164 



CRAMBUS CRANBERRY. 



1794, when being then found to be no bad substitute 

 for forced asparagus, particularly at the best tables in 

 the city oi' Bath, it came suddenly into high repute, 

 and consequently has been extensively cultivated 

 ever since as well in public as in private gardens. 

 The ease and certainty with which it may be forced, 

 so as to have a regular supply throughout the winter, 

 is an additional recommendation, and especially, as it 

 is found to be a suitable supper dish for persons of 

 weak constitutions, and who cannot, at that meal, 

 partake of any kind of animal food. 



The plant may be grown luxuriantly in any soil, 

 provided it is loose enough ; but its excellence, as a 

 condiment, depends not on its bulk, but on its mild 

 flavour, and therefore means must be taken to grow 

 it in the poorest soil, even pure sand, in order that 

 the naturally rank cabbage flavour may be corrected. 

 Sea-kale is usually cultivated on beds or borders 

 in any open part of the garden. The body of the 

 bed may be composed chiefly of sea or river sand, to 

 the depth of twelve or fifteen inches. The surface of 

 the bed may be four or five inches lower than the 

 general level of the ground when the seeds are sown 

 or when roots are planted, and then covered with an 

 inch of pure sand. When seeds are used, they are 

 dropped along the middle of the bed in patches, two 

 feet from each other, three or four good seeds 

 together. If they all rise, reduce to two or three at 

 each place, and in the future management, it should 

 be endeavoured to keep the crowns of the plants 

 always as low and near together as possible, for the 

 purpose of covering them with pots or otherwise, 

 when necessary. 



The roots, particularly on the upper parts, are 

 thickly studded with buds, so that, notwithstanding 

 the annual loss of the crowns, other shoots are soon 

 afterwards produced from below. This peculiar pro- 

 perty of the roots rentiers a new plantation of sea kale 

 easily made, and which will come as soon into use as 

 if seed had been sown. Either method may, there- 

 fore, be followed ; and before the winter sets in, the 

 plants will have arrived at a considerable size. All 

 the shoots have a tendency to rise, and the crowns 

 which are to be relied on for the following year's crop, 

 will remain an inch or two 'higher than the surface 

 after the leaves are shed. This circumstance requires 

 that the crowns be covered with an additional layer 

 of sand, through which the young eatable shoots will 

 protrude in the spring of the following year. If it 

 be wished to have any strong stools, refrain from 

 cutting any in the second year; but if the plants have 

 grown vigorously the first year, a few dishes may be 

 taken without injury. 



Many schemes have been practised to induce an 

 early growth of the shoots, because, if the kale do not 

 come in before asparagus.it will be but little esteemed. 

 Deep coverings of pure sand, of coal culm, of decayed 

 light dung or leaves of forest trees, to the depth of 

 a foot or more, have all been used with various 

 success. One of the most common modes is covering 

 the crowns with large garden flower pots, and heap- 

 ing around and upon these, a ridge of hot stable dung 

 that has been previously prepared by frequent turnings 

 to dissipate the rank steam and heat. The heat im- 

 parted from the covering excites the plants into 

 action, and by this means sea-kale may be had in 

 any of the winter or spring months, provided the 

 beating substance be applied seven weeks before the 

 hale is wanted. 



Other and equally efficient plans for forcing the 

 crop have been executed. Single rows of plants are 

 put in along the middle of two-feet-wide beds, having 

 two-feet-wide alleys between. The alleys are dug 

 out to the depth of eighteen inches, and the sides of 

 the beds are kept up by open or pigeon-holed brick- 

 work. Six or seven weeks before the kale is wanted, 

 any required length of the beds have the alleys filled 

 with hot dung, and the crowns being covered with 

 pots, hand glasses, or wooden troughs, made for the 

 purpose, and covered over the crowns with additional 

 coverings of mats in severe weather, brings up the 

 shoots expeditiously and in their purest state, neither 

 tainted by the effluvia of the dung, nor discoloured or 

 soiled by any matter in contact with them. Neither 

 air or light are necessary to the shoots ; perfect 

 blanching not only improves its appearance when 

 dressed, but its flavour also in a considerable degree. 

 It may be repeated, that its excellence entirely 

 depends on the poverty of the soil in which it is 

 grown, and its perfect etiolation. Sea-kale may be 

 raised on very rich soil and of very great size ; but 

 few ladies could sit at the table on which it is served 

 up. 



But this plant may be conveniently forced in pots, 

 either in a hot-house, hot-bed, or even in any warm 

 corner of a kitchen. Large pots are filled with stout 

 roots among light earth or sand ; another pot of the 

 same size is inverted over the first ; in this dark 

 prison the shoots are produced, equal in delicacy, 

 though not in quantity, as they can be by arty other 

 means. The proper temperature for sea-kale experi- 

 ence has taught is about 55 of Fahrenheit. 



CRAMBUS (Fabricius). An extensive genus of 

 small lepidopterous insects, respecting the family of 

 which there is some uncertainty, Mr. Stephens placing 

 them in the Tineidce, Mr. Curtis in the Pyralidte, and 

 Latreille forming them into a family termed Crambitcs. 

 They are very active, abounding in pastures, and 

 amongst grass, upon the stalks of which they generally 

 rest with their heads downwards and their wings 

 very closely applied, in a convoluted manner, to their 

 bodies,so that they were originally termed close-winged 

 moths, their appearance being nearly that of a cylinder. 

 They take flight very readily at our approach, but 

 soon settle again. The upper wings are long and 

 narrow, their antennae simple, the labial palpi are 

 stretched forwards, the maxillary spiral tongue is long 

 and slender, and the maxillary palpi very distinct and 

 raised in front. There are nearly forty British species, 

 including the type Phalcenn Pascuella, Linnaeus. Some 

 of them are so exceedingly abundant that scores are 

 disturbed in certain situations at every step. We do 

 not remember ever to have met with them in such 

 abundance as in the month of August on the exposed 

 sides of the Hill of St. Catherine, at the back of the 

 Isle of Wight. Their colours are pale, and they are 

 often ornamented with silvery markings. 



CRANBERRY, is the Oxycoccus Palustm of 

 Persoon, and the Vaccinium Oxycoccus of Linnseus, 

 a common British plant, found on turfy bogs. The 

 fruit of this plant is very generally employed as a 

 kitchen article for tarts. Both the British and 

 American long-fruited cranberries are gathered for 

 sale, and large quantities are annually imported from 

 North America. 



The late Sir Joseph Banks advised the garden 

 culture of the American species, and several gardeners 

 have been extremely successful in the attempt. Much 



