New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-05
SALADS AND POT HERES.
THEIR CULTIVATION AND PREPARATION
FOR THE TABLE.
SUGGESTIONS FOR EXPERIMENTS IN CITY AND

SUGGESTIONS FOR EXPERIMENTS IN CITY AND
COUNTRY GARDENING.
There are few people who. with the coming OF
spring do not feel a longing for green food Never
are salads or boiled herbs 50 welcome as az this sea-
son when crisp and delicious are growing
wild IN meadow brooks. and tender succulent 20;
herbs are sprlnging up in abundance by hill ana
dl.e -
X g not possible 70 enjoy salads in variety, "
one Is entirely dependent upon those 20 be founi N
the markets Lettuce IS always 70 be mad IN the
irper -it,e, = one Is conten. with the poorer vare-
ties which gardeners find most profitable 70 cultivate
p,, = one would have the best Il IS necessary 10
es,ahish a salad bed Here the ch0icer varieties
O, lettuce and some other salads may De raised Tor
A trihng expenli.Gre OF money and time.
Those who live n the country can find Wild nearly
all he salad herbs esteemed By French gardeners,
for nearly all % which the clever rascals charge sx-
travacant prices. They only require trahsQiAn'i"S
% the garden and bleaching TO be READY LOT use
A few salad herbs may be used "a they are line
vatercress which is never more crisp and de-icous
than when It - picked Wild from the chill waters
- an lev brook IN early spring Most OK the WI"
salad plants however. need some care IN the garden
and some cultivation to bring them TO perfection.
French gardeners have brought the Wild lettuce TO
a perfection o. which the native plant gives no
promise In the white Romaine varieties frs; intro
ducea directly from Paris into our market We nave
tho IDEAL 81 salad herb. and this Is the lettuce
that Il paws % cultivate even in the limited area Oh
New-Y1rk back yards. Nothing sprouts more Tap'Hy
or grows more quickly and satisfactorily ior the
limited amour, Of care necessary than lettuce
Tho common green curled lettuce o, market ABOUT
All that can be found in spring. it does not pay 20
raise because IL is easily had at minimum price
n IL not however a A. plant for salad being only
u,,I as pot 'erb Ike spinach by the most intel
Iigert cooks.
The prevalent liea that any green thing that Is
Iaf al for
Il a great mistake. There = really only limited
number ~ plants that make 4 good salad. as there
is a limited number OF herbs which are essential 70
seasoning ~ herb which is strong enough iot
nav'r.ns is suitable FOR the body o. a salad 1t may
bee used IN the salad In mlnce. but Il IS then use'l
ms seasoning merely. There E A large number OF
u.ants suitable for pot herbs few Of these and
onlv A few. may a.so be used knocked FOR salads
To be- suitable c0r salad. an herb must be- siccueni
and ~ agreeable flavor with slightly bitter
sour or pung.rt quality that VIII stimulate me APP
nstite and excite digestion. This latter quality rem
9ers the herb likely be of too decided favor FOR
cooking as 4 pot herb. \ salad. for example OF
tar~aron wouI be nluseous. but the minimum
auan.i,y used IN seasoning salad gives JUST Ssi-
a.ient riquarcy Z flavor - be most agreeable.
salad u spinach Of caltha or marsh-marieolds'
ona ~ the most delicious OF all Wild pot herbs
would be most rspid and absurd. Even the acid
,-~el is never used in France IS salad. though II
,s one OF he most excellent OF POT herbs Il Is
Objectionable a salad because the crude IN
.,,l,.t acid Juice CT the plant Is believed 10 be
injurious TIE poisonous principle OF the leaves Is
akin 10 the prussic acid OF the bay laurel and the
,,.b kernel and Ike that evaporates with heat
sa.ads are often made OF Jerusalem artichokes.
,o,,,,sa and other cooked vegetables. but in this |
case the main body o, the saa' though possessing
no distinctive favor. has the pwer 70 absorb the
various alvors and acquire p!luancy. by bearing
~ mind ~. characteristic differences between sea-
al i
will not be led into any culinary absurci,y In salads
The nresence or some plants salads suggests |
nothing 80 much the diet Of the unhappy King |
Nsbucha dnezzar. Among the plants most suitable |
sor salads are the finer varieties OF lettuce including
the cos or rom lire. and some OF the new head or
cahbag. variety for midsummer All OF these Cay /
he proatably grown In i limited sized bed few !
dandelions and chiccory plants are an addition 10 |
the best bed Of salad plants All these herbs be- |
long 70 the same sub-order OF chiccoraceae OF the
great compositae family. They are so closely allied
thar they can be treated In much the same way They
are all bleacheI by tying up the plant as soon as 1t
atans tuil SIZE in close nsn ounSn 10 nIsasn
excellent salad. It is found N market In winter |
when IL II chiefly raised in cellars. 1t takes from
three 10 four weeks to bleach any OF these plants
The seed OF dan!elion and chiccory can be pur- |
nor b.ennials Ike lettuce they not likely 10 at
tain SIZE for bleaching untii late IN the summer
F S MI S panls Use IS DETER 10 transplant
Dantelions o; small slze are often found in door
wards even in the city. W.d chic grows in san ~
waste PAGES all the temperate zone II lifts its
azure blossoms amid the arid deserts OF Araby |
whence IL obtains It's musical Arabian name II was |
probably known as a salad 70 Haroun a. Rasnid. as
II was to the Romans and Greeks. Wild chiccory |
plants may be found in abundance on the sandy |
shores OF New York Harbor. and all Long |
Island They should be dug up while the clump OF !
leaves OF the years growth still small For |
salad Use they must not be allowed 10 flower.
The great family OF pants which is especially /
prolific IN salad herbs is the Crucferae These use
hui humble crossbearers Of the vegetable world |
have given many excellent herbs 10 cookery The