CRUCIFEILE. XCVIII. CRAMBE. 



257 



sown, so as to have a supply always at hand. However, where 

 circumstances will admit, it would be advisable to sow the seed 

 in the beds where they are to remain to come to perfection. 

 This is attended witli much less trouble, and if the beds have 

 been properly prepared, the plants will become stronger than 

 those which have been transplanted. Sea-kale is also propagated 

 by some eminent gardeners in the vicinity of London, by cutting 

 the roots of the old plants into pieces about an inch long, and 

 planting them in drills like potatoes. By this means the buds 

 will spring and find their way to the surface with greater cer- 

 tainty than if planted by the dibble ; by which latter process 

 many of them run a chance of being placed with their end up- 

 permost, and consequently be unproductive of shoots. 



In light sandy garden -soil the Sea-kale comes to perfection 

 with little care ; but in strong clayey soils it is often apt to rot 

 in winter. In preparing ground for Sea-kale, if the ground be 

 naturally strong, it should be trenched to a depth of 3 feet, if the 

 ground will admit of that depth, and well manured. Divide the 

 ground into 4 feet beds, with alleys 1 8 inches wide ; throw out 

 the mould of the alleys to the depth of 10 or 12 inches, which 

 mould being laid on the beds will raise them from 1 5 to 1 8 inches 

 above the bottom of the alleys, which will render the beds dry. 

 If the ground be particularly stiff, lay on a quantity of fine sharp 

 sand and leaf mould, which, if properly mixed in the process of 

 trenching, will render the beds sufficiently light for the cultiva- 

 tion of this excellent vegetable, for the success depends upon 

 the lightness of the mould and dryness of the bottom. About 

 the middle of April, if the beds be prepared as above, proceed 

 to draw two drills in each bed, about 2 inches deep, in which the 

 seeds must be sown. Sow moderately thick, so as to secure a 

 crop, which afterwards should be thinned out to 12 inches apart, 

 or sow in patches 18 inches apart. The turnip-fly and the 

 wire-worm are great enemies to this as well as to all cruci- 

 ferous plants. The best remedy for the latter is to have 

 them picked out of the ground by the hand ; the former may 

 be prevented from doing much injury by a circle of quick-lime 

 strewed round the plants. If the months of June and July 

 prove dry, water the whole beds plentifully ; and in the following 

 November as soon as the leaves are decayed, clear them away and 

 cover the beds an inch thick with light rich earth and sand, that 

 has lain in a heap and been turned over at least three times the 

 preceding summer. Upon this dressing of sandy loam, throw 

 about 6 inches of light stable litter, which finishes every thing to 

 be done the first year. In the spring of the second year, when 

 the plants begin to grow, rake off' the stable litter, digging a 

 little of the most rotten into the alleys, and add another inch in 

 depth of fresh loam and sand. Abstain from cutting this year, 

 though some of the plants will probably rise very strong, treat- 

 ing the beds the succeeding winter exactly as before. The third 

 season, a little before the plants begin to stir, rake off* the win- 

 ter covering, laying on now an inch in depth of pure sand or 

 gravel. Then cover each parcel or plant with one of the blanch- 

 ing-pots, or large flower-pots with the hole corked up, pressing 

 it very firmly into the ground, so as to exclude all light and air, 

 for the colour and flavour is greatly injured by being exposed to 

 either." But the most convenient method for blanching Sea- 

 kale which is not forced, is to cover the beds in autumn with 

 leaves raked up from the woods or pleasure-ground, covering 

 each bed in thickness according to the strength and age of the 

 plants, giving the greater covering to the oldest and strongest 

 roots. The covering may be from 5 to 15 inches deep, when 

 first laid on, and over that place a slight covering of light lit- 

 tery dung to prevent the leaves from blowing about ; this cover- 

 ing is to remain on until the crop be all cut, when it may be 

 taken away, and the beds dug over, or when, from particular 

 circumstances, this has not been attended to in autumn. At 

 VOL. i. PART in. 



the time the buds begin to appear, fork the beds regularly over, 

 and cover the plants from 12 to 15 inches with saw-dust or 

 rotten tan, when it can be conveniently procured ; if neither 

 can be had, break the mould on the surface of the beds as fine 

 as possibte and mould up the plants with it. 



