VEGETABLES DESCRIPTION AND CULTURE. 421 



increased; give a coat of leaf -mould, or compost manure, 

 and over this a thick coat of leaves, which will bring the 

 plants on early in the spring. The next spring remove 

 the litter, and dig in some of the manure into the alleys, 

 and then, if you blanch with pots, spread over the beds 

 about an inch deep of clean sand. The shoots may be 

 blanched, and a few cut for use, but sparingly, as the 

 plants must not be weakened. The better way is not to 

 remove the covering of leaves until you have gathered 

 what you desire. On a portion of the bed, to produce 

 early, the winter covering of compost and leaves must be 

 yearly applied. 



Another portion must be left uncovered until the 

 shoots begin to rise, and then covered with eight or ten 

 inches of sand, for a later crop. Each spring give it a 

 dressing of salt, like asparagus, and dig over the surface 

 of the becl, as before. Retain for each plant only four or 

 five of the best suckers, at regular distances around the 

 stem; suffer none of these to seed, if you would not 

 greatly injure the next year's growth. 



Sea kale, though eatable without blanching, as spring- 

 greens, is vastly improved when blanched. This may be 

 done by earthing-up the crowns eight or ten inches with 

 sand, or light mould, or by retaining the coat of dry 

 leaves put over the beds in autumn. 



This covering may remain until the cutting ceases in 

 the spring, when all covering must be removed at even- 

 ing, or in cloudy weather. The shoots will raise the 

 covering when in a fit state for cutting. The courses of 

 leaves should be from five to twelve inches thick, accord- 

 ing to the age of the plants, and as directed above, may 

 remain on all winter. But a large flower pot, with the 

 hole in the bottom stopped, and light at the edges care- 

 fully excluded by a coat of litter is the best of all modes 

 of blanching. 



