VEGETABLES 91 



beginning of the year sea kale pots should be 

 placed over the crowns. 



When preparing the roots for forcing, save the 

 best pieces of the trimmings to be used as sets in 

 the spring, and thus keep up the stock. All pieces 

 the thickness of a cigarette should be thrown by 

 themselves and stored in sand in a shed till the 

 spring, when they should be planted out, and the 

 season after they will be again fit to use. 



When sea kale is forced in the open ground 

 it should be covered with sea kale pots, and 

 surrounded with fermenting manure, or buried in 

 a couple of feet of half decayed leaves, and these 

 again with hot manure. Salt is a very good fertiliser 

 to use. 



Before placing the pots on, each crown should 

 be dusted over with quicklime to destroy all worms 

 and slugs. 



The heat had better be too low than too high ; 

 a few coal ashes are good to use in the coldest 

 weather, just enough to cover the crowns, which 

 prevents the slugs eating into the crowns when the 

 kale is cut. 



The sea kale pots, when not in use, can be 

 utilised for planting geraniums and other summer 

 plants in, and stood in front of a greenhouse, or 

 down garden walks, or at entrances to the house. 



Sea kale should be cut near enough to the crown 

 for the head to remain intact. The most usual 

 method is to cut the whole crown off bodily as 

 soon as ready. 



