8 THE BOOK OF RARER VEGETABLES 



when about 8 to lo inches long, or less would suffice, 

 but each one should be taken with a heel ; that is, a 

 small portion of the stem of the old plant is slipped off, 

 and often with this will be some small roots attached, the 

 stools or old plants being carefully uncovered to get at 

 the young sucked growth. In planting there are two 

 ways: either in straight rows 1 8 inches apart, 3 feet 

 between the rows, or three suckers in a clump 9 to 12 

 inches apart and 4 feet between the rows in places where 

 plants winter well. I prefer the last named; and in other 

 places the single plant system, as I find the plants can be 

 more readily protected. In planting make each sucker firm 

 and water thoroughly, and mulch over in dry seasons. 

 In heavy land I would advise making raised mounds for 

 each lot of plants by liberal additions to the soil of 

 lighter materials ; and by raising and using rotten manure 

 freely, the plants do much better than on the surface if 

 the soil is clayey or at all wet. The plants will give a 

 few heads the first season, but later than the older 

 ones ; but they will give a much later crop, and often, say 

 in October or early November, there will be no lack of 

 good heads from the young plants, and these, if cut 

 with a few inches of stalk and placed in water, may be 

 kept for weeks in a cool root store. At the approach 

 of frost the plants should have all the old stalks removed, 

 the long leaf foliage also being reduced to about 18 

 inches, and yellow leaves entirely cut away, and a good 

 thickness of dry bracken or litter placed over the 

 roots, closely packing round the stems of the plants, 

 as from this portion next season's suckers will be 

 obtained. In gardens where these plants winter badly 

 I have found it advantageous to lift a few young 

 stools, and to divide and plant them in a cold frame ; 

 or they may be potted if a special variety. In March 

 the protecting material is removed, and after a little 

 exposure the new planting, if needed, is done, the old 



