1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



159 



Thus artichokes and annual crops may bd made 

 every two or three seasons, to alternate or "rotate'- 

 with each other. 



From the Quailcily Journal of Agriculture. 

 THE CUr^TURE OP SEA-KALE. 



By J. Towers. 



Sea-Kah ( Crambe marithna) \3 found on our 

 sea-coast; it belongs to that natural order which 

 inchide? all the crucilbrm flowers ( Cniciferai:') tiie 

 stamens are six in number, two of" which are 

 shorter than the others; hence the plant is classed 

 in Tetradynamia, and is found in its first order, 

 Siliculosa; the seed vessel or "pouch" is round, 

 smooth, and about the size of a bhick currant. 

 The root of the native plant — according to Sir J. 

 E. Sn)ith — is large and fleshy, much divided at 

 the crown. Herb very glaucous (^sca-grecn,^ 

 smooth, rather succulent. Stems several, from 

 one to two feet high, branched, spreading, leafy. 

 Leaves stalked, spreading, or deflexed, large, un- 

 dulated, and toothed, of a leathery (^''coriaceous) 

 texture; the lowermost somewhat lyrate; the 

 rest roundish acute." /^/oit^ers in dense terminal 

 clusters, milk-white, yellowish in the centre, fra 

 grant. This description accords sufficiently with 

 the appearance of the cultivated plant; and in 

 fact, it IS known that the inhabitants of the coun- 

 tries where it grows wild on the shores, have al- 

 ways been in the habit of observing the first pro- 

 gress of the young shoots as they emerge from 

 the sand, and of cutting them under the surface. 

 In this state they are merely a species of green 

 kale; but by culture, the shoots become a most 

 delicate vegetable, which, while it precedes as- 

 psragus, combines much of its peculiar flavor with 

 that of the best borecole, or choa de Milan. Sea- 

 kale was introduced to the gardens about seventy 

 years ago; it is now found in all the _best estab- 

 lishments; and its culture, though peculiar, is as 

 easy as the plant is prolific. It can be raised from 

 seeds, and be brought to the table early in the se- 

 cond year. By transplanting, and division of the 

 shoots and roots, it may be propagated abnndant- 

 ly, and at any season of the year, and is so hardy 

 as to withstand any common degree of frost. The 

 soil, as indicated by its native situation and habits, 

 should be light and sandy, with a slight addition 

 of mild lime, muriate of soda, and wood ashes. 

 The beds ought to be prepared as for aspar- 

 agus; and of a light sandy turf, with a natural 

 manuring of sea-weed alone — or artificially, with 

 one-fourth of a compost consisting of perfectly re- 

 duced fern, or leaf-mould, nine parts — wood-ashes, 

 one part — and about half a pound of common salt 

 to every barrow-load of the compost. This last 

 chemical compound contains a large proportion of 

 the components of sea-water, and the wood ashes 

 yield carbonate of lime in its most effective stats, 

 also some carbonate of potassa, and fine silex. 

 Three barrows of light sandy turf, and one bar- 

 row of the above compost, give proportions which 

 promise to yield a medium of growth of the most 

 permanent and effective character. In it sea-kale 

 and asparagus might be grown for forcing, either 

 side by side, or in separate plots: the treatment of 

 the one would be applicable to the other, and 

 therefore one description will tuit both. 1 only 



observe, that, if neither turf nor sea-weed can be 

 obtained, good kale can be produced in any light 

 garden soil, trenched in the manner before de- 

 scribed ((jr asparagus beds, and manured copiously 

 with wood (not coal) ashes, and the prescribed 

 quantity of common salt. All the difierence in the 

 two beds is this, that tor sea-kale, or forced aspara- 

 gus, the plot of ground should be large enough to 

 permit the plants to stand in single roius three or 

 four fliet apart. The rows may be of any required 

 length according to the quantity likely to be con- 

 sumed. Supposing that six or eight rows, each 

 twelve feet long, be required, then the ground is 

 either to be trenched twenty inches deep at the 

 least, or digged out and replaced with the enriched 

 turf; and the work ought to be completed before 

 March, so as to become settled by the middle or 

 latter end of that month. Between every row 

 there should two stakes be set up at each end, two 

 feet asunder; these will mark the beds and the 

 spaces between them; thus there may be eight beds 

 and nine si)aces or divisions. At the time of sow- 

 ing the beds— (I greatly preler seed to plants) — ■ 

 leave a space on the outside of two of the outer- 

 most stakes, and strain a garden line exactly along 

 the middle of the bed immediately within, and 

 next to it; and beginning at one end of the line — but 

 a loot v.'ithiu it — make a small ring or circle. with 

 the finger, an inch deep, and three niches wide; or 

 what is better, force a circular piece of iron or 

 wood into the ground to the required depth, and 

 drop tlii-ee seeds in the ring so formed, equidistant, 

 and at right angles with one another. Form and 

 sow the rings about fifteen inches asunder — cen- 

 tre from centre, the whole length of the line; then 

 cover the seeds to the siirfi^ce depth with sand, 

 and pat it to a level with the flat of a spade; one 

 row or bed will thus be sown. Leave the adjoin- 

 ing space of two feet vacant; and proceed to the 

 bed or division next beyond it: sow that, and pro- 

 ceed in the same alternate order till the plot be com- 

 pleted; when a space exterior of the last sown di- 

 vision must be left, and it will then be found that 

 whatever be the number of divisions sown, that of 

 the unsown spaces will exceed it by one. The plan 

 thus laid down is grounded upon the practice of 

 the celebrated Bath cultivators; and nothing can 

 exceed it for the facility it affords to good tillage, 

 and orderly, convenient forcing. It must be appa- 

 rent to every one ■\'ersed in horticulture, that as- 

 paragus can thus be sown or planted, and be cul- 

 tivated— ^or forcing — with every advantage af- 

 forded to sea-kale, as will be further shown in the 

 detail. 



If the seed be good, the season propitious, 

 warm, and moist, germination will rapidly advance, 

 and when the plants appear, they maybe secured 

 from vermin by sprinkling around and within them 

 a good covering of wood-ashes (three parts,) 

 blended with soot and powdered lime, of each one 

 part. If weeds arise and threaten to surmount 

 the plants, they must be kept under by surfiice- 

 hoeing to the depth of an inch, with the "Dutch," 

 or thrust-hoe. Perhaps three plants will rise from 

 each ring, and these, indeed all that grow, must 

 remain till they begin to interfere with each other; 

 then, one only, the strongest, must be left, and the 

 others drawn, or raised up; so that a complete row 

 of single plants, from 1 foot to 15 inches apart, fi- 

 nally remain. The young supernumeraries may 

 be set out in rows, to grow for succession, or be 



