BROCCOLI. 



629 



Brexia is the only genus. lirexia Madagascaricnsis is 

 a rare and curious tree-like plant found in Mada- 

 gascar. Its leaves when in a young state are very 

 long and furnished with prickly teeth, but when full- 

 grown they become ovato-oblong, and the teeth 

 nearly disappear. lirexia xpinosa is commonly known 

 in gardens by the name of Tlieophrasta. 



BROCCOLI. The Brassica oleracea, variety 

 Botrytis of De Candolle. A highly valued variety of 

 the cabbage family, cultivated for its imperfect flowers 

 as a table vegetable. Broccoli, its Italian name, is 

 supposed to be a sport (as florists call such varia- 

 tions) from the cauliflower, as this last is mentioned 

 in history before the former. When first employed 

 in this country as a table vegetable, it appears to 

 have been used in the state of sprouts rather than in 

 large substantial heads, as it is now brought to table ; 

 because it was trimmed and bundled by the cook 

 exactly like asparagus ; hence it was called Italian 

 asparagus, and in botanical books, it is to this day 

 designated asparagoid.es, as a specific distinction. It 

 differs from cauliflower in habit and colour, both of 

 leaves and flowers, when fit for use ; and is also more 

 hardy and keeps longer in season. 



Cultivation. The chief objects of the cultivator 

 are to obtain a supply for the table in every possible 

 season, and to grow it to the largest possible size. 

 The first is gained by timely sowing, proper treat- 

 ment of the seedlings and subsequent management ; 

 the second by a due preparation of the soil they are 

 ultimately placed on, by deep digging or trenching, 

 and sufficient manuring. The last particular is indis- 

 pensable to insure fine broccoli, as the plant is a " gross 

 feeder,'' and therefore requires abundance of manure, 

 and to be placed on a naturally rich soil. As broccoli 

 is required and may be had from the end of August till 

 nearly the same period in the following summer, sow- 

 ings must be made consecutively to be transplanted in 

 successional order. The first sowing is made about 

 the 15th of April, and continued weekly till the 1st 

 of July. The seed beds should be in a perfectly 

 open situation, rich, light, and finely broken. Similar 

 beds must be got ready, on which the seedlings are 

 pricked out five or six inches apart, as soon as they 

 have three or four leaves. 



The use of transplanting seedlings from the seed 

 to a nursery bed, is for the double purpose of thin- 

 ning the seed bed, and giving the removed plants 

 more stocky habit. For the sake of getting very 

 stout plants for final transplanting, some gardeners 

 transplant them twice ; others do not prick out into 

 nursery beds at all, but place them out at once from 

 the seed bed ; others again sow the seeds where the 

 plants are to remain for good. This last practice 

 requires too long an occupation of the ground, anc 

 often much trouble in filling up blanks, or replacing 

 such as turn out any way defective. The Cape varie- 

 ties grow rapidly, and yield heads sooner than the 

 old sorts ; of course they do not require pricking ou 

 so much as the latter. 



Those portions of the garden usually appropriatec 

 to the cultivation of broccoli is that which has borne 

 spring crop, such as spinach, early peas, or other crop 

 that comes off during June, July, or August After 

 being cleared of weeds, a coat of good, rich, mois 

 dung is spread thereon and well digged in ; it is then 

 ready to receive the plants drawn from the seed o: 

 nursery beds. The plants are dibbed in rows at dis 



ances according to the growth of the variety, or the 

 ime of the year when planted. Late plantations of 

 he dwarf sorts require less space than the large 

 rowing kinds. Full and free air is necessary for all ; 

 The small varieties should not be put in nearer than 

 ,vvo feet between the rows, and twenty inches apart 

 n the rows. The large sorts at three or four feet 

 ntervals between the rows, and two feet distances 

 )Iant from plant in the rows. The plants should be 

 dibbed in as deep as the lower leaves, and water 

 should be immediately given if the soil be dry and 

 the weather warm. The after management consists 

 n keeping the ground well, and frequently hoed 

 among the plants to admit air and destroy weeds ; 

 and when the plants advance in height, mould should 

 be drawn to the stems to keep them steady in their 

 places. 



Broccoli is liable to be killed in severe winters. 

 To prevent such injury, different expedients are had 

 recourse to for its preservation. When the winters 

 were more severe than they have been lately in this 

 country, a usual practice was to lay it down. This 

 was done about the 1st of November, or earlier if the 

 weather was threatening. Two men do this most 

 expeditiously : an opening is first made at the north 

 end and close to the end plant of the first row, the 

 removed earth is laid on the opposite side of the 

 opening, forming a bank on which the head of the 

 plant is to lie ; both spades are then entered behind, 

 deep enough to undermine and move the whole ball 

 of earth containing the roots, and which, plant and 

 all, is whelmed half over till the plant lies on its side, 

 the head facing the north. The firm ground between 

 the first and second plant is digged over upon the 

 stem, which should be well covered to be quite safe 

 from frost ; as this part is the first to suffer. An 

 opening being thus left for the second plant, it is laid 

 down as the first, and so on to the end of the row. 

 In this way of laying down broccoli, it is supposed 

 that the rows point south and north ; but if they are 

 planted in any other direction, the plants may be laid 

 in the proper position nevertheless. The reason for 

 laying the heads toward the north, is, because in 

 winter sunshine, the heart or bosom is melted, and if 

 followed by a frosty night the thawed parts are sure 

 to suffer ; whereas, when laid facing the north, they 

 are less likely to be injuriously affected by a change 

 of temperature. There are other schemes practised 

 for preserving broccoli ; instead of laying it down 

 when it grows, the plants are taken up with as large 

 balls of earth as will adhere to them, and removed 

 into vacant pits or frames where they can be plunged 

 closely together, and covered with glass-lights or 

 mats when necessary. Or by plunging them cloely 

 together in the open air, and on beds of moderate 

 width and hooped over, they may be preserved from 

 frost by mats, pea-straw, or dry fern. By such 

 means broccoli may be had for the table throughout 

 the severest winters, and well repays every care 

 bestowed upon it. In private gardens, and on a small 

 scale, such precautions should never be omitted ; 

 when cultivated extensively, as in market gardens, 

 laying it down where it grows, as above described, is 

 the only plan that can be followed. Indeed, for these 

 five or six winters last past, no precautions whatever 

 have been taken to preserve broccoli, and little loss 

 has occurred, owing to the mildness of the winters. 

 What are called Cape varieties, introduced about 



