KITCHEN-GARDENING. 49 



stable-dung or other litter. If these plants get frozen, it will 

 be necessary to shade them from the full rays of the sun until 

 they are thawed, which may be done by spreading straw over 

 them while they are in the bed. The sudden transition from 

 cold to heat is more destructive to vegetables than the cold 

 itself. 



The proper time for sowing the seed of Purple Cape Broc- 

 coli is from the tenth to the twenty-fourth of May. Those 

 who intend to provide a place for the winter-keeping of the 

 other kinds, may sow seed of the most esteemed varieties at 

 the same time, or in two or three separate sowings, a week 

 apart. 



In order to insure plants of a luxuriant growth, let the seed 

 be sown in a moderately shaded border. It is best to sow it 

 in shallow drills, drawn three or four inches apart, in which 

 case, one ounce of seed will occupy a border of about four feet 

 in width by twelve in length, and produce about four thousand 

 strong plants. (See article Cabbage, page 53.) 



When the plants are of sufficient size they should be trans- 

 planted into rich ground, which should be previously brought 

 into good condition. This being done, plant them in rows 

 two feet and a half apart, and two feet distant in the rows. 

 As soon as they have taken root give the ground a deep hoe- 

 ing, and repeat this two or three times in the course of their 

 growth, drawing some earth around the stems. 



Some of the Cape Broccoli, if attended to as directed, will 

 come to perfection early in September and in October, The 

 other kinds will produce heads in regular succession through- 

 out the winter and spring months, according to their different 

 degrees of earliness, if an artificial climate be provided for 

 them. These, of course, with whatever may remain of the 

 Cape Broccoli, will have to be taken up early in October, and 

 laid in carefully, with the roots and stems covered with earth 

 as far as their lower leaves. Those who have not a place pro- 

 vided may keep a few in frames, or in a light cellar; but 

 every gardener and country gentleman should have suitable 



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