As the heads become ready for use they will raise the cover- 

 ing, by which means they will be easily perceived without re- 

 moving any more of the covering than the part where those heads 

 are that are intended to be cut. Those beds which have had the 

 thickest covering in autumn come first into use, and the other 

 in rotation, so that the last cutting is from what was sown the 

 spring before. Although cutting from one year old plants is 

 generally disapproved of, Barton (Caled. hort. mem.) defends the 

 practice from his experience of its not proving injurious ; and 

 because thereby the Sea-kale season is prolonged, as the one 

 year old plants come into use much later in spring than the old 

 established roots. 



When the young shoots are about 3 or 4 inches high, remove 

 the leaves, or whatever has been used in blanching, carefully, and 

 cut them off; but so as not to injure the remaining buds, which 

 are springing from the same root. A succession of gatherings 

 may be continued for 5 or 6 weeks, after which period the 

 plants should be uncovered and their leaves suffered to grow, 

 that they may acquire and retain a sufficient quantity of nutri- 

 ment to the roots for next year's buds. The flowers, when the 

 seeds are not wanted, ought to be nipped off" with the finger and 

 thumb as long as they appear, as they tend considerably to 

 weaken the plants. 



Forcing Sea-kale. " No vegetable is more easily or more 

 cheaply forced than Sea-kale, whether the operation be performed 

 in beds or drills in the open air, or in hot-bed frames or flued 

 pits." Abercrombie, Nicol, and Maher recommend forcing in 

 beds " in the open air." " Seven weeks," the former ob- 

 serves " before the time at which you wish to cut shoots for 

 the table, begin to prepare the plants for forcing, and to 

 ferment a sufficient quantity of stabl/s dung. Having trimmed 

 the leaves from the plants, carefully point the surface of 

 the ground, and over the top of the roots spread fresh light 

 earth, mixed with light sand or coal-ashes 2 or 3 inches 

 in depth, this is the best remedy against worms. Salt also 

 destroys worms and will not injure the Sea-kale. When the 

 dung is well prepared, which will be in about three weeks, pro- 

 ceed to forcing. If you mix tree-leaves with the dung, begin 

 to ferment them a week or a fortnight sooner. Cover each of 

 the plants either with a regular blanching-pot, or with a garden- 

 pot of the largest size, taking care to stop up the hole. Then 

 lay a portion of prepared dung alone, or mixed with tree -leaves 

 about and over each pot, pressing it down firm, extending it 8 

 or 10 inches all round, and raising the bank six or eight inches 

 above the pot. It will be necessary to examine the plants fre- 

 quently, and to measure the heat within the covers now and then, 

 lest by some inadvertency the quantity of litter should not have 

 been well-apportioned or rightly prepared ; if the heat be un- 

 der 50 there is not enough to excite the plants ; and if above 

 60 it is too fiery, and may injure them, for it is better to begin 

 time enough and force slowly rather than too quickly." The 

 litter round the pots should be renewed at least once in eight 

 weeks, but oftener if the weather is rigorous. When the stools 

 will produce no more shoots, remove the litter and the covers, 

 and dress the ground, that the plants may be suffered to grow 

 and return strength to the root for the next year's shoots. Nicol 

 says, he knows of a row of Sea-kale having been forced in the 

 above way every season for seven years, in which the plants were 

 at the end of that period as healthy and vigorous as others in the 

 same quarter that were forced only every second year. 



Barton (Caled. hort. mem.) forces Sea-kale on dung beds, 

 L 1 



