90 GARDENING 



be trenched two feet deep, and as much vegetable 

 refuse and road sand should be worked in within 

 one foot of the surface. 



When the roots are received early in March cut 

 off the crown just below the junction of the leaves 

 with it, or else a truss of bloom will grow from each 

 crown and will interfere with the expected crop. 



When the crown is cut off, two and sometimes 

 more shoots spring from it, which should be thinned 

 down to one, selecting the strongest. Plant the 

 roots (three) anglewise six inches apart and two 

 feet six inches between each clump. Cover the 

 heads with two inches of soil. Keep the ground 

 from weeds and continually stirred with a Dutch 

 hoe. 



In summer it should have plenty of water, 

 liquid manure, and mulchings of rich stuff. 



As the leaves decay in autumn they must be 

 taken away and the ground kept clean and 

 manured. 



The sea kale pots should be uncovered every 

 now and then to see how it is growing, and some 

 days left a little open for a few minutes to let in air 

 to them ; but darkness is required, so that the kale 

 may grow perfectly blanched. 



Forcing. — The crowns should be lifted about 

 the middle of October and then placed into the 

 earth and given a month's rest before planting 

 them again ; then in the middle of November 

 have a box or boxes about two feet square and 

 eighteen inches deep, and put in the bottom six 

 inches of soil and place the box in a temperature 

 of 60°, and keep it there till the sea kale is ready, 

 which it ought to be in a month's time. At the 



