656 ASPARAGACEOUS ESCULENTS. 



row. Seeds, plants which have been one year in the seed-bed, or 

 cuttings of the roots of old plants, may be used ; in the latter case 

 leaving two eyes to each cutting ; or cuttings without eyes may be 

 used, provided the upper part of the cutting be placed uppermost ; 

 or the cutting be laid on its side in a shallow drill. Sowing and 

 planting may take place about the beginning of March. The best soil 

 is a deep sandy loam, thoroughly enriched with manure, including sea- 

 weed, if it can be got, or if not, a sprinkling of salt once a year. The 

 most efficient mode of culture would be to follow that recommended 

 for asparagus. The strongest plants are produced from seeds sown 

 where the plants are to remain. Three rows may be marked out two 

 feet apart, leaving an interval of three feet after every third row, the 

 centre of which, to the width of eighteen inches, is to be treated as an 

 alley for the convenience of gathering the crop. The seeds may be 

 dropped in patches of three or four along the drills, and the plants 

 thinned out to one plant in a place, soon after they come up. The 

 first winter's dressing may consist of some littery stable-manure, sea- 

 weed, and leaves, spread over the surface, which may be forked in 

 early in the following spring. This may be repeated the second 

 autumn, increasing the thickness, and the second spring a few stalks 

 may be gathered. The third autumn the dressing may be repeated ; 

 or the rows may be covered with leaves alone, with sand, or with soil 

 dug out of the alleys, to the depth of six inches. The third spring 

 several stalks may be gathered from each plant ; and the fourth spring 

 the plantation will be in full bearing. Excepting in the first spring 

 after sowing no spring dressing is required till May, after the crop has 

 been gathered. The London market-gardeners plant the sea-kale in 

 rows from four to six feet apart, and every autumn after the leaves 

 have died down to the surface, they dig a trench between the rows, 

 and cover the plants with soil to the depth of a foot. As the crop is 

 gathered the ridges so formed are levelled down, and a crop planted 

 between. By this mode the whole produce of the plant is gathered at 

 once, every part of it being completely blanched and tender. 



Gathering. The points of the stems will appear above the leaves, 

 or other matters with which the plants have been covered the preced- 

 ing autumn, about the beginning or middle of March, according to the 

 warmth of the situation and of the season. Remove the covering 

 round such of the young stems as are about three inches long, and 

 cut them over half an inch above the collar, taking care not to injure 

 any of the buds which remain on the plant, and which will imme- 

 diately begin to swell. It is a good plan to invert wide pots over the 

 plants, as it keeps the kale clean and prevents it from contracting an 

 earthy or dungy flavour. From four to six heads or stallos, according 

 to the size, make a dish, and they are sent to the kitchen or the 

 market tied together like asparagus. Three stout plants will afford 

 five dishes in a season ; and hence when the number of dishes 

 required by any family is known, one-third added to their number 

 will give the amount of plants required for a plantation. A plantation 

 will afford a succession of gatherings for six weejts, after which period 



