the surface of the ground. They attain their full size by September.
Silver-Skin.
White Portugal, of New England.
Bulb of medium size, flattened,—average specimens measuring about three inches in diameter, and an inch anda half or two inches in thickness; neck very small; skin silvery-white. After the removal of the outer envelope, the upper part of the bulb is often veined and clouded with green, while the portion produced below ground is generally clear white. Flesh white, fine-grained, sugary, and remarkably mild flavored.
It forms its bulb early and regularly, ripens off well, and is quite productive; an average yield being about four hundred bushels per acre. It is a very poor keeper; and this is its most serious objection. It is always preserved through the winter with much difficulty, and almost invariably decays if kept from light and exposed to dampness. The best method for its preservation is to spread the roots in a dry, light, and airy situation.
The Silver-skin Onion is much esteemed in the middle and southern sections of the United States, and is cultivated to a considerable extent in New England. It is well adapted for sowing in August, or the beginning of September, for early use, and for marketing during the ensuing spring. Where the winter are mild, the crop, with slight protection, will sustain no injury in the open ground. In Europe it is much esteemed, and extensively grown for pickling, as its "white color, in contrast with the fine green veins, or lines, gives it a very agreeable appearance. For pickling, the seed should be sown very thickly, then slightly covered with fine soil, and afterwards rolled. If the seed is covered more deeply, the bulb, from not being quite on the surface, has a larger and thicker neck; so that it loses its finely rounded form, and is, moreover, less compact."
This variety, erroneously known in New England as the "White Portugal," is unquestionably the true Silver-skin, as described both by English and French authors. The application of the term "Silver-skin" to the common Yellow Onion, as very extensively practised by seedsmen and market-men in the Eastern States, is neither pertinent nor authorized.
Strasburg.M'Int.
Yellow Strasburg. Flanders. Dutch. Essex.
This is the variety most generally cultivated in Great Britain. Its form varies from flat to globular, or oval; bulb large, three inches wide, and full two inches in depth; outside coating brown, of firm texture. Divested of this, the color is reddish-brown, tinged with green. Flavor comparatively mild. It is a very hardy sort, succeeds in cold localities, and keeps well.
The Strasburg and Deptford Onions much resemble the common Yellow Onion of New England; and the difference between the sorts is not great, when English-grown bulbs of the first-named varieties are compared with the bulbs of the Yellow Onion, American-grown: but seeds of the Strasburg or Deptford, raised in England and sown in this country, almost invariably fail to produce plants that form bulbs so generally or so perfectly as American-grown seeds of the Yellow Onion.
Top or Tree Onion.
Egyptian.
Bulb large, a little flattened; producing, instead of seeds, a number of small bulbs, or onions, about the size of a filbert, which serve as a substitute for seeds in propagation. The flesh is coarse; and the bulbs are very liable to decay during winter, unless kept in a cool and dry situation. The variety has been considered rather curious than useful.
Planting and Culture.—"Either the bulbs formed in the ground, or the small ones upon the stems, may be planted out in April or May. The former are set one foot apart in each direction, and the stem-bulbs four inches apart in rows eight inches asunder. Stems that bear heavily require to be supported. When ripe, the stem-bulbs should be dried, and kept free from damp in a cool place."
Tripoli.Thomp.
Flat Madeira. De Madère Plat.Vil.
This is one of the largest varieties. The bulb tapers abruptly from the middle to the neck, and almost equally so to the base. It is five inches and upwards in diameter; color light reddish-brown,—beneath the skin, pale brownish-red, tinged with green.
It requires the whole season, and in some localities is considered excellent for a late crop. The flesh is soft, and the bulbs soon perish after being taken from the ground. In its season, it is much esteemed for its mild and delicate flavor. Like the Madeira Onion, the plants fail to form bulbs so generally as other varieties. Not adapted to the climate of the Northern States.
Two-Bladed.Thomp.
Double Tige.Vil.
This variety derives its name from the fact that the small bulbs have generally but two leaves. The larger ones have more; rarely, however, exceeding four: but, unless by far the greater portion have only two leaves, either the seed or the cultivation is at fault.
White Globe.White Globe.
The bulbs are small, flat, light-brown, very firm, and attain maturity early; the neck is small, and the top of the bulb is depressed or hollowed around the stem. It keeps well, and is an excellent variety.
White Globe.Thomp.
Form nearly ovoid, very regular and symmetrical; skin greenish-yellow, marked with rose-colored lines,—the pellicle changing to white on drying. The bulb measures about four inches in depth, and two inches and three-fourths in its largest diameter. It keeps well, and is an excellent variety.
Yellow Globe.
Nearly allied to the preceding variety; the size and form being the same. Skin reddish-yellow. It is hardy, productive, of good flavor, keeps well, and deserves general cultivation.
White Lisbon.
Lisbon.Thomp.Early Lisbon. White Florence.
A very large, globular onion, measuring four inches in diameter, and about four inches in depth; neck comparatively thick; skin smooth, thin, clear, and white.
