ii6 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



or box, but leave a thin coat of leaves on the cut crown to protect it, 

 as at the time of cutting Sea Kale keen east winds are prevalent, and 

 it is unfair to the plants to expose them suddenly. When the crop 

 has been taken, remove the leaves and the planks, and dig in between 

 the rows a good coat of fat manure. The growth will be too strong 

 now for a stolen crop, and will so continue for many years. After 

 the crop has been secured, each crown will throw out a number of 

 buds or shoots. These should all be removed except two or three 

 of the strongest, which will form the crowns for cutting in the follow- 

 ing year. At the same time take away any small blanched shoots 

 that may have been left because they were too small or insignificant 

 for table use. This proceeding will prevent the production of flower 

 stems, which is injurious to the plant. There never need be any fear 

 of diminishing the crop by the process, because plenty of buds 

 around the crowns, that do not show themselves in the first instance, 

 will come forward in due time. 



It is so easy to force Sea Kale that the cultivator may safely 

 be left to his own devices. But it will be well perhaps to say that 

 perfect darkness is requisite, and the temperature should not exceed 

 60 at any time, this being the maximum figure. A rise above 60 

 will produce a lean or wiry sample. It is sufficient to begin with a 

 temperature of 45, and to rise no higher than 55, to insure a really 

 creditable growth. The market growers are not very particular as to 

 temperature, but then they do not eat the crop, or know much of it 

 after it has left their hands. With the gardener in a domestic esta- 

 blishment the case is different ; and we venture to advise the young 

 men to whom book advice is often valuable as entailing no obligations 

 that Sea Kale slowly forced may be nearly as good as that grown 

 under pots in the open without any heat at all ; better than such it 

 cannot be. Any pits or odd places may be made use of for this crop, 

 no matter what the general business in such places may be, provided 

 only that the heat is not too great. Pack the roots in mould or leaves, 

 or even half-rotten manure, and shut them up to exclude light, and 

 the crop will be ready in five or six weeks, unless you commence very 

 early, in which case seven weeks at least must be allowed from the 

 time of planting to that of the first cutting. Roots that have been 

 lifted for forcing should be thrown away when the crop has been 

 secured, but roots forced in the open ground suffer so little by the 

 process that they may be forced every year through half a lifetime 

 ere it becomes necessary to renew the plantation, provided, of course, 

 that the work is well done, The outdoor forcing is accomplished 



