The Botanist's Companion Part 25

The Tall Marrow-fat. The Green Marrow-fat. The Imperial Egg Pea. The Rose, or Crown Pea. The Spanish Morotto. Knight's Marrow Pea. The Grey Rouncival. The Sickle Pea.

This last variety has no skin in the pods. These are used as kidney beans, as also in the usual way. These varieties are of very large growth, and are only to be cultivated when there is considerable room, and must be supported on sticks placed in the ground for that purpose.

The grey pea is usually eaten when in a dry state boiled. Hot grey peas used to be an article of common sale among our itinerant traders in London streets, but it has been dropped for some years. One or other of the different kinds of the larger varieties should be put into the ground every three weeks from March to the 1st week in June, and a crop is thereby insured constantly till the beginning of October.

It should be remarked, that peas, as well as all vegetable seeds, are liable to sport and become hybrid sorts; some of which are at times saved for separate culture, and are called, when found good, by particular names; so that every twenty or thirty years many of the kinds are changed. Thus Briant, in his Flora Diaetetica, enumerates fourteen varieties, a few only of which bear the same name as those now in the list of the London seedsmen.

457. POMPION. Cucurbita Pepo.--This is of the gourd species, and grows to a large size. It is not much in use with us: but in the south of Europe the inhabitants use the pulp with some acid fruits for pastry, and it is there very useful. It is also sometimes used in a similar manner here with apples. Almost all the gourd species are similar in taste and nutriments when used this way.

458. PURSLANE. Portulaca oleracea.--Two kinds of Purslane, the green and the golden, are cultivated. These are eaten with vinegar, &c. the same as other salad oils, and are a fine vegetable in warm weather. The seeds are usually sown in the spring.

459. RADISH. Rapha.n.u.s sativus.--The varieties in cultivation are,

The Early Scarlet. The Early Purple Short-top. The Salmon Radish. The White Turnip Radish. The Red Turnip Radish. The Black Spanish.

The above are sown almost every month in the year, and when the weather is fine, every good garden may have a supply all the year of those useful and wholesome vegetables.

The black Spanish radish is a large rooted variety usually sown in August, and is eaten in the winter season.

The poor labouring man's fare, which is usually eaten under the hedge of the field of his employment, is often accompanied with a dried onion; and was this root more known than it generally is, it would yield him, at the expense of two-pence, with a little labour in his cottage garden, an equally pleasant and more useful sauce to his coa.r.s.e but happy meals.

I have observed many instances of this oeconomy amongst the labouring cla.s.ses in my youth, but fear it is not quite so commonly made use of in the present day.

460. RADISH, HORSE. Cochlearia Armoracea.--The root of this vegetable is a usual accompaniment to the loyal and standard English dishes, the smoking baron and the roast surloin; with which it is most generally esteemed.

It should not be pa.s.sed unnoticed here, that this very grateful and wholesome root is not at all times to be eaten with impunity. One or two instances of its deleterious effects have been witnessed by my much esteemed friend Dr. Taylor, the worthy Secretary at the Society of Arts, and which he has communicated to me. I shall insert his own words, particularly as it may be the means of preventing the botanical student from falling into the same error, after arriving with the usual good appet.i.te, from his recreative task of herborizing excursions. "Some gentlemen having ordered a dinner at a tavern, of which sc.r.a.ped horse-radish was one; some persons in company took a small quant.i.ty, and, dipping it in salt, ate of it: these were soon seized with a suppression of urine, accompanied with inflammation of the kidneys, which shortly after proved fatal to one of the company. The Doctor was consulted; but not knowing exactly the cause of the complaint, of course was at a loss to apply a remedy in time. But another circ.u.mstance of the like nature having come under his notice, and being apprized of it, by a well applied corrective medicine he recovered the patient. It should, therefore, be made a general observation, under such circ.u.mstances, and those are not the most unpleasant we meet with in our researches, 'never to eat horse-radish on an empty stomach.'"

461. RAMPION. Campanula Rapunculus.--This plant is remarkable for its milky juice. In France, it is cultivated for its roots, which are boiled and eaten with salads; but in England it is little noticed, except by the French cooks, who use it as an ingredient in their soups and gravies. It is propagated by planting its roots in the spring.