It is a late variety; and, although comparatively hardy, requires a long, warm season for its full development. Under the most favorable conditions, both with regard to soil and exposure, many of the plants fail to form a good bulb. On account of its hardiness, it is a good sort for sowing in the autumn for a supply of young onions for spring salads; or, if these young bulbs be set in the open ground in April, fine, large onions will be formed towards the end of summer. The variety is better suited to the climate of the Middle States than to that of the Northern and Eastern.
White Portugal, or Spanish.Thomp.
White Spanish. White Reading. Cambridge. Soufre D'Espagne.Vil.
A very large, flat onion, measuring three inches and upwards in width by about two inches in depth; skin loose, of a pale-brown or yellowish-brown, falling off spontaneously, and exhibiting the next coating, which is greenish-white. It has a small neck, and is particularly mild flavored. One of the best for early winter use, but early decays.
Very distinct from the White Portugal of the New-England markets.
Yellow Onion.
Silver-skin of New England.
Yellow Onion.Yellow Onion.
One of the oldest varieties, and, as a market onion, probably better known and more generally cultivated in this country than any other sort. The true Yellow Onion has a flattened form and a very small neck. Its size is rather above medium,—measuring, when well grown, from three inches to three inches and a half in diameter, and from two inches to two inches and a half in depth. Skin yellowish-brown, or copper-yellow,—becoming somewhat deeper by age, or if exposed long to the sun; flesh white, fine-grained, comparatively mild, sugary, and well flavored. It keeps well, and is very prolific: few of the plants, in good soils and seasons, fail to produce good-sized and well-ripened bulbs. For the vegetable garden, as well as for field culture, it may be considered a standard sort.
The Danvers Onion, which is but a sub-variety of the common Yellow, may prove somewhat more profitable for extensive cultivation, on account of its globular form; but neither in its flavor nor in its keeping properties can it be said to possess any superiority over the last named.
The term "Silver-skin," by which this onion is very generally though erroneously known throughout New England, has created great confusion between seedsmen and dealers. Much perplexity might be avoided if its application to the Yellow Onion were entirely abandoned. The genuine Silver-skin, as its name implies, has a skin of pure, silvery whiteness; and is, in other respects, very dissimilar to the present variety.
When extensively cultivated for the market, it should be sown and subsequently treated as directed for the Danvers Onion. The yield per acre varies from four to six hundred bushels.
This plant is a half-hardy perennial from Denmark, partaking of the character of both the leek and garlic. Bulbs or cloves similar to those of the common garlic, with much the same flavor, though somewhat milder; leaves large; flower-stalk about two feet high, contorted or coiled towards the top, and producing at its extremity a group of bulbs, or rocamboles, intermixed with flowers.
Propagation and Culture.—It is propagated by planting either the underground bulbs, or the small cloves, or bulbs, that are produced upon the stem of the plant. These should be set in April, in drills ten inches apart, and four or five inches asunder in the drills. In the following August they will have attained their full size, and may be used immediately; or they may be taken up, spread to dry, tied in bunches, and housed, for future consumption. All the culture required is the removal of weeds, and the occasional stirring of the soil.
Use.—"The cloves, or small bulbs, as well those from the stem as those beneath the surface of the ground, are used in the manner of shallots and garlics, and nearly for the same purposes."
There is but one variety.
The Shallot (sometimes written Eschalot) is a native of Palestine,—the specific term "Ascalonicum" being derived from Ascalon, a town in Syria: hence also the popular English name, "Scallion."
The root of the plant is composed of numerous small bulbs, united at their base; the whole being enclosed in a thin skin, or pellicle, varying in color in the different varieties. Leaves fistulous, or hollow, produced in tufts, or groups; flowers reddish, in terminal, compact, spherical bunches. The plants, however, very seldom blossom.
Soil.—"The soil best adapted for growing the Shallot is a light, rich, sandy loam; but, as such soils are scarce, any light, dry soil that has been cultivated and manured a year or two will answer." In wet soils, it is liable to be attacked by the maggot; and such location should, therefore, be avoided.
Propagation and Culture.—The roots of the Shallot, which are bulbous, are very readily increased by offsets. The bulbs are oblong, but somewhat irregular in their form, and seldom attain a large size. As they increase into clusters, they do not swell like roots that grow singly.
They are propagated by dividing these clustered roots into separate offsets, and planting the divisions in April, in very shallow drills one foot apart; placing them about six inches apart in the drills, and covering them lightly with earth. Soot mixed with the surface-soil has been found of much service to prevent the maggot from committing extensive depredations upon this plant. The only after-culture required is that of keeping them clean from weeds, and occasionally stirring the ground.
Harvesting.—"As soon as the leaves decay, the bulbs will have attained their growth, and should then be taken up, and spread out in some dry loft; when, after being thoroughly dried and picked, they may be put in bags, boxes, or tied in bundles by the stalks. If kept from frost, they will remain fit for use for several months."
