Sea Kale 



being blown away, and the planks will be handy for the next stage 

 in the business. 



At the turn of the year put the planks on edge by driving posts 

 down in any rough way that will hold them firmly for a brief season, 

 and then spread the leaves equally. If there are not sufficient leaves 

 to cover -the feed for the requisite thickness, raise a good heap over 

 each crown, and sprinkle a little earth to keep the heap together. 

 But a better mode of procedure is to have a sufficiency of Sea Kale 

 pots with movable covers, or in place of these large flower pots, or 

 old boxes. Put these over the crowns, and then heap the leaves 

 over and around, and the preliminaries are completed. A very early 

 growth will be the result, and the quality will be finer than that of 

 forced Sea Kale. Uncover occasionally to see how the crop goes 

 on, remembering that perfect darkness is needed to blanch it com- 

 pletely, and to produce a plump and delicate sample. Cut close 

 over, taking a small portion of the woody part of the crown, and 

 when all the growth of a crown is taken, remove the pot or box, but 

 leave a thin coat of leaves on the cut crown to protect it, as at the 

 time of cutting Sea Kale keen east winds are prevalent, and it is 

 unfair to the plants to expose them suddenly. When the crop has 

 been taken, remove the leaves and the planks, and dig in between 

 the rows a thick coat of fat manure. The growth will be too strong 

 now for a stolen crop, and will so continue for many years. After 

 the crop has been secured, each crown will throw out a number of 

 buds or shoots. These should all be removed except two or three 

 of the strongest, which will form the crowns for cutting in the follow- 

 ing year. At the same time take away any small blanched shoots 

 that may have been left because they were too small or insignificant 

 for table use. This proceeding will prevent the production of flower- 

 stems, which is injurious to the plant, and there never need be any 

 fear that the crop will be diminished, because plenty of buds around 

 the crowns, that do not show themselves in the first instance, will 

 come forward in due time. 



It is so easy to force Sea Kale that the cultivator may safely 

 be left to his own devices. But it will be well, perhaps, to say that 

 perfect darkness is requisite, and the temperature should not exceed 

 60 at any time, this being the maximum figure. A rise above 60 

 will produce a thin or wiry sample. It is sufficient to begin with a 

 temperature of 45, and to rise no higher than 55, to insure a really 

 creditable growth. The market growers are not very particular as to 

 temperature, but then they do not eat the crop, or know much of it 



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