462. RHAPONTIC RHUBARB. Rheum Rhapontic.u.m.--The radical leaf-stalks of this plant being thick and juicy, and having an acid taste, are frequently used in the spring as a subst.i.tute for gooseberries before they are ripe, in making puddings, pies, tarts, &c. If they are peeled with care, they will bake and boil very well, and eat agreeably.

463. ROCAMBOLE. Allium sativum.--The rocambole is merely the bulbs on the top of the flower-stalk of the garlic, it being a viviparous plant.

The flavour of this being somewhat different, is used in the kitchen under the above name.

464. SAGE. Salvia officinalis.--Of this we have two varieties, green and red. The latter is considered the best for culinary purposes: it is the well-known sauce for geese and other water-fowl. It is propagated by cuttings in the spring.

465. SALSAFY. Tragopogon porrifolium.--A biennial, sown in March, and is usually in season during winter. The roots are the parts used, which are very sweet, and contain a large quant.i.ty of milky juice: it is a good vegetable plain boiled, and the professors of cookery make many fine dishes of it.

466. SAVORY, SUMMER. Satureja hortensis.

467. SAVORY, WINTER. Satureja montana.

Both sorts are used for the same purposes, as condiments among other herbs for stuffing, and are well known to cooks. The former is an annual, and raised by sowing the seeds in March and April. The other, being perennial, is propagated either by the same means or by cuttings in the spring of the year. It is also dried for winter use.

468. SAVOY CABBAGE. Bra.s.sica oleracea, (var.)

The Green Savoy. The White or Yellow Savoy.

A well-known species of cabbage grown for winter use, and is one of our best vegetables of that season. It is raised by sowing the seeds in May, and planting the plants in any spot of ground in July after a crop of peas or beans. Savoys stand the frost better than most other kinds of cabbages with close heads.

469. SCORZONERA. Scorzonera tingitana.--The roots of this are very similar to salsafy, and its culture and use nearly the same.

470. SEA KALE. Crambe maritima.--This grows wild on our sea-coasts, particularly in Devons.h.i.+re, where it has long been gathered and eaten by the inhabitants thereabouts. It was used also to be cultivated; but was in general lost to our gardens, till my late partner, Mr. Curtis, having paid a visit to his friend Dr. Wavell at Barnstaple, found it at that gentleman's table; and on his return he collected some seeds, and planted a considerable spot of ground with it at Brompton in 1792; at which time it was again introduced to Covent-Garden, but with so little successs, that no person was found to purchase it, and consequently the crop was useless.

This celebrated botanist, however, published a small tract on its uses and culture, which met with a considerable sale, and introduced it again to general cultivation.

The seeds should be sown in March, and the following year the plants are fit for forming plantations, when they should be put out in rows about three feet apart, and one foot in the row. The vegetable is blanched either by placing over the crowns of the root an empty garden-pot, or by earthing it up as is usually done with celery. It is easily forced, by placing hot dung on the pots; and is brought forward in January, and from thence till May.

It has been noticed of sea-kale, that, on eating it, it does not impart to the urine that strong and unpleasant scent which asparagus and other vegetables do.

471. SKIRRETS. Sium Sisarum.--The roots of this plant are very similar to parsneps, both in flavour and quality; they are rather sweeter, and not quite so agreeable to some palates. It is a biennial sown in March, and used all the winter.

472. SORREL, COMMON. Rumex Acetosa.--Bryant says the Irish, who are particularly fond of acids, eat the leaves with their milk and fish; and the Laplanders use the juice of them as rennet to their milk. The Greenlanders cure themselves of the scurvy, with the juice mixed with that of the scurvy-gra.s.s. The seeds may be sown, or the roots planted, in spring or autumn; it is not in general cultivation, but is to be found abundantly wild in meadows, &c.

473. SORREL, ROUND-LEAVED, or FRENCH. Rumex scutatus.--The leaves of the plant have more acidity in them than the common; and although not in general use, it is one of the best salad-herbs in the early part of the year: it is propagated in the same mode as the common sort.