Use.—The largest of the bulbs are selected, and employed in the same manner as garlic or onions. "On account of the mildness of its flavor, when compared with that of other cultivated plants of the Onion family, it is preferred in cookery as a seasoner in soups and stews. It is also much used in the raw state: the cloves, or sections of the root, cut up into small pieces, form an ingredient in French salads; and are also sprinkled over steaks, chops, &c. The true epicure, however, cuts a clove or bulb in two, and, by rubbing the inside of the plate, secures the amount of relish to suit his palate.
"Shallot vinegar is made by putting six cloves, or bulbs, into a quart bottle of that liquid; and, when sealed down, it will keep for years. The Shallot also makes an excellent pickle."—M'Int.
Varieties.—
Common or Small Shallot.
Échalote ordinaire.Vil.
Bulbs about three-fourths of an inch in diameter at the base, elongated, and enclosed in a reddish-yellow skin, or pellicle; leaves small, ten or twelve inches high.
This variety is early, keeps well, and is one of the best for cultivation.
Jersey.Vil.
Bulbs of large size, measuring two inches in length, and rather more than an inch in diameter at the base; grouped like the other varieties, and enclosed in a light-brown pellicle, as fine in texture as the skin of an onion, which this Shallot much resembles in form and odor. Compared with the Common Shallot, it is more round, the neck is smaller, and it is also more close or compact. Leaves remarkably glaucous, not tall, but of good substance,—quite distinct in these respects from the Small or the Large sort. It also sometimes produces seeds; which is, perhaps, a recommendation, as these, when sown, frequently produce new varieties. It isone of the earliest of all the sorts; but is comparatively tender, and decays early.
Large Alençon.
Échalote grosse d'Alençon.Vil.
Bulb very large, exceeding in size that of the Jersey Shallot; which variety it much resembles in form and color, and in being tender, decaying early, and sometimes running to seed. It is, however, not quite so early; and the leaves are longer and more glaucous. Flavor mild and pleasant.
At the time of harvesting, the bulbs should be long exposed to the sun, in order that they may be thoroughly dried before packing away. "The bulbs are slow in forming, and the worst keepers, as, when stored, they soon begin to sprout."
This variety, and also the Jersey Shallot, closely resemble the Onion. It is possible they may constitute a distinct species.
Large Shallot.
Échalote grosse.Vil.
Bulbs about two inches in diameter at the base, elongated, and enclosed in a brownish-yellow skin, or pellicle; leaves fifteen to eighteen inches high.
This variety, in size, much exceeds that of the Common or Small Shallot; and, though later in ripening, is nevertheless the first to be found in the market, as it forms its bulbs early in the season. Its keeping properties are inferior to the last named.
Long Keeping.
This resembles the Common Shallot; but is considered superior to that variety in its keeping properties, and in being less subject to the attack of the maggot. It is said that the variety may be kept two years.
The Welsh Onion is a hardy perennial from Siberia. It is quite distinct from the Common Onion, as it forms no bulbs, but produces numerous elongated, angular, tunicated stems, not unlike scallions, or some of the smaller descriptions of leeks. The flower-stem is about eighteen inches high, swollen near the middle, and terminates in a globular umbel of greenish-white flowers. The seeds are small, black, somewhat irregular in form, and retain their vitality two years. About thirty-six thousand are contained in an ounce.
Sowing and Cultivation.—The seeds are sown in drills about half an inch in depth, and the crop subsequently treated as the Common Onion.
There are two varieties:—
Common or Red Welsh Onion.
Skin, or pellicle, reddish-brown, changing to silvery-white about the base of the leaves; the latter being fistulous, and about a foot in height. Its principal recommendation is its remarkable hardiness. The seeds are sometimes sown in July and August for the young stems and leaves, which are used during winter and early in spring as salad.
White Welsh Onion.
Early White. Ciboule Blanche Hative.Vil.
This is a sub-variety of the Common Red. The skin is rose-white, and, like that of the last named, changes to silvery-white about the upper portion of the stem, or bulb; the leaves are longer, deeper colored, firmer, and less subject to wither or decay at their extremities, than those of theCommon Red. The White is generally considered the better variety; as it is more tender, and milder in flavor, though much less productive.
The Welsh onions are of little value, except in cold latitudes; and are rarely found in the vegetable gardens of this country.
The Artichoke. Asparagus. Cardoon. Hop. Oosung. Phytolacca.
The Artichoke is a hardy perennial. The stem is from four to five feet in height, with numerous branches; the leaves are of remarkable size, frequently measuring three feet, and sometimes nearly four feet in length, pinnatifid, or deeply cut on the borders, and more or less invested with an ash-colored down; the mid-ribs are large, fleshy, and deeply grooved, or furrowed; the flowers are large, terminal, and consist of numerous blue florets, enclosed by fleshy-pointed scales; the seeds (eight hundred and fifty of which are contained in anounce) are of a grayish color, variegated with deep brown, oblong, angular, somewhat flattened, and retain their vitality five years.
