Encyclopaedia of Gardening 1 97 



: be sown at the end of April. The following are good varieties for 

 the various seasons : 



Early. 



First of All L . 



Self-Protecting 



Late Queen 



Midseason. 



Model 



Methven's June 



Leamington 



Many find the purple and white " sprouting " Broccoli useful. In 

 all cases the seed should be sown thinly. Broadcast sowing is 

 generally practised with greens of all kinds, but it is preferable to 

 sow in rows a foot apart and hoe between the seedlings to keep 

 weeds down. The seed should be sprinkled in very thinly, and the 

 seedlings thinned if they begin to crowd each other. The seed may 

 be covered with half an inch of soil, and the bed protected with 

 tanned fish netting or black thread, otherwise birds will carry off 

 the young plants. Showery weather in June or July should be 

 taken advantage of to plant out 30 ins. apart. Firm, moderately 

 rich soil is desirable. Broccoli and other winter Greens (e.g., 

 Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, and Kales), as well as Cauliflowers, are 

 often planted between strong-haulm Potatoes, with the result that 

 the Greens become drawn and flabby, in which state they are weak 

 and easily injured by frost. One of the following precautions should 

 be taken: (i) to plant between early, small-topped Potatoes only; 

 (2) to set the rows of large Potatoes not less than a yard apart with 

 the express object of accommodating the Greens; (3) to plant only 

 between alternate Potato rows, and draw the tops of the Potatoes 

 which are not intercropped away from the Greens on the other side 

 of them. When the Potatoes are lifted the soil should be rammed 

 hard round the Broccoli. When Broocolis have formed their hearts 

 a leaf should be broken over them and left till they are cut. Club- 

 root (Plasmodiophora brassicae) ; gall-weevil (Ceutorhynchus sul- 

 cicollis) ; and the caterpillars of the Large White, Small White, and 

 Green-banded butterflies attack Broccolis and other Greens. Club- 

 root causes large, ugly excrescences on the stem and roots, checking 

 growth. Where prevalent fallow a piece of ground specially for 

 the Greens, and lay on a coat of gas lime half an inch thick. Let 

 this lie six weeks on the surface and then turn it in. Leave the 

 ground another month before planting the Greens. Further, earth 

 up the stems when the plants are half grown to encourage new 

 roots. Gall-weevil causes small, marble-like swellings, which may 

 be sliced off into a vessel containing a little paraffin when transplant- 

 ing, and the roots drawn through a puddle of soot, lime, and water. 

 The gas-lime treatment is also efficacious. The best remedy for 

 caterpillars is to hand-pick the first comers, and then syringe the 

 plants forcibly with water in which a little salt has been stirred. In 

 cold districts it is common to grow the Broccoli in rows running 

 east and west, and when severe weather approaches to take soil 

 from the north side of the row and force the plants over to that 

 quarter until they are nearly flat. This prevents the sun striking 

 on the heads while they are frozen, and prevents severe injury. 



