Has been for several years much exploited by seedsmen as the one indispensable vegetable for the city garden. It is no doubt a dependable source of greens, making a rapid growth of succulent leaves and is one of the showy, effective things in the garden that gives an air of abundance and successful gardening unsurpassed by any other vegetable, but, in my opinion, its merit ends right there and if it were not for its value in furnishing green food in the greatest quantity in the least time I should not give it space in the garden; the midrib, so much recommended for cooking like asparagus, has an unpleasant, earthy taste that, to me at least, is very disagreeable.
Its culture, however, is so easy that it is worth while for any one who likes it to grow it. It can be planted in the open ground as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring, or sown in the hotbed and transplanted, thus gaining three weeks or more; sow in drill, scattering the seed thinly and thin out the plants to stand six inches apart in the rows. A light dressing of nitrate of soda will hasten the growth and render the leaves more tender and succulent. This plant does not need to have successive sowings made as by cutting down to the ground it will make a new growth, and the outside leaves may be gathered, the same as is done with spinach, and so produce a continuous growth of tender, crisp leaves.
There are two varieties of the chard, the Giant Lucullus and the Silver Beet; the latter variety being more delicate in flavor, having less of the earthy taste. A novel variety—a cross between the Swiss Chard and the table beet—is now offered by Luther Burbank which combines with the usual chard qualities, much beauty of foliage, the leaves being gorgeous in pink, yellow, green and white and it would certainly add to the joy of gardening to have so beautiful a thing to tend, for this reason and because the bunnies must have food, I am growing it in my garden this year.
CHINESE CABBAGE
Though not a spring vegetable it is so similar in some respects to Swiss Chard that it may well be a companion vegetable. It much resembles the Romaine or Coss lettuce in its lush, upright leaves. It should not, however, be planted until about the first of July as early plantings run quickly to seed and do not develop the fine big leaves of the type. It may be planted in short rows and transplanted to about nine inches apart when large enough to handle. Nitrate is again indicated for this quick-growing, succulent plant and as soon as the leaves have attained considerable size they should be confined by tying with bast or strips of soft cloth, to prevent their falling apart rather than to blanch them. The outer leaves may be gathered as they mature, leaving the inner leaves to grow and be gathered later. It is eaten raw or cooked like cabbage, being more delicate in flavor and without the objectionable cabbage odor when cooking. The large, fleshy midribs, stripped off the leaf, may be eaten raw with salt like celery or cooked like asparagus. When tied up the plant much resembles a very large, handsome stalk of celery, but with big, broad leaves instead of the feathery fronds of the latter plant.
ENDIVE
Classes with the foregoing vegetables, requiring practically the same treatment. It should be started in the hotbed for early use, transplanting to the open ground when the weather is favorable. As it does not make very rapid growth at first it may as well remain under the favorable guardianship of the warm hotbed until the middle of May, when it should be transplanted in rows, setting the plants six inches or more apart. When the plants are about two-thirds grown they must be drawn together and tied for blanching, without which they are unfit to use; this must be done when the plants are perfectly dry—in the middle of a bright, sunny forenoon, being the best time for the work, otherwise they will rot as they are very sensitive to moisture and prone to decay—as a Japanese friend said of chrysanthemum seed;—"They are very corruptible."
They are a most acceptable addition to salads and combine acceptably with lettuce having a tangy bitterness very piquant, but it is as a garnish that they excel; the fringed and curled fronds, pure white or tinged with green in the less well-blanched specimens, are beautiful indeed and they may well be grown for this alone.
Covering with boards is sometimes resorted to instead of tying, two boards being laid along either side of the row to form a cap. It takes about three weeks to properly blanch endive and the plants should be used as soon as ready. If desired plants may be taken up in the fall and planted in pots or boxes and placed in a light warm cellar or an upstairs window for winter use. As the endive makes a mass of fibrous roots it can be lifted without in any way checking its growth.
The Giant Fringed Endive is one of the best kinds. The Self-blanching Endive is not a satisfactory sort as it lacks the beautiful color of the blanched sort and is more prone to run to seed; either sort when running up can be cut and fed to the rabbits and so turned to good account, in fact I consider it worth planting for this purpose alone. The Staghorn Endive is an excellent sort for spring growing as, started in the hotbed and transplanted, it does not run to seed—a fault most other varieties are addicted to; this sort may be planted for early salads and the Giant Fringed later for fall and winter. Like all plants which depend upon rapid growth for crispness and flavor an application of nitrate is beneficial to endive and mellow, rich soil should be selected for its growth.