Green Globe Artichoke.Green Globe Artichoke.
Soil.—Select a light, rich, and rather moist soil, and trench it well; incorporating in the process a liberal portion of old, well-decomposed compost. Sea-weeds, kelp, rock-weed, and the like, where they can be obtained, are the best fertilizers; but, where these are not accessible, a slight application of salt will be beneficial.
Propagation.—Artichokes may be propagated either by seeds, or by slips, or suckers, from established plants. If by slips, they should be taken off in May, when they have grown five or six inches in height, and transplanted four or five inches deep, in rows four feet apart, and two feet apart in the rows. Water freely, if dry weather occurs before the young plants are established. Keep the ground loose by frequent hoeings; and in August or September the heads will be fit for use. Before severe weather, the plants should be covered with straw or stable-litter.
As plants of one year's growth produce but few heads, and are also later in their development of these than established plants, it is the practice of many cultivators to set a few young slips, and to destroy an equal part of the old plantation, yearly.
Propagation by Seeds.—"Sow the seeds in April, in a nursery-bed; making the drills a foot apart, and covering the seeds an inch deep. When the plants are three inches high, transplant as before directed. Plants from seeds will seldom flower the first year."—M'Int.
To raise Seeds.—Allow a few of the largest central heads to remain; and, just as the flowers expand, bend over the stalk so as to allow the rain to run from the buds, as the seeds are often injured by wet weather. In favorable seasons, they will ripen in September. According to English authority, little dependence can be placed on seedling plants: manyproduce small and worthless heads, whilst others produce those of large size and of good quality.
Taking the Crop.—"All of the heads should be cut as fast as they are fit for use, whether wanted or not; as allowing them to flower greatly weakens the plants, as does also permitting the stems that produced the heads to remain after the heads are cut off. For pickling whole, the heads should be cut when about two inches in diameter; for other purposes, when they have nearly attained their full size, but before the scales of the calyx begin to open. For what is called 'bottoms,' they should be cut when they are at their largest size, and just as the scales begin to show symptoms of opening, which is an indication that the flowers are about to be formed; after which, the heads are comparatively useless."—M'Int.
Use.—The portions of the plant used are the lowest parts of the leaves, or scales, of the calyx; and also the fleshy receptacles of the flower, freed from the bristles and seed-down. The latter are commonly called the "choke," on account of their disagreeable character when eaten.
Sometimes, particularly in France, the central leaf-stalk is blanched, and eaten like cardoons. The bottom, which is the top of the receptacles, is fried in paste, and enters largely into fricassees and ragouts. They are sometimes pickled, and often used in a raw state as a salad. The French also cut them into thin slices; leaving one of the scales, or calyx leaves, attached, by which the slice is lifted, and dipped in oil and vinegar before using. The English present the head whole, or cut into quarters, upon a dry plate; the guests picking off the scales one by one, which have a fleshy substance at the base. These are eaten after being dipped in oil and vinegar.
What is called "artichoke chard" is the tender leaf-stalks blanched, and cooked like cardoons. The Italians and French often eat the heads raw with vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper; but they are generally preferred when boiled.
Varieties.—
Dark-Red Spined.
Bud very small. The variety is remarkable for the very long spines in which the scales terminate. For cultivation, it is inferior to the other sorts.
Early Purple.
Purple. Purple Globe. Artichaut Violet.Vil.
Heads rather small, obtusely conical; scales short and broad, pointed, green at the base, tinged with purplish-red on the outside, towards their extremities, moderately succulent, and of good quality. The variety is early, but not hardy. In France, it is considered excellent in its crude state, served with vinegar and oil; but not so good cooked.
Green Globe.
Large Round-headed. Globe.
A very large sort, much esteemed, and generally cultivated in England. Heads, or buds, very large, nearly round, and with a dusky, purplish tint. The scales turn in at the top, and the receptacle is more fleshy than that of most varieties. It is generally preferred for the main crop, as the scales, or edible parts, are thicker, and higher flavored, than those of any other artichoke. It is not a hardy variety, and requires ample protection during winter.
Green, or Common.
French.
Bud very large, of a conical or oval form; scales deep-green, thick, and fleshy, pointed at the tips, and turned outwards. Though it has not the same thickness of flesh as the Green Globe Artichoke, it is much hardier, more prolific, and one of the best sorts for cultivation.
Green Provence.
Bud large; scales comparatively long and narrow, of a lively green color, erect, fleshy at the base, and terminating in a sharp, brownish spine, or thorn; leaves of the plant deep-green. Most esteemed in its crude state; eaten as a salad in vinegar and oil.
Laon.
Gros vert de Laon.Vil.
Similar to the Common Green Artichoke, but of larger size. Scales rather loose and open, very deep-green, fleshy, and pointed. Much cultivated in the vicinity of Paris, and there considered the best.
Large Flat Brittany.
Artichaut Camus de Bretagne.Vil.
