CRUCIFERA. XCVIII. CRAMBE. 
sown, so as to have a supply always at hand. However, where 
circumstances will admit, it would be advisable to sow the seed 
in the beds where they are to remain to come to perfection. 
This is attended with much less trouble, and if the beds have 
been properly prepared, the plants will become stronger than 
those which have been transplanted. Sea-kale is also propagated 
by some eminent gardeners in the vicinity of London, by cutting 
the roots of the old plants into pieces about an inch long, and 
planting them in drills like potatoes. By this means the buds 
will spring and find their way to the surface with greater cer- 
tainty than if planted by the dibble ; by which latter process 
many of them run a chance of being placed with their end up- 
permost, and consequently be unproductive of shoots. 
In light sandy garden-soil the Sea-kale comes to perfection 
with little care; but in strong clayey soils it is often apt to rot 
m winter, In preparing ground for Sea-kale, if the ground be 
naturally strong, it should be trenched to a depth of 3 feet, if the 
ground will admit of that depth, and well manured. Divide the 
ground into 4 feet beds, with alleys 18 inches wide ; throw out 
the mould of the alleys to the depth of 10 or 12 inches, which 
mould being laid on the beds will raise them from 15 to 18 inches 
above the bottom of the alleys, which will render the beds dry. 
If the ground be particularly stiff, lay on a quantity of fine sharp 
sand and leaf mould, which, if properly mixed in the process of 
trenching, will render the beds sufficiently light for the cultiva- 
tion of this excellent vegetable, for the success depends upon 
the lightness of the mould and dryness of the bottom. About 
the middle of April, if the beds be prepared as above, proceed 
to draw two drills in each bed, about 2 inches deep, in which the 
seeds must be sown. Sow moderately thick, so as to secure a 
Crop, which afterwards should be thinned out to 12 inches apart. 
or sow in patches 18 inches apart. The turnip-fly and the 
wire-worm are great enemies to this as well as to all cruci- 
ferous plants. The best remedy for the latter is to have 
them picked out of the ground by the hand; the former may 
€ prevented from doing much injury by a circle of quick-lime 
strewed round the plants. If the months of June and July 
prove dry, water the whole beds plentifully ; and in the following 
ovember as soon as the leaves are decayed, clear them away and 
Cover the beds an inch thick with light rich earth and sand, that 
as lain in a heap and been turned over at least three times the 
Preceding summer. Upon this dressing of sandy loam, throw 
about 6 inches of light stable litter, which finishes every thing to 
done the first year. In the spring of the second year, when 
he plants begin ‘to grow, rake off the stable litter, digging a 
atte of the most rotten into the alleys, and add another inch in 
mee of fresh loam and sand. Abstain from cutting this year, 
though some of the plants will probably rise very strong, treat- 
we the beds the succeeding winter exactly as before. The third 
: ason, a little before the plants begin to stir, rake off the win- 
er covering, laying on now an inch in depth of pure sand or 
gravel, Then cover each parcel or plant with one of the blanch- 
i e Pots, or large flower-pots with the hole corked up, pressing 
for i. firmly into the ground, so as to exclude all light and air, 
eith 1e colour and flavour is greatly injured by being exposed to 
L kw ; But the most convenient method for blanching Sea- 
a e which is not forced, is to cover the beds in autumn with 
wares raked up from the woods or pleasure-ground, covering 
ach bed in thickness according to the strength and age of the 
Pants, giving the greater covering to the oldest and strongest 
first | _ The covering may be from 5 to 15 inches deep, when 
ter ad on, and over that place a slight covering of light lit- 
in y dung to prevent the leaves from blowing about ; this cover- 
tak 's to remain on until the crop be all cut, when it may be 
ire away, and the beds dug over, or when, from particular 
cumstances, this has not been attended, to in autumn, At 
VOL. I.—PART 111. 
257 
the time the buds begin to appear, fork the beds regularly over, 
and cover the plants from 12 to 15 inches with saw-dust or 
rotten tan, when it can be conveniently procured ; if neither 
can be had, break the mould on the surface of the beds as fine 
as possible and mould up the plants with it. 
As the heads become ready for use they will raise the cover- 
ing, by which means they will be easily perceived without re- 
moving any more of the covering than the part where those heads 
are that are intended to be cut. Those beds which have had the 
thickest covering in autumn come first into use, and the other 
in rotation, so that the last cutting is from what was sown the 
spring before. Although cutting from one year old plants is 
generally disapproved of, Barton (Caled. hort. mem.) defends the 
practice from his experience of its not proving injurious ; and 
because thereby the Sea-kale season is prolonged, as the one 
year old plants come into use much later in spring than the old 
established roots. 
When the young shoots are about 3 or 4 inches high, remove 
the leaves, or whatever has been used in blanching, carefully, and 
cut them off; but so as not to injure the remaining buds, which 
are springing from the same root. A succession of gatherings 
may be continued for 5 or 6 weeks, after which period the 
plants should be uncovered and their leaves suffered to grow, 
that they may acquire and retain a sufficient quantity of nutri- 
ment to the roots for next year’s buds. The flowers, when the 
seeds are not wanted, ought to be nipped off with the finger and 
thumb as long as they appear, as they tend considerably to 
weaken the plants. 
Forcing Sea-kale. ‘ No vegetable is more easily or more 
cheaply forced than Sea-kale, whether the operation be performed 
in beds or drills in the open air, or in hot-bed frames or flued 
pits.” Abercrombie, Nicol, and Maher recommend forcing in 
beds “ in the open air.” ‘ Seven weeks,” the former ob- 
serves “ before the time at which you wish to cut shoots for 
the table, begin to prepare the plants for forcing, and to 
ferment a sufficient quantity of stable dung. Having trimmed 
the leaves from the plants, carefully point the surface of 
the ground, and over the top of the roots spread fresh light 
earth, mixed with light sand or coal-ashes 2 or 3 inches 
in depth, this is the best remedy against worms. Salt also 
destroys worms and will not injure the Sea-kale. When the 
dung is well prepared, which will be in about three weeks, pro- 
ceed to forcing. If you mix tree-leaves with the dung, begin 
to ferment them a week or a fortnight sooner. Cover each of 
the plants either with a regular blanching-pot, or with a garden- 
pot of the largest size, taking care to stop up the hole. Then 
lay a portion of prepared dung alone, or mixed with tree-leaves 
about and over each pot, pressing it down firm, extending it 8 
or 10 inches all round, and raising the bank six or eight inches 
above the pot. It will be necessary to examine the plants fre- 
quently, and to measure the heat within the covers now and then, 
lest by some inadvertency the quantity of litter should not have 
been well-apportioned or rightly prepared ; if the heat be un- 
der 50° there is not enough to excite the plants ; and if above 
60° it is too fiery, and may injure them, for it is better to begin 
time enough and force slowly rather than too quickly.” The 
litter round the pots should be renewed at least once in eight 
weeks, but oftener if the weather is rigorous. When the stools 
will produce no more shoots, remove the litter and the covers, 
and dress the ground, that the plants may be suffered to grow 
and return strength to the root for the next year's shoots. Nicol 
says, he knows of a row of Sea-kale having been forced in the 
above way every season for seven years, in which the plants were 
at the end of that period as healthy and vigorous as others in the 
same quarter that were forced only every second year. 
Barton (Caled. hort. mem.) forces Sea-kale on dung beds, 
L 1 
