198 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



about 1ft. deep, in moist sandy soil, Sin. apart each way, leaving 

 the tops standing lin. above the surface. After a gentle water- 

 ing, another box, about lOin. deep, is inverted on top of this, 

 and it is then placed in a cellar or mushroom house, or in any 

 dark position where a temperature of about 45 degrees may 

 be relied upon. Or, if a larger quantity has to be forced, a 

 trough can be made with two boards stood on edge, 2ft. deep, 

 and any convenient length and width. This should be divided 

 by boards into four sections. One section is half filled with 

 moist light -soil or leaf-mould, and the roots are set in this 

 with the tops about lOin. below the top of the boards. The 

 roots are then watered and the section filled to the top with 

 similar soil. A fresh section can be filled each week. If a 

 moderate and even temperature is maintained the heads will 

 be ready for cutting in four weeks, and as one section is cleared 

 it can be filled again, and so a constant supply be kept up. 



Forcing may be done in the open-air as follows : If the soil 

 is well-drained, make a trench 16in. deep and 2ft. wide. Partly 

 fill this with light fine dryish soil. Set roots in this at Sin. 

 apart both ways, with the tops Sin. below ground level. Fill 

 up over the roots to ground level with similar light soil, then 

 build over the trench a hot-bed, 4ft. wide, 2ft. deep, and as long 

 as will cover a week's supply of heads. Each succeeding week 

 cover a further length of the trench, joining up to the preceding 

 hot-bed. Each lot will be ready about a month after covering. 

 On heavy soil it is better to set the roots within boards, on the 

 surface of the ground, as a sunk trench may become water- 

 logged during heavy rains if the drainage is slow, in which 

 case the heads would be liable to decay 



When ready, cut off the blanched heads, with a piece of root 

 attached. 



COLEWORTS or COLLARDS. 



/^OLEWORTS or Collards are a small distinct variety of 

 V^< cabbage, hardy and quick to mature. They have many 

 valuable features for the market grower, particularly where 

 the circumstances call for regular supplies of green vegetables 

 through autumn and winter, or where the situation offers 



