THE FLOEAL WORLD AND OAEDEN GUIDE. 



manner as sea-kale, to wliicli it is not 

 at all inferior. 



Brussels sprouts are among tlie 

 best of winter greens, and it is a poor 

 garden that cannot show a few rows 

 of these tall military gentrj^ with large 

 buttons during autumn and winter. 

 They must be grown in the same way 

 as other cabbages as to soil and gene- 

 ral treatment ; but as they are much 

 prized after frost, it is well to make 

 two sowings, so as to have plenty of 

 tlie young sprouts in early spring, 

 when the first lot will be pretty well 

 exhausted. Sow the first in the se- 

 cond week of Marcli, and the second, 

 the third or fourth week of April. 

 They ought to have a good soil, and a 

 distance of two feet between the rows, 

 and sixteen inches from plant to 

 plant. The most forward will come 

 into use in October, when the heads 

 are a very palatable cabbage. After 

 the heads are removed the lower buds 

 push and form the sprouts, and these 

 should be carefully cut away as fast 

 as they get large enough for use. If 

 left on too long, they burst aud lose 

 their beauty, and then are apt to suf- 

 fer from wet and frost ; though, on 

 tlie whole, this is one of the hardiest 

 of vegetables, and in the climate of 

 London we never knew it to fail. Im- 

 ported seed is that usually preferred, 

 and it is sold at double the price of 

 home-grown. Very often both come 

 out of the same bag, so that you are 

 not always safe though you pay ex- 

 tra, and having used both English 

 saved and foreign side by side for 

 several seasons, I must say, that if 

 well saved, English seed is as good as 

 that which comes direct from Brussels. 

 Scotch kale, of which there are 

 many varieties, requires precisely the 



same culture as Brussels sprouts. ' Sow 

 twice, and finally plant out eighteen 

 inches between the rows, and a foot 

 between the plants. This variety of 

 cabbage is most useful to the cottager 

 because of its extraordinary hardi- 

 ness, and as it comes well even on 

 poor soil, it may be grown where 

 cabbage or sprouts wovild fail. But it 

 should have a good place among the 

 winter greens in every garden on ac- 

 count of its fine flavour, and the 

 splendid colour of the green sorts 

 when cooked. In a rich soil, and 

 with careful tillage, the tall green 

 curled will grow to a height of four 

 or five feet, and make stems three 

 inches in diameter, and noble curled 

 heads in proportion, "We have had 

 them neai'ly a yard across, making a 

 magnificent show in the kitchen gar- 

 den during the winter. The varie- 

 gated sorts are frequently grown as 

 ornaments to the fronts of shrub- 

 beries, and the leaves used in making 

 up l)0uquets, but none of the purple 

 or variegated kinds are acceptable at 

 table — they boil black. The best va- 

 rieties are the Breda, Asparagus, TaU 

 Green, and Dwarf Green ; the last is 

 perhaps the most generally useful of 

 all. Among the variegated kales, we 

 have had a variety with white parch- 

 ment-like edges and vivid emerald 

 green within, or with green edges and 

 white within, and splendidly curled. 

 This was most beautiful in growth, 

 and cooked a good colour. Those 

 who take any interest in fancy vege- 

 tables might find a pretty amusement 

 in selecting plants from a stock of 

 variegated kale, and especially from 

 Mr. Melville's new sorts, and, by seed- 

 ing them, obtain many varieties still 

 more beautiful. 



HOW TO COITSTErCT A DUKG-BED OTT AN IMPEOYED PLAI^. 



Now tliat spring is advancing, the judici- 

 ous amateur, who prides himself on his 

 display of summer flowers, will be looking 

 about him to see how he is to provide a 

 sufficient stock ; aud as no plan answers 

 better for striking cuttings of bedding- 

 plants, or raising seeds (provided the latter 

 are not allowed to remain too long after 



they have fairly vegetated), than a mild 

 and sweet dung-bed, and as many are in 

 the habit of making such a bed for the 

 double purpose of striking cuttings and 

 growing cucumbers, I offer the accompa- 

 nying plan for their consideration, believ- 

 ing that it offers especial adv.iutages over 

 the dung-bed as commonly constructed; 