Bud of medium size, somewhat globular, but flattened at the top; scales closely set together, green, brownish on the borders,—short, thick, and fleshy at the base. Earlier than the Laon, but not so fleshy. Much grown in Anjou and Brittany.
Purplish-Red.
Bud conical; scales green towards their tips, and purplish-red at their base. Not very fleshy, and in no respect superior to the other varieties.
Asparagus is a hardy, perennial, maritime plant. It rises to the height of five feet and upwards, with an erect, branching stem; short, slender, nearly cylindrical leaves; and greenish, drooping flowers. The seeds, which are produced in globular, scarlet berries, are black, somewhat triangular, and retain their germinative powers four years. Twelve hundred and fifty weigh an ounce.
It is indigenous to the shores of various countries of Europe and Asia; and, since its introduction, has become naturalized to a considerable extent in this country. It is frequently seen in mowing-fields upon old farms; and, in some instances, has found its way to the beaches and marshes of the seacoast.
Propagation.—It is propagated from seed, which may be sown either in autumn, just before the closing-up of the ground; or in spring, as soon as the soil is in good working condition. The nursery, or seed-bed, should be thoroughly spaded over, the surface levelled and raked smooth and fine, and the seed sown, not very thickly, in drills twelve or fourteen inches apart, and about an inch in depth. An ounce of seed is sufficient for fifty or sixty feet of drill.
When the plants are well up, thin them to three inches asunder; as they will be much stronger, if grown at some distance apart, than if allowed to stand closely together. Cultivate in the usual manner during the summer, and give the plants a light covering of stable-litter during the winter.
Good plants of one year's growth are preferred by experienced growers for setting; but some choose those of two years, and they may be used when three years old.
Soil and Planting.—"A rich, sandy, alluvial soil, impregnated with salt, is naturally best adapted to the growth of Asparagus; and, in such soil, its cultivation is an easy matter. Soils of a different character must be made rich by the application of fertilizing material, and light and friable by trenching. Sand, in wet, heavy, clayey soil, is of permanent benefit.
"The market-gardeners near London are aware of this; for, highly as they manure their ground for crops generally, they procure sand, or sandy mud, from certain parts of the Thames, for Asparagus plantations, where the soil is too heavy.
"The ground should be thoroughly trenched to the depth of two and a half or three feet: and, in order to make it rich, a large quantity of manure should be incorporated, as well at the bottom as near the surface,—using either sandy mud; the scourings of ditches made into compost; rock-weed, or kelp, where they can be procured; decayed leaves, or leaf-mould; the remains of hot-beds, good peat, or almost any other manure not in too crude a state.
"Where the soil is not so deep, and the subsoil coarse and rather gravelly, the ground is not trenched so deep; the bottom of the trench being merely dug over. Above this, however, a large quantity of manure is applied; and by this, with good after-management,—chiefly consisting in making the soil fine and light for the shoots to push through,—excellent crops are produced.
"The ground should be divided into beds either three or five feet wide, with an alley or path of two feet in width between. The reason for having some of the beds so much narrower than the others is, that the narrow ones are sooner heated by the sun's rays, and consequently an earlier production is induced.
"The distance between the rows in the beds may be regulated as follows: When the beds are three feet wide, two rows should be transplanted along them: each row should be a foot from the edge of the bed, and they will consequently be a foot apart. In beds that are five feet wide, three rows should be transplanted, also lengthwise,—one along the middle, and one on each side, a foot from the edge of the bed. The distance from plant to plant in the rows should not be less than one foot; at this distance, good-sized heads will be produced: but, if very large heads are desired for exhibition or competition, the plants should be fifteen, or even eighteen, inches asunder.
"The transplanting may be performed either in April or May. The three-feet beds should be traced out to run eastand west, or so as to present the side of the bed to the direct action of the sun's rays when they are most powerful. Asparagus, in beds so formed, pushes earlier in the season than it does in beds running north and south. For all except the earliest beds, the direction is immaterial; and they may run east and west, or north and south, as may be most convenient.
"In proceeding to transplant, the beds, and paths, or alleys, should be marked off at the required distance. A stout stake should be driven at each corner of the beds, and from these the distances for the rows should be measured. There are various ways of transplanting. Some stretch a line, and cut out a trench only deep enough to allow the roots to be laid out without doubling; and they are spread out like a fan perpendicularly against the side of the cut, the crown of the plant being kept two inches below the surface of the ground. Some dig out a trench, and form little hillocks of fine soil, over which the roots are spread, extending like the sticks of an umbrella. Others make a ridge, astride which they set the plants, spreading their roots on each side of the ridge; and, again, some take off a portion of the soil on the bed, and, after the surface has been raked smooth, the roots of the plants are spread out nearly at right angles on the level.
"The first method is the most expeditious, and is generally practised in setting extensive plantations: but, whatever plan be preferred, the crowns of the plants should all be on the same level; otherwise those that are too high would be liable to be injured by the knife in cutting."
