90 HORTICULTURE LECT. vi 



their foliage has nearly met and covered the 

 ground, not alone to keep down weeds, but also 

 to induce rapid growth by admitting air and warmth 

 to the roots from above, and preventing undue 

 evaporation of moisture from below. 



About the middle or end of October the first row 

 may be taken up, leaving the next two rows, then 

 taking up two others, leaving two more, and so on. 

 Before growth commences in the following spring, 

 trenches about two feet six inches wide must be taken 

 out of the spaces from which the rows were removed, 

 and the soil thrown up in ridges, about nine inches 

 deep, over the rows still remaining. Excellent 

 blanched seakale can thus be had. It is cut when 

 the tips of the growths push through the ridges of 

 soil, this being cleared away when cutting ; the roots 

 taken up can be forced to give early produce in any 

 warm place from which light is excluded. 



At first a supply of plants has to be purchased, or 

 raised from seed sown in the open ground in April. 

 Subsequently rooted cuttings may be relied upon as 

 fresh plants are required, and these are generally 

 better than seedlings. 



Some excellent cultivators use half a ton or more 

 of salt per acre, as a spring dressing for land in which 

 seakale is to be planted. This salt dressing is equal 

 to a quarter of a pound to each square yard, and it 

 is also good for asparagus, in light soils especially. 



Rhubarb. This is one of the most useful of crops 

 for home consumption, and one of the most profitable 

 when grown for market. In a series of experiments 

 with all kinds of garden crops in the North of Eng- 

 land some years ago, account being taken of every 

 penny expended in cultivation and received for the 

 produce, strawberries paid the best over a period of 

 eight years, but rhubarb closely followed ; a rood of 



