Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/111

 if they have a covering of sand they will not lose a particle of their flavor. If sand or dry earth is not used, give them a covering of straw, to prevent the air from giving the outside Potatoes an acrid taste. Towards the end of January and February, they should have a regular turning, to prevent their sprouting. If any have begun to grow, pick off the growths. They will require this operation repeated every few weeks while they are in the cellar. If this is not carefully attended to, and the Potatoes allowed to grow to any extent, they will lose much of their farinaceous quality. It is also very essential to turn over frequently those intended for seed, to prevent a premature growth. The greater the vegetative power of the set, the finer and stronger will they grow.

cannot think of admitting this vegetable into the precincts of a garden where there are Melons, Cucumbers, and other kindred plants. It would mix with and contaminate the quality of the more valuable sorts. If, however, there is an opportunity to plant a few in the field, among the Corn, we would recommend among the many sorts, the Cashaw, as being the best. There is a variety of a very coarse nature cultivated in the field, called the Mammoth, which frequently attains the enormous weight of two hundred and fifty pounds, and is only fit for pigs or cattle.

native country of this well-known salad plant is supposed to be China. It is valued by us for its agreeable pun-