During the summer, nothing will be necessary but to keep the plants clear of weeds; and, in doing this, the hoe should be dispensed with as much as possible, to avoid injuring the roots. In the autumn, when the tops have completely withered, they should be cut down nearly level with the surface of the ground, and burned. The beds should then be lightly dug over, and three or four inches of rich loam, intermixedwith well-digested compost, and salt at the rate of two quarts to the square rod, should be applied; which will leave the crowns of the roots about five inches below the surface.
Second Year.—Early in spring, as soon as the frost leaves the ground, dig over the beds, taking care not to disturb the roots; rake the surface smooth; and, during the summer, cultivate as before directed: but none of the shoots should be cut for use. In the autumn, after the stalks have entirely withered, cut down and burn as in the previous year; stir the surface of the bed, and add an inch of soil and manure, which will bring the crowns six or seven inches below ground,—a depth preferred, by a majority of cultivators, for established plantations.
Third Year.—Early in spring, stir the ground as directed for the two previous years. Some cultivators make a slight cutting during this season; but the future strength of the plants will be increased by allowing the crop to grow naturally as during the first and second years. In autumn, cut and burn as before; dig over the surface; add a dressing of manure; and, in the ensuing spring, the beds may be cut freely for use.
Instead of transplanting the roots, asparagus-beds are sometimes formed by sowing the seeds where the plants are to remain. When this method is adopted, the beds should be laid out and trenched, as before directed, and about three inches of soil removed from the entire surface. The seed should then be sown in drills an inch deep, at the distances marked out for the rows, and covered with rich, light soil. When the seedlings are two or three inches high, they should be thinned to nine or twelve inches apart; and, in thinning, the weakest plants should be removed. In the autumn, cut down the plants after they have withered, stir and smooth the surface, and add a dressing of manure. In the spring of the second year, stir the surface again; and, during the summer, cultivate as before. In the autumn, the plants will beready for the dressing; which consists of the soil previously taken from the bed, with sufficient well-digested compost added to cover the crowns of the roots five or six inches in depth. The after-culture is similar to that of beds from transplanted roots.
"Asparagus-beds should be enriched every autumn with a liberal application of good compost containing some mixture of salt; the benefit of which will be evident, not only in the quantity, but in the size and quality, of the produce. The dressing should be applied after the removal of the decayed stalks, and forked in, that its enriching properties may be washed to the roots of the plants by winter rains.
"In general, transplanted Asparagus comes up quite slender the first year; is larger the second; and, the third year, a few shoots may be fit for cutting. It is nearly in perfection the fourth year; and, if properly managed, will annually give an abundant supply during the life of the maker of a bed or plantation."
Cutting.—"The shoots should be cut angularly, from two to three inches below the surface of the ground; taking care not to wound the younger buds. It is in the best condition for cutting when the shoots are four or five inches above ground, and while the head, or bud, remains close and firm.
"It is the practice to cut off all the shoots as they appear, up to the period when it is thought best to leave off cutting altogether. The time for this depends on the climate, season, nature of the soil, and strength of the plants. Where the climate is good, or when the season is an early one, cutting must be commenced early; and of course, in such a case, it ought not to be continued late, as the plants would thereby be weakened."
In the Middle States, the cutting should be discontinued from the 10th to the 15th of June; and from the 15th to the 25th of the same month in the Eastern States and the Canadas.
"If the plants are weak, they should be allowed to grow up as early as possible, to make foliage, and consequently fresh roots, and thus to acquire more vigor for the ensuing year. It is also advisable to leave off at an early period the cutting of some of the best of the beds intended for early produce, in order that the buds may be well matured early in autumn, and thus be prepared to push vigorously early in spring."
Asparagus-beds will continue from twenty to thirty years; and there are instances of beds being regularly cut, and remaining in good condition for more than fifty years.
Seed.—"Select some of the finest and earliest heads as they make their appearance in the spring; tie them to stakes during the summer, taking care not to drive the stake through the crown of the plant. If for the market, or to be sent to a distance, wash out the seeds in autumn, and dry thoroughly; if for home-sowing, allow the seeds to remain in the berries till used."
Use.—The young shoots are boiled twenty minutes or half an hour, until they become soft; and are principally served on toasted bread, with melted butter. It is the practice of some to boil the shoots entire; others cut or break the sprout just above the more tough or fibrous part, and cook only the part which is tender and eatable. This is snapped or cut into small sections, which are boiled, buttered, seasoned, and served on toast in the usual form. "The smaller sprouts are sometimes cut into pieces three-eighths of an inch long, and cooked and served as green pease." The sprouts are also excellent when made into soup.
It is one of the most productive, economical, and healthful of all garden vegetables.
Varieties.—"The names of numerous varieties occur in the catalogues of seedsmen: but there seems to be little permanency of character in the plants; such slight variations as appear from time to time being caused, to a considerableextent, by the nature of the soil, or by the situation in which the plants are grown. What are called the Red-topped and Green-topped may perhaps be somewhat distinct, and considered as varieties."—Glenny.
