'iWE ]?LORAL "WORLD AND GARDEX GUIDE. 



275 



hei a? follows : — First, take nut all the 

 old earth, to the depth of two feet and fi 

 lialf, or three feet, filling; it nearly to the 

 top with fresh stable dancr, that has been 

 cast into a heap to heat a fortnight before ; 

 la}' the dunt; evenly in the trench, treading 

 each layer very firmly down witli a board 

 under j^our feet, and reserving the smallest 

 and shortest for the last. Upon this lay 

 eighteen inclies in depth of the compost, 

 sloping it well towards the south, not only 

 for the benefit of the sun, but to throw off 

 violent rains. In a day or two after, plant 

 your roots at five inches distance from each 

 other, observing to place them alternately 

 in the rows, and that the crovrn or up[)er 

 part of the tuber is only just covered witli 

 earth. These should be the offsets of 

 such as, after flowering the preceding year, 

 hare been preserved from frost through the 

 winter in sand, as well as the strongest 

 remaining upon any fresh imported ones ; 

 till you obtain a snfficiont stock, even the 

 weakest may be planted ; but as a great 

 number are annually produced by every 

 root, in time those which are large enough 

 to flower the following year need only be 

 selected. Cover the bed at night, especially 

 if frosty, with a double mat, till the leaves 

 appear; but give little or no water, protect- 

 ing it carefully from heavy rains. When 

 tlie leaves are about an inch long, add a 

 little fresh compost to the surface, filling 

 up any inequalities, and removing all weeds. 

 If the season prove dry, it will now 

 require watering, and towards the end of 

 June, and in July, when the leaves are in 

 full vigour, very copiously ; but this must 

 depend upon the weather. From this 

 period till the beginning of winter, nothing 

 more is necessary than to weed the bed, 

 and protect it from the autumnal rains ; 

 this may be done by sloping the ground 

 more up to it, or if you have a cucumber 

 front not in use, it may be employed for 

 this purpose, taking care to sink the front 

 so low as to admit all the sun possible. 

 About the first week in December take the 

 advantage of a dry day, and after clearing 



away all the decayed leaves, tliatch the becl 

 all over, and at the sides, a foot thick with 

 dry straw, sloping it well to throw off the 

 vret. About the middle of February, if 

 not prevented by severe frost, take up all 

 the roots, preserving their fibres, and pack 

 them in very dry sand, in cellars where 

 the cold cannot penetrate, till April, when 

 they must be replanted as before, shorten- 

 ing their fibres more or less, as you find 

 them decayed. 



If the climate was even milder than 

 ours, I should recommend the roots to be 

 taken out of the ground, and preserved in 

 dry sand, for it throws them into a com- 

 plete state of rest, and disposes them to 

 form their flower-stems earlier. Many 

 offsets will by this time have made their 

 appearance round each root, all of which, 

 except two or three at most of the strongest, 

 should be cut entirely out, and this opera- 

 tion must be in som3 degree repeated after 

 they are planted and growing, as fresh off- 

 sets are produced : for, if permitted to re- 

 main, they will rob the other buds of 

 sufficient nourishment. This second year 

 some of the largest roots will probably 

 flower ; if they send up their stems early, 

 it will only be necessary to stick them 

 carefully, when about a foot and a-half 

 high, and leave them to blossom in the 

 open air ; but when they appear later 

 than July, they should either be removed 

 into pots with a trowel, preserving all the 

 fibres possible, and placed in a stove, or, if 

 you have not that convenience, cut out the 

 flower-stem, with all the centrnl leaves, 

 as soon as it is discovered, which will 

 strengthen the offsets. In the succeeding 

 winter, thatch the bed, taking up the roots 

 in February, as before, most of which will 

 now be strong enough to flower, and may 

 be selected for sale, such roots, if wanted . 

 j for early forcing, will have a decided ad- 

 vantage over imported ones ; for, as their 

 fibres will not be entirely decayed, they 

 will push immediately on being removed 

 into brisk heat, and may be brought to 

 flower as early as May. 



SEA-KALE. 



TuE time is now not far distant wlien gar- 

 deners will begin to turn their attention to 

 their sea-kale beds, witli a view to winter 

 forcing ; many will even be preparing to 

 have a cutting ready for Christmas. If a 

 gentleman give orders to this effect they 

 must be obeyed ; but it appears almost an 

 improvident extravagance to consume the I 

 vegetable so early in the season, while there | 

 is such an abundance and variety of others ' 



still remaining in the garden ; one in par- 

 ticular (celery, if stewed) quite supplying 

 its place upon the table. The time when 

 sea-kale comes in most acceptably is durino* 

 March and the beginning of i^pril, when 

 we are tired of winter greens, and have for- 

 gotten the taste of cauliflowers. By growing 

 it on the following plan, it may then be had 

 at less expense and trouble, and of far finer 

 quality, than that produced by any method 



