h; and their peculiar flavor is by many much esteemed. No plant is
better adapted for forcing; and, in winter or spring, it may be made to
form an excellent substitute for Cabbage, Coleworts, or Spinach. Collect
the creeping roots, and plant them either on a hot-bed or in pots to be
placed in the forcing-house, and they will soon send up an abundance of
tender tops: these, if desired, may be blanched by covering with other
pots. If planted close to a flue in the vinery, they will produce
excellent nettle-kale or nettle-spinach in January and February."

Lawson states that "the common Nettle has long been known as affording a
large proportion of fibre, which has not only been made into ropes and
cordage, but also into sewing-thread, and beautiful, white, linen-like
cloth of very superior quality. It does not, however, appear that its
cultivation for this purpose has ever been fairly attempted. The fibre
is easily separated from other parts of the stalk, without their
undergoing the processes of watering and bleaching; although, by such,
the labor necessary for that purpose is considerably lessened. Like
those of many other common plants, the superior merits of this generally
accounted troublesome weed have hitherto been much overlooked."

* * * * *

NEW-ZEALAND SPINACH. _Loud._

Tetragonia expansa.

This plant, botanically considered, is quite distinct from the common
garden Spinach; varying essentially in its foliage, flowers, seeds, and
general habit.

It is a hardy annual. The leaves are of a fine green color, large and
broad, and remarkably thick and fleshy; the branches are numerous,
round, succulent, pale-green, thick and strong,--the stalks recline upon
the ground for a large proportion of their length, but are erect at the
extremities; the flowers are produced in the axils of the leaves, are
small, green, and, except that they show their yellow anthers when they
expand, are quite inconspicuous; the fruit is of a dingy-brown color,
three-eighths of an inch deep, three-eighths of an inch in diameter at
the top or broadest part, hard and wood-like in texture, rude in form,
but somewhat urn-shaped, with four or five horn-like points at the top.
Three hundred and twenty-five of these fruits are contained in an ounce;
and they are generally sold and recognized as the seeds. They are,
however, really the fruit; six or eight of the true seeds being
contained in each. They retain their