BROCCOLI 



221 



manure, thrown in the trench, to be 

 turned in and well incorporated with 

 the second spit. The plants may 

 then be put in, and as they grow the 

 soil that was taken out of the trench 

 may be put back round the stems 

 of the plants and trodden in firmly, 

 Good soakings of manure-water may 

 be given when the soil is dry, but 

 after the heads are once formed it 

 must be discontinued, or it will cause 

 the flower to open. In cutting, the 

 whitest and firmest heads should be 

 selected, and the more they resemble 

 each other in size and appearance 

 the better ; they should never be 

 trimmed until they are going to 

 be put on the exhibition table, and 

 then not so severely as is often done. 

 If it be necessary to cut the heads 

 some time previous to their being 

 shown, the best way is to divide 

 them with 5 or 6 in. of stem and 

 place them in shallow pans filled 

 with cold water standing in a cool 

 spot. The leaves should be tied 

 over the flower, and, if an occa- 

 sional sprinkling overhead be given 

 them, it will help to keep them 

 fresh. This will be found better 

 than pulling up the roots and hang- 

 ing them up in sheds and similar 

 places. 



CULTURE FOR MARKET. This 

 crop is grown by market-gardeners 

 near London chiefly under the shade 

 of fruit-trees, but in the valley of the 

 Thames there are acres of Broccoli 

 in the open fields. The early sup- 

 plies of Broccoli brought to the 

 market are produced in the west of 

 England, where the climate is mild, 

 and the heads produced there are 

 superior in size and quality to those 

 grown near London. In mild seasons 

 Broccoli is so good and plentiful as 

 to be of little profit to the grower. 

 In the winter of 1878 many never 

 brought their produce to market at 

 all, but made use of it at home, so 



low were the prices offered for it in 

 the market. In the market-gardens 

 about London, the Purple Sprout- 

 ing, the Walcheren, Snow's Winter 

 White, and Veitch's Autumn Giant 

 are the kinds chiefly grown. ,The 

 first sowing is usually made during 

 the month of April on beds of rich 

 soil. Sometimes, however, the time 

 of year when ground will be vacant 

 to receive the plants influences the 

 time of sowing, for it is an important 

 matter to have the young plants 

 healthy and stocky at planting time. 

 If sown so early as to have to be 

 kept long in the seed-bed, they be- 

 come "drawn," and consequently 

 do not yield such good results. 

 Another sowing is generally made 

 in the middle of May; indeed, 

 from this sowing the principal 

 winter crop is obtained, and more 

 plants are raised than are required, 

 so that all clubbed and weakly 

 ones can be discarded at planting 

 time. 



A sowing of Sprouting Broccoli is 

 made in the end of May or early 

 in June, from which is obtained a 

 supply of sprouts during the following 

 winter and early spring, a time when 

 they are in great demand. When the 

 young Broccoli-plants appear above- 

 ground they are first hand-weeded, 

 and afterwards thinned by means 

 of narrow hoes. As soon as they 

 are strong enough for transplanting 

 they are planted in rows under fruit- 

 trees, or in any convenient situation. 

 When planted between rows of fruit- 

 bushes, two lines of plants are in- 

 serted in the intervals between every 

 two rows of trees ; if two drills of 

 Potatoes occupy the space between 

 the trees, then only one line of 

 Broccoli is planted, and that between 

 the two drills of Potatoes. Should 

 the whole space under an orchard be 

 planted with Potatoes, as soon as 

 these are earthed-up Broccoli is 



