SEA-KALE. 21-7 



inyerted; but conYcment blanching -pots, with movable 

 lids, have been constructed for the express purpose. 

 It may be proper to provide from thirty to sixty such 

 pots; and it may be expected that each pot will, on an 

 average, furnish a dish and a half of shoots during the 

 season. 



With the aid of these pots, sea-kale is /or(?^(^ in the 

 open border in the way now to be described. ^ In the 

 latter end of autumn a bed of vigorous sea-kale plants 

 is dressed, that is, the stalks are cut over, and the de- 

 cayed leaves are removed. The ground is, at the same 

 time, loosened about the eyes, and a thin stratum of 

 gravel or sifted coal-ashes is laid on the surface to keep 

 down earth-worms. A pot with a movable cover is 

 placed over each plant or each patch of plants. Stable- 

 litter is then closely packed all round the pots, and 

 raised up to about a foot above them; the whole bed 

 thus assuming the form and appearance of a large hot- 

 bed. When fermentation begins, a thermometer should 

 be occasionally introduced into a few of the pots, to 

 ascertain that the temperature within does not exceed 

 60° Fahrenheit, and the depth of the litter is to be re- 

 gulated accordingly. The vegetation of the included 

 plants is speedily promoted; so that, in the space of 

 a month or six weeks, the shoots will be ready for cut- 

 ting, which being thus excluded from the light, are 

 most effectually blanched, and found to be exceedingly 

 tender and crisp. By means of the movable lids, the 

 plants are examined and the shoots gathered without 

 materially disturbing the litter. By commencing the 

 litter coverings, at various times, on different portions 

 of the quarter, a supply of sea-kale for the table can be 



19* 



