On Sea Kale. 29 



covering in the spring, there might be no difficulty in 

 finding the plant, nor any danger of injuring it by an un- 

 intentional stroke of the hoe. 



In the spring, as soon as the frost is out of the ground, 

 the covering of manure should be removed, and dug 

 round the plants, taking great care not to wound or in- 

 jure them. Each plant should then be covered closely 

 with a garden pot, or a wooden box, or a little fresh tan, 

 or, (which is said to be best of all,) some sea sand should 

 be heaped over it to the height of about one foot. Mr. 

 Lowell uses an earthen pot, which is the neatest and most 

 simple mode of covering and bleaching the plant. On 

 account of the difficulty of getting proper earthen pots 

 in this place, I cover mine with wooden boxes, very 

 carefully made with close joints, and about twelve inches 

 every way. Where none of these can be conveniently 

 had, the common soil, provided it be dry, may be heaped 

 over the plant. But if the season should be wet, the 

 young shoots will be apt to rot. 



About the middle of April, sometimes sooner, you 

 may remove the covering, and examine the state of the 

 plant. If it is sufficiendy grown, it may be cut. One 

 plant will furnish enough to fill a moderately sized dish. 

 In cutting, great care ought to be taken, not to wound 

 the crown of the plant. It may be cut down to within 

 half an inch of the old crown of the last year. It should 

 be cut but once in a season. Of course, when it is cut, 

 the pot or box should be laid aside, and the plant suffered 

 to grow in the open air, and run to seed, which it will 

 do, every year, with great luxuriance. The bleached 

 shoots, as they appear on removing the pot, are of a 

 most brilliant white, and the tops of a most beautiful vio- 

 let colour. A more elegant vegetable I never saw. 



The process of bleaching and cutting ought not to be 

 too soon commenced. It ought in no case to commence 

 L 



