SEA-KALE. 



95 



may be transplanted into good ground prepared as directed 

 for Asparagus. Plant two rows in each bed, about eighteen 

 inches apart ; the best way is to make two drills three inches 

 deep, and with a, dibble set in the plants fifteen or sixteen 

 inches from each other; when these drills are filled, the 

 crowns of the plants will be covered nearly two inches, but 

 they will soon push through the earth. The plants left in 

 the seed-bed may form a permanent bed, which should be 

 forked or dug between the rows ; previous to this being done, 

 lay on an inch or two of good rotten manure, and incorporate 

 it with the earth around the plants. 



Some make new plantations of the old roots, which should 

 be cut up into pieces of about tw r o inches in length, and 

 planted in March or April, three or four inches deep, at the 

 distance before directed for the plants. 



At the approach of winter the leaves will die away, and 

 disappear. The beds should then be thickly covered with 

 dung, leaves, or sea-weed ; this will not only protect the 

 plants from frost, but will cause them to shoot up early in 

 the spring. As soon as the frost is out of the ground, this 

 may be taken off, or, if well rotted, it may be mixed up with 

 the earth ; the crowns of the plants should then be. covered 

 to the depth of ten or twelve inches for blanching. 



Some blanch it by heaping on it sea sand ; some common 

 sand and gravel ; and others with large garden pots, inverted 

 and placed immediately over the plants. If these pots be 

 covered up with fresh horse dung, it will forward the shoots 

 in growth, and make them sweeter and more tender. 



When your plants have been covered in either method 

 three or four weeks, examine them, and if you find that the 

 stalks, have shot up three or our inches, you may begin cut- 

 ting ; should you wait till all the shoots are of considerable 

 length, your crop will come in too much at once, for in this 

 plant there is not that successsive growth which there is in 

 Asparagus ; you may continue cutting until you see the heads 

 of flowers begin to form ; and if at this time you uncover it 