Soil and location have unquestionably much influence, both as respects the quality and size of the sprouts. A bed of asparagus in one locality produced shoots seldom reaching a diameter of half an inch, and of a very tough and fibrous character; while a bed in another situation, formed of plants taken from the same nursery-bed, actually produced sprouts so large and fine as to obtain the prize of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
If any variety really exists peculiar in size, form, color, or quality, it cannot be propagated by seed. Large sprouts may afford seeds, which, as a general rule, will produce finer asparagus than seeds from smaller plants; but a variety, when it occurs, can be propagated only by a division of the roots.
Mr. Thompson states, that on one part of Mr. Grayson's extensive plantation, on the south side of the Thames, near London, the so-called Grayson's Giant was produced; and in another section, the common sort: but, when both were made to change places, the common acquired the dimensions of the Giant, whilst the latter diminished to the ordinary size.
Seeds of the following named and described sorts may be obtained of seedsmen, and will undoubtedly, in nearly all cases, afford fine asparagus; but they will not produce plants which will uniformly possess the character of the parent variety:—
Battersea.Rog.
Battersea is famed for producing fine asparagus, and the name is applied to the particular variety there grown. The heads are large, full, and close, and the tops tinted with a reddish-green color. It is probably intermediate between the Green and Purple-topped.
Gravesend.Rog.
Originated and named under like circumstances with the Battersea. The top is greener, and not generally so plump and close; but it is considered finer flavored. Both varieties are, however, held in great estimation.
Grayson's Giant.
This variety, as also the Deptford, Mortlake, and Reading, all originated and were named under the same conditions as the varieties before described. All are fine sorts; but the difference between them, and indeed between all of the kinds, if important, is certainly not permanent, so long as they are offered in the form of seeds for propagation.
Mr. Grayson, the originator of this variety, produced a hundred sprouts, the aggregate weight of which was forty-two pounds,—the largest ever raised in Britain.
German.
Asperge d'Allemagne.Vil.
This variety very nearly resembles the Giant Purple-topped. It is, however, considered a little earlier, and the top is deeper colored.
Giant Purple-Top.
Dutch. Red-top.
Sprout white; the top, as it breaks ground, purple; size very large, sometimes measuring an inch and three-fourths in diameter, but greatly affected by soil and cultivation.
A hundred sprouts of this variety have been produced which weighed twenty-five pounds.
Green-Top.
This variety, when grown under the same conditions as the Giant Purple-top, is generally smaller or more slender. Thetop of the sprout, and the scales on the sides, are often slightly tinged with purple. The plant, when full grown, is perceptibly more green than that of the Giant Purple-top. From most nursery-beds, plants of both varieties will probably be obtained, with every intervening grade of size and color.
In its general character and appearance, the Cardoon resembles the Artichoke. Its full size is not attained until the second year, when it is "truly a gigantic herbaceous plant," of five or six feet in height. The flowers, which are smaller than those of the artichoke, are produced in July and August of the second year, and are composed of numerous small blue florets, enclosed by somewhat fleshy, pointed scales. The seeds are oblong, a little flattened, of a grayish or grayish-green color, spotted and streaked with deep brown; and, when perfectly grown, are similar in size and form to those of the apple. About six hundred are contained in an ounce; and they retain their vitality seven years.
Soil, Propagation, and Culture.—The best soil for the Cardoon is a light and deep but not over-rich loam. It is raised from seed; which, as the plant is used in the first year of its growth and is liable to be injured by the winter, should be sown annually, although the Cardoon is really a perennial. It succeeds best when sown where the plants are to remain; for, if removed, the plants recover slowly, are more liable to run to seed, and, besides, seldom attain the size of those that have not been transplanted.
The seed should be sown as early in spring as the weather becomes warm and settled, in drills three feet apart, an inch and a half in depth, and the young plants afterwards thinnedto twelve inches asunder in the drills. The leaves are blanched before being used.
It is sometimes raised and blanched as follows: Sow the seed at the bottom of trenches made about six inches deep, twelve inches wide, three feet apart, and of a length according to the supply required. At the bottom of the trench, thoroughly mix a small quantity of well-digested compost, and sow the seeds in small groups, or collections (three or four seeds together), at about twelve or fifteen inches apart, and cover them an inch or an inch and a half deep. When the young plants have acquired three or four leaves, they should be thinned out to single plants. During the summer, keep them free from weeds; and, as they require much moisture, it is well to water frequently, if the weather is very dry. In September, the plants will have attained their growth for the season, and be ready for blanching; which should be done in a dry day, and when the plants are entirely free from dampness. It is thus performed: The leaves of each plant are carefully and lightly tied together with strong matting; keeping the whole upright, and the ribs of the leaves closely together. The plant is then bound with twisted hay-bands, or bands of straw, about an inch and a half in diameter; beginning at the root, and continuing the winding until two-thirds or three-fourths of the height is covered. If there is no heavy frost, the leaves will blanch quickly and finely without further pains: but, if frosty weather occurs, it will be necessary to earth up about the plants, as is practised with celery; but care should be taken not to raise the earth higher than the hay-bands.
