CHICORY, AND OTHER ROOTS. 517 



feet bed ; fill in for two feet with rich soil. Plant five rows of 

 plants on such beds, and cover them with moveable frames. With 

 another pipe or two for surface-heat, asparagus may be thus had as 

 plentifully and good at Christmas^ as in May. By a liberal summer 

 treatment, and the use of salt and strong manure during its growth, 

 such beds may be safely forced every year. 



Sea-kale. This may be forced exactly in the manner above de- 

 scribed for asparagus, but a less degree of heat is required ; for the sea- 

 kale naturally shoots up early in spring, while the buds of the asparagus 

 are much later in appearing. The asparagus requires to be grown 

 three or four years from the seed before it is fit to force ; but as the 

 sea-kale can be forced at two years' growth, and the plants are conse- 

 quently less valuable, there is less objection to taking them up, forcing 

 them, and throwing them away. It is good practice to plant so many 

 rows of sea-kale every spring, three feet apart, and the plants fifteen 

 inches distant in the rows; the plants being raised from seed the 

 previous year. The roots are taken up for forcing as soon as the 

 leaves are decayed, with much care ; and as much as possible removed 

 entire, as the root is a magazine of nourishment for the incipient bud. 

 The main stock is then " laid in by the heels," and covered with litter 

 until wanted. In the mushroom-house a pit or trench may be sunk 

 below the level of the floor-line about four feet : this furnishes room 

 in the length of the house for about four successions of plants : the 

 second lot of roots being introduced the moment the first begin to bud, 

 and so on with the rest. Fermenting matter viz., dung and leaves 

 mixed, is placed about two feet six inches deep, under the roots. The 

 roots are placed upon this as thickly as they will stand, and some fine 

 old tan or rich soil mixed with water poured in to fill the crevices 

 between the roots completely. The surface of the crowns when finished 

 is a foot or so below the floor-line; and a row of trusses of straw should 

 be laid side by side over the whole to shut in the steam, and keep the 

 pit completely dark, which is one of the main points. 



No vegetable is more easily or cheaply forced than sea-kale, whether 

 in the open air in beds or drills, or by covering the plants with pots 

 or boxes surrounded by hot dung ; or by taking up the plants and 

 potting them, and placing them in cellars, frames, or pits, or on a 

 bed of heated materials. A temperature of from 40 to 45 will 

 excite vegetation, after which it may be raised to 50 or 55. Great 

 care must be taken never to exceed 55. Plants of sea-kale in the 

 open ground may be forced every year ; but much the cheapest mode 

 is to take up the roots and force on beds heated artificially. The best 

 crop is generally obtained by simply blanching the crop under pots 

 as they come naturally into growth in the open ground. 



Rhubarb and Chicory. What has been said of sea-kale, in the 

 preceding paragraph, will apply equally to rhubarb and chicory. 

 They may both be forced in the open ground in trenches filled with 

 hot dung, or by placing over them pots or boxes surrounded by 

 that material ; or, what is by far the most economical mode, the plants 

 may be taken up and potted, and placed in a cellar ; or, like the sea- 



