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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS seakale 



become a great favourite in British gardens, 

 and is cultivated for the crisp and juicy 

 growths which, however, must be blanched 

 as described below before they are fit for 

 use. On some parts of the south coast it 

 grows luxuriantly just above high-water 

 mark, and whitened shoots are obtained 

 •easUy by covering the crowns in winter 

 with a heap of sand or shingle. 



Soil. — A deep and well-manured sandy 

 loam is the best for Seakale, but it may 

 be grown well in ordinary good garden 

 soil which has been well dug or trenched, 

 and manured in autumn or winter before 

 planting. An open sunny situation is 

 best. 



Propagation. — Seakale is propagated 

 (i) by cuttings of the fleshy roots, called 

 ' thongs ' by gardeners, and (ii) by means 

 of seeds. The latter may be sown thinly 

 in shallow drills 1^-2 ft. apart in March 

 or April, and the seedlings afterwards 

 thuined out so as to leave 9-12 in. between 

 the plants. Their after treatment is the 

 same as described for root cuttings. 



Moot Cuttings. — These are at once 

 the easiest and best way of raising Sea- 

 kale. Pieces 4-6 in. long are cut off the 

 ends of the roots with a sharp knife either 

 in December when the plants are lifted 

 for forcing in greenhouses or hotbeds, or 

 in March if they have been left in the 

 ground. If . cut in December the cuttings 

 should be placed in sand or dry soil until 

 the planting time in March. They are 

 then planted in rows li-2 ft. apart, and 

 9-12 in. between the plants, the upper 

 end of the root cutting being 1-2 in. 

 beneath the surface of the soil. The 

 whole is then levelled over, and a mulch- 

 ing of well-rotted manure may be placed 

 between the rows at the time of planting, 

 or a few weeks afterwards when new roots 

 will be forming. All round the cut 

 surface buds wiU sprout forth, but they 

 should all be rubbed out except the 

 strongest one. Beyond keeping the 

 weeds down, little attention is necessary, 

 except watering in very dry hot weather, 

 and pinching out any flower stems that 

 appear, until the autumn. 



"When the plants are to be forced out 

 of doors it is a better plan to place the 

 ' crowns,' not in straight rows, but about 

 9 in. apart in the form of a triangle. By 

 adopting this method it will be possible to 

 cover every 8 plants with one Seakale 

 pot. 



Forci/ng. — When the leaves have 



withered and decayed in autumn and 

 been removed, the crowns of the plant 

 should be protected from hard frosts by a 

 small heap of fine coal ashes, or short 

 litter. When it is desired to ' force ' the 

 shoots, each plant or crown may be 

 covered with a wooden box, large pot, or 

 handlight, after removing the leaves, 

 litter, or ashes from the top. A certain 

 amount of heat will be generated by heap- 

 ing leaves, litter, or manure around and 

 over the box, pot, or light. Where attacks 

 of slugs &c. are apprehended it is wise to 

 sprinlde the crowns and the surrounding 

 soil with lime and soot. 



From the beginning of December to 

 the end of February more heat is naturally 

 required to force the plants out of doors, 

 and where Seakale is wanted during thi^ 

 period, the pots or other coverings over the 

 plants should be covered with good thick 

 layers of hot manure. After the plants 

 have commenced to grow the temperature 

 should not exceed 60° Fahr. 



It is essential to exclude light, other- 

 wise the stems will come greenish in the 

 usual way, and possess none of that crisp- 

 ness and succulence associated with 

 ' blanched ' or whitened shoots. It takes 

 about 4 to 6 weeks from the time of cover- 

 ing to produce nicely blanched ' sticks ' of 

 Seakale. By covering only a few plants 

 at a time the supply may be kept up for a 

 long period. A little air and light may be 

 admitted when the stalks are almost fit for 

 cutting. This will give the tips a purplish 

 tinge, which is so much appreciated, and 

 sets off the white stalks by way of con- 

 trast. 



Cutting. — When the shoots are aboxit 

 6 in. or more long they may be cut and 

 prepared for use. When not required 

 immediately, each shoot should have a 

 small portion of the hard crown attached, 

 and may be stood in a glass vessel having 

 about \ in. water at the bottom. This 

 will keep the stems fresh and crisp for 

 some time. The plants may be examined 

 on warm bright days, about once or twice 

 a week, according to the season and 

 rapidity of growth. 



After Treatment. — When the plants 

 have supplied their quantity of blanched 

 shoots for the season, they may be covered 

 with dry leaves or short litter until growth 

 has started again. A dressing of manure 

 forked into the soil around the plants will 

 then be beneficial, and the plants are then 

 allowed to grow without flowering until 



