164 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



leaves become succulent, and so numerous and 

 closely packed on the internal stem that they 

 have no room to expand, but form into a com- 

 pact and solid body, from the internal portions 

 of which the sunlight being wholly excluded so 

 that they are perfectly colourless, as well as much 

 more delicate and tender than the external green 

 leaves. So extraordinary is tfre alteration thus 

 made that, although the plant in its wild condi- 

 tion may not weigh more than a few ounces, it 

 is forced to shape itself into a solid sphere 

 several feet in circumference, and weighing perhaps 

 thirty pounds. 



The other plant to which we made reference is 

 the Sea-Kale (Crambe-maritima). The leaves of 

 this plant are roundish, sinuated, toothed, and of 

 a glaucous hue, and leathery ; the stems are about 

 two feet in height, branched and spreading; the 

 flowers are large and white, in terminal clusters. 

 It flourishes, like the sea cabbage, in the south of 

 England, and in various parts of the Irish coast. 

 This plant undergoes under a similar process a 

 transformation almost as remarkable as that of 

 the brassica, and by being placed in rich although 

 light soil, and blanched by being carefully covered 

 from the sunlight, it produces the delicate sea- 

 kale of the kitchen garden. 



These two instances now given are among the 

 most remarkable effects produced by human in- 

 genuity on the natural characters of plants. Along 

 with many hundreds of examples to the same pur- 

 pose, although not more remarkable, they afford 



