SEA-KALE 



651 



they cover each stool with shingle, 

 to the depth of 18 in. or so, which 

 answers two purposes : it keeps the 

 crown from being trodden underfoot 

 in winter, and when the Kale com- 

 mences to grow in spring it blanches 

 it. The shoots are ready for use 

 about the middle of March. A good 

 harvest is made of it when fit to cut, 

 which is just before it peeps through 

 the shingle. The latter is carefully 

 removed by the hand, so as not to 

 break the tender stalks, which turn 

 out quite clean and well blanched. 

 It is sent to Southampton and Cowes, 

 where it finds a ready market. Al- 

 though all the crowns are covered at 

 the same time, they do not all come 

 in at one time ; for the cutting 

 generally lasts three weeks. There 

 is no reason why Sea-kale should 

 not be grown on the coast in many 

 places that is, where any waste 

 space is left above high water for its 

 accommodation. Where any beach 

 exists above high-water mark, seed 

 may be sown in the following 

 manner : With a shovel open a 

 trench T ft. deep, if shingly ; but, if 

 sandy, half that depth will do ; sow 

 the seed in it as you would Peas, 

 but more thinly ; then fill it up, 

 which is all that is necessary until 

 the roots are large enough to be 

 transplanted, which, if the seed be 

 sown in March, will be in the suc- 

 ceeding March. Take the roots up 

 as carefully as possible, and plant 

 them four in a g-in. square, leaving 

 a space of 3 ft. between the squares, 

 and, if in lines, there should be a 

 space of 6 ft. between the lines. 

 When covering the crowns for 

 blanching, the shingle may be 

 heaped up over them in ridges 

 along the lines. This Kale is 

 generally well blanched, stout in 

 growth, and in every way excellent ; 

 when cooked, the flavour is more 

 delicate than that of ordinary forced 



Sea-kale, and it often produces stems 

 9 in. long, each of which weighs 

 one pound, and some twenty ounces. 

 The reason of its quality is the use 

 of the clean shingle. There is too 

 much direct use of manure in the 

 common way of forcing Sea-kale, 

 and used in a way, too, which can 

 contribute very little to the nourish- 

 ment of the plant. Manure is for 

 the roots, not the tops. Therefore 

 we prefer the clean forcing which is 

 possible in any heated and darkened 

 structure to the old way of piling 

 fresh manure over the Sea-kale 

 plot in the garden. 



MARKET-GARDEN CULTURE. 

 Some growers raise Sea-kale plants 

 from seed, but the majority pro- 

 pagate them from root-cuttings. It 

 is, however, advisable once in every 

 few years to raise plants from seed 

 in order to infuse fresh vigour into 

 the stock. The best way of in- 

 creasing Sea-kale is from the trim- 

 mings or cuttings of the fleshy roots 

 cut away from the plants when they 

 are lifted for forcing. These thongs 

 or roots, when removed, are thrown 

 into a heap in a shed, there to 

 remain until all the plantations that 

 are to be lifted for forcing have 

 been dug up and trimmed. The 

 best of the trimmings are then 

 selected, cut up into pieces about 

 4 in. long, and laid in a heap 

 by themselves, and the remainder 

 thrown away. In January beds 

 are prepared for the cuttings, about 

 4 ft. in width, any length, and 

 raised 6 in. higher than the sur- 

 rounding level, to keep the Sea-kale 

 roots healthy and free from damp. 

 The cuttings are laid thickly on the 

 surface of the bed and covered with 

 soil. At planting time, which is in 

 March, the beds are uncovered, 

 when the roots will have formed 

 several eyes, all of which are rubbed 

 off, excepting the strongest top one. 



