General Notices. 55 



the broccoli, which latter vegetable it much resembles in its general 

 aspect. Specimens also frequently occur very strongly tinged with a 

 purple colour. Yours, &c. — W. T. Bree. Dover, Aug. 29. 1831. 



P. S. Since writing the above, I have ascertained that the use of the sea 

 cabbage, as a culinary vegetable, is not unknown to the inhabitants of Dover. 

 — W. T. B. 



The seed received has been sent to Mr. Charlwood for distribution. — 

 Cond. 



Preventing the Sprouting or Germinating of Store Onions during the Winter 

 and Spring. — Sir, As the season has now arrived in which most gardeners 

 have already taken up their store onions, or are about to do so, allow me to 

 suggest a plan for preventing that sprouting or germinating principle which 

 so often renders them inferior even at an early period, and almost invariably 

 useless at a later one, as an ingredient in our cookery. 



As, however, it is not a plan of my own suggesting, but was mentioned 

 to me by an old lady who had seen it practised in Holland, it is possible 

 it may be known to many of your readers ; though, as far as my own ex- 

 perience extends, it is practised by none. 



It is simply applying a heated iron for a few seconds to the nozzle of 

 the onion whence the roots protrude ; and though I am sorry to say I 

 have no onions this year on which to try the experiment, they having 

 been swept from me by some petty depredator, still I can testify from my 

 own previous experience that it is an efficient mode of preserving them. — 

 B. B. Sept. 6. 1831. 



An Alternative against the Club in the Roots of the different Species of 

 ISrdssica. — The following may probably prove of use to some of your 

 numerous readers, who have their crops of cauliflowers, broccoli, &c. 

 annually destroyed by this as yet incurable disease. Some time ago 1 

 had the charge of a garden that was more than commonly subject to the 

 club. I was of course induced to try every means in my power to find 

 out a remedy. I visited many gardeners in the immediate neighbourhood, 

 who had the same disease to contend with, but none of them could give 

 me the least hint of either preventive or alternative. I next searched 

 your Encyclopcedia of Gardening, but could find no preventive mentioned 

 in it j and the only alternative I could find noticed was, to take up the 

 plants and cut off the clubbed part of the roots and then replant thenu 

 In this case, however, although the clubbed part be cut off, some of the 

 grubs (for grubs they certainly are that cause it) still remain in the roots, 

 or easily enter at the wounded part, and continue to prey upon them, 

 so as to keep them always in an unthriving state. It is evident that 

 the grubs commence their work of destruction when the plants are young, 

 while the roots are tender and easily penetrable ; and, when once they get 

 into the tap roots (which they always begin with first), it is impossible to 

 eradicate them without cutting the roots entirely off, which would destroy 

 the plants also. I therefore resolved upon trying the following experiment: — 



I procured from a sale garden some good strong healthy plants, the roots 

 of which had become hard and woody, so that the grubs could not easily 

 penetrate them. These I planted in the usual way, and kept them well 

 watered for a few days. In two or three weeks they began to grow most 

 luxuriantly, and ultimately far surpassed my greatest expectations ; indeed* 

 I can truly affirm that there was hardly a failing plant among them. The 

 sorts I planted were purple and white broccoli, Savoys, Brussels sprouts, 

 and cabbages. 



To complete my experiment I planted on the same day, and in the same 

 sort of soil and situation, plants of all the above kinds, raised from seed 

 sown in the same garden ; and the result was, that two thirds of them 

 went entirely off, and the remaining part continued sickly, and were little 

 worth in the end. I regret, for the sake of the experiment only, that I 



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