One method of blanching is simply to tie the leaves together with matting, and then to earth up the plants from time to time like celery; beginning early in September, and adding gradually every week until they are sufficiently covered. Those, however, blanched by the banding process, are superior, both in respect to color and in the greater length of the parts blanched.
Another practice is to earth up a little about the base of the plant, tie the leaves together with thread or matting, and then envelop the whole quite to the top with a quantity of long, clean wheat or rye straw, placed up and down the plant, and tied together with small cord or strong matting. The leaves will thus blanch without being earthed up, and speedily become white. This process is a good one, is economical, and presents a neat appearance.
"In either of the methods, it is very necessary to be careful that the plants are perfectly dry before they are enveloped in their covering: they will otherwise rot." In about three weeks after being tied up, the cardoons will be fit for use.
Harvesting.—When the stems and midribs of the leaves are thoroughly blanched, they are ready for use. Until the occurrence of severe weather, the table may be supplied directly from the garden: but, before the closing-up of the ground, "the plants should be taken up, roots and leaves entire, and removed to the cellar; where they should be packed in sand, laying the plants down in rows, and packing the sand around them, one course over another, till finished. In this way, they not only keep well, but become more perfectly blanched."
To raise Seed.—Allow two or three plants to remain unblanched, and leave them in the ground during the winter, protected by straw or other convenient material. They will grow to the height, and flower and seed, as before described. One plant will afford sufficient seed for any common garden.
Use.—"The stems of the leaves, as well as the mid-ribs, when blanched, are used for soups, stews, and even for salads, in autumn and winter. The longer these parts of the plant are, and the more rapidly they are grown, the more they are esteemed, on account of their greater crispness, tenderness, and color." The "Gardener's Chronicle" gives the following directions for dressing them:—
"When a Cardoon is to be cooked, the solid stalks of theleaves are to be cut in pieces about six inches long, and boiled, like any other vegetable, in pure water (not salt and water), till they are tender. They are then to be carefully deprived of the slime and strings that will be found to cover them; and, having been thus thoroughly cleansed, are to be plunged in cold water, where they must remain until they are wanted for the table. They are then taken out, and heated with white sauce, or marrow. The process just described is for the purpose of rendering them white, and of depriving them of a bitterness which is peculiar to them. If this is neglected, the cardoons will be black, not white, as well as disagreeable." M'Intosh remarks, that, when skilfully prepared, they form an excellent and wholesome dish, deserving far more general notice.
In France, the flowers are gathered, and dried in the shade; and, when so preserved, are used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk.
Varieties.—
Common, or Large Smooth.Trans.
Smooth Large Solid. Plein Inerme.Vil.
This kind grows from four to five feet high. The leaves are large and strong, though somewhat smaller than those of the Tours or Prickly Cardoon. They are of a shining-green color, with little appearance of hoariness on the upper surface, and generally destitute of spines; though some of the plants occasionally have a few small ones at the base of the leaflets.
The CardonPlein Inermeof the French, which is described in the "Bon Jardinier" as a novelty, corresponds nearly with the Large Smooth or Common Cardoon.
Large Spanish.Trans.
D'Espagne.Vil.
Stem five or six feet high. The divisions of the leaflets are rather narrower, and somewhat more hoary, than those ofthe Common Cardoon. The ribs are longer, and the whole plant stronger and generally more spiny; though, on the whole, comparatively smooth. It is not, however, always very readily distinguished from the Common or Large Smooth Cardoon. It runs up to seed quicker than the other varieties.
Puvis.Thomp.
Artichoke-leaved. Lance-leaved. Puvis de Bourg.Vil.
The Puvis Cardoon is remarkable for its strong growth, the large size it attains, and the thickness of the mid-ribs of the leaves, which are almost solid. The leaves are thick, and not at all prickly, or very slightly so. The terminal lobe is very large, and lance-formed: whence the name. It is a fine variety, and of more tender substance than the Tours Cardoon.
Red.Trans.
Blood-ribbed. Red-stemmed.Thomp.Large Purple.
The leaves of this variety are green, without any hoariness; long, narrow, and more sharply pointed than those of most of the other kinds. The ribs are large, solid, and tinged with red. A recent sort, excellent in quality, but wanting in hardiness.
Tours.Trans.
Large Tours Solid. Cardon de Tours.Vil.
The leaves of this variety are very hoary on the upper surface; the divisions are broad, sharply pointed, and terminate with rigid, sharp spines. Spines also grow, in clusters of from three to five, at the base of the leaflets; and are very strong, and of a yellowish color. This variety is not so tall as the Spanish or Large Smooth. The ribs are large and solid.
The Tours Cardoon is cultivated by the market-gardeners around Paris; and, notwithstanding the inconvenience arising from its numerous and rigid spines, it is considered by them as the best, because of its thick, tender, and delicate ribs.