as practised by the Bath Gardeners. 47 



seen by the number of suckers or offsets that will arise from 

 their roots. During this second summer, the beds must be 

 kept free from weeds, and the paths dug as before, and the 

 plants carefully examined, retaining only four or five of the 

 largest suckers at regular distances round their stems. If the 

 heads of these plants had been left uncut, every one of them 

 would have gone to seed during the summer, and injured the 

 plants for the two following summers ; besides, by cutting them 

 off, they throw up a numerous offspring, to select buds from for 

 future growth. The following winter the plants are to be forced, 

 and, before the frosts commence, the beds are to be covered with 

 a little long litter, to prevent the frost from penetrating the soil. 

 About the middle of December, remove the litter from that 

 portion you intend to force, and cover the beds, as you did 

 before, with the soil from the paths ; then cover that soil 2 ft. 

 high or more, and also fill the paths with hot manure, so that 

 the whole may be on a level, as shown at d in Jrg. 6. 



The following Directions are for the Third Year: — In about 

 the fourth week the heads will be fit to cut : to do which, 

 remove the manure with a fork, then displace the soil with your 

 hands in a very gentle manner, otherwise the leaves will be 

 broken, for they are extremely tender ; cut the heads off a little 

 below the bottom leaf, and cover the roots again with soil and 

 manure to keep the frost from injuring them. In proportion to 

 the number of beds, the period of forcing must be divided ; but 

 where they are numerous, and hot manure is to be regularly had 

 in abundance, it might be wheeled upon the beds and paths as 

 it is made, which will give a regular weekly supply : but, where 

 no manure is to be had, the plants are to be covered with the 

 soil, and gathered, as before mentioned. The plants, beds, and 

 paths are to be managed exactly as they were directed to be 

 during the preceding summer ; but on no account suffer the 

 beds to be raised even an inch above their original level, although 

 the roots are become much thicker. They are still to be cut 

 through with the spade where they are too high, otherwise the 

 beds will be spoiled. After the manure and soil are removed 

 from the beds during the third spring, dig up every other plant, 

 leaving the others 2 ft. apart, and they will fully occupy the beds. 

 Each individual plant during the third summer will consist of 

 many stems, and each of these will send up many suckers : to 

 retain the whole would not only weaken the plant, but would 

 produce the sea-kale of diminutive growth; therefore leave only 

 four or five of the strongest to each stem, and remove the rest : 

 those retained will appropriate to themselves the nourishment of 

 those removed, and become larger in consequence. 



During the Fourth and future Years, the plants are to be 

 managed according to the directions given for the third ; but 



