CORCHORUS.
Corette potagère, of the French. Corchorus olitorius.
An annual plant from Africa; also indigenous to the West Indies. Stem about two feet high, much branched; leaves deep-green, slightly toothed, varying in a remarkable degree in their size and form,—some being spear-shaped, others oval, and some nearly heart-shaped; leaf-stems long and slender; flowers nearly sessile, small, yellow, five-petaled; seeds angular, pointed, and of a greenish color,—fourteen thousand are contained in an ounce, and they retain their vitality four years.
Soil, Propagation, and Culture.—The plant requires a light, warm soil; and should have a sheltered, sunny place in the garden. It is grown from seed sown annually. The sowing may be made in March in a hot-bed, and the plants set in the open ground in May; or the seed may be sown the last of April, or first of May, in the place where the plants are to remain. The drills, or rows, should be fifteen inches apart, and the plants five or six inches apart in the rows. No further attention will be required, except the ordinary labor of keeping the soil loose and the plants clear from weeds.
Use.—The leaves are eaten as a salad, and are also boiled and served at table in the form of greens or spinach. They may be cut as soon as they have reached a height of five or six inches.
CORN SALAD.
Fetticus. Lamb's Lettuce. Mâche, of the French. Valeriana locusta.
This is a small, hardy, annual plant, said to derive its name from its spontaneous growth, in fields of wheat, in England. It is also indigenous to France and the south of Europe.