8 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES 



Penzance Broccoli is of excellent flavour, and, owing 

 to the mode of culture adopted, the flavour is distinct 

 from that of those grown in close gardens. Doubtless 

 the hardier the plant is grown the better, and in large 

 areas there are less losses than in sheltered gardens, 

 but, even under the best culture, it is impossible to 

 escape losses owing to severe winters. This is why I 

 advise growing the plant as hardy as possible, for then it 

 suffers less in severe seasons. There can be no doubt 

 of its being a paying crop, far more so than the autumn 

 Cauliflower, as the former is less plentiful, and the 

 Broccoli may be termed a delicious vegetable when not 

 too large. 



Culture. — Broccoli culture differs from that of other 

 Brassicas. The plant makes the principal growth in the 

 summer and early autumn, and a strong, sturdy growth 

 should be made by sowing early. On the other hand, 

 too early sowings mean weak plants if the seedlings 

 remain too long in the seed-bed before being placed 

 in their permanent quarters. What then is the right 

 time to sow and to plant, and what the best soil to 

 plant in ? The plants like a heavy loam. The best broc- 

 coli crop I ever saw was grown in well-tilled clay land. 

 The autumn and early winter broccoli do not need more 

 than six months, or very little more, to mature their 

 growth ; and in gardens I consider the early crop to 

 be an important one, as, though the early winter crop 

 may need protection in the way of lifting into sheds 

 or cellars, the plants treated thus will give a home 

 supply till Christmas. Such kinds as the Self-Pro- 

 tecting Autumn are most valuable if treated as advised. 

 This I have sown in April for Michaelmas supply, and 

 early in May for the later crop — that is, to fill in the 

 gap from late October to Christmas. . But this variety 

 by no means exhausts the supply. There are some 

 splendid autumn varieties in addition to the one 



