362 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEI^ GUIDE. 



Cape broccoli, and afterwards the spring broccolis begin to turn in. 

 If not already done, the whole of the dead foliage must be cleared 

 away at once, and the other operations conducted something after 

 this style. The first batch to be covered with pots and fermenting 

 materials of some kind, sufficient to raise the temperature inside the 

 pot to 70°. The next with pots, and sufficient protection to keep 

 the frost out ; and if enough to generate a few degrees of warmth, so 

 much better. All the other crowns must be covered with something 

 to prevent the frost penetrating to any depth in the soil round them. 

 After the first lot has been in action a fortnight, the second should 

 be started, and then when the first lot is gathered, the covering ma- 

 terials should be shifted to the third lot, and the same order observed 

 to the end ; observing to carefully protect the forced cro^^ms from the 

 frost, with a few coal ashes, or something of that kind. It is much 

 the best to use proper seakale-pots, and then there is but little 

 trouble in examining them when necessary. 



Forcing seakale indoors is by no means a difficult aflair. The 

 crowns are taken up, the small side roots trimmed off", and set 

 aside for planting the following season ; they are then packed closely 

 together in deep boxes, covered closely to obscure the light, and then 

 placed in a temperature between 60' and 80^ I grow a large pro- 

 portion of mine in the mushroom house, and simply stack the 

 crowns together on one of the shelves. "Whether in the boxes or not, 

 all the space between the roots is filled with soil, and kept nicely 

 moist. The temperature should not exceed the limit assigned by me, 

 or the seakale will be drawn up weak and spindly, the supply con- 

 siderably diminished, and the flavour materially injured. JSeakale is 

 in fine condition to come to table when the young shoots are be- 

 tween six and eight inches in length, and should be cut with just 

 sufficient old wood to hold them together. To remove more than a 

 quarter of an inch of the crowns of those out of doors injures them 

 for next year, but it is of no consequence how much is taken off those 

 forced indoors, for they are unmercifully consigned to the rubbish 

 heap after the crop is gathered. Though hardly necessarv, I had 

 better perhaps say that the crowns must be kept in perfect darkness, 

 or the produce will be worthless. With this caution, we will turn 

 our attention to a few very brief remarks on the last subject. 



Ehtjbaeb. — It is entirely unnecessary for me to say much upon 

 forcing rhubarb. It is merely a matter of opinion as to which is 

 the best way. I firmly believe that grown fully exposed to the 

 light, it is of a far better and richer flavour than when grown in the 

 dark, like seakale. I simply take up a few large stools, and place 

 them in one of the houses devoted to growing French beans or 

 strawberries. They are taken up with as much soil as practicable, 

 and after they are placed in the house, other soil is packed round 

 them, and the roots plentifully supplied with tepid water. JN'o skill 

 •whatever is required to force rhubarb. A temperature of 65°, liberal 

 supplies of water, and fresh roots introduced at regular intervals, is 

 the sum and substance of rhubarb forcing. Those who prefer the 

 beautiful rich colour and insipid flavour of that grown in the dark, 

 can gratify their wishes by covering a few stools with leaves or hot 



