Marcu, 1908 
this high quality vegetable among American 
amateurs. Of course, four-year-old roots 
are bigger than one-year-old roots, but the 
growths are not one bit better in flavor and 
I have for years grown seakale from seed 
and had it on the table in nine months from 
the date of sowing. 
The United States Department of Agri- 
culture has been urging the cultivation of 
seakale, importing a few roots of some 
“improved” varieties which have been 
distributed to several people. I have tried 
these and do not find any difference except 
in the thicker, heavier stalks; nothing so far 
as flavor is concerned. These improved 
kinds are not offered by seed, and the im- 
ported roots are so likely to rot that I much 
prefer to rely upon the ordinary type raised 
from seed each year. 
Seakale is often spoken of as early aspara- 
gus because it is cooked and served in the 
same way and has an asparagus-like flavor. 
The young shoots, which are very tender, 
require little cooking, about twenty minutes 
being sufficient, but care must be taken that 
the water does not stop boiling after the kale 
is dropped into the pot; otherwise the stalks 
will be tough. After cooking lift the kale 
from the pot and serve either with or without 
toast and with drawn butter or Hollandaise 
sauce. It must'be eaten while hot, and 
while freshly cooked, as warming up simply 
ruins the quality. 
Roots that are grown from seed sown in 
April can be forced in the greenhouse the fol- 
lowing December, and that is certainly the 
best way of handling them. But the ama- 
teur without a greenhouse need not deprive 
himself of the luxury of seakale, because the 
roots can be stored in a trench over the winter 
and planted out in the open ground in the 
early spring, some covering being put on to 
blanch the stalks. The great drawback 
with this method, however, is that the entire 
crop comes on at one time, while in a green- 
house a few roots can be forced at one time 
and a steady supply always had. 
I sow the seed in the open ground about 
April rst, sowing very thickly as it is large 
and soft and very liable to rot, but as the 
seed is cheap (about twenty-five cents an 
ounce) you can afford to be liberal. One 
ate oS fe na 
doors on April 1st. Can be forced in winter 
Seakale in the garden in July, from seed sown out: 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
On Christmas day the forced stalks were ready for 
cutting and the supply was continued all winter 
ounce of seed will give about 300 plants, 
which if well grown would cost in the neigh- 
borhood of $20. 
As an experiment, I tried sowing the seed in 
the greenhouse, but the gain was so slight 
that it was not worth while. One box of 
seed was planted on February 15th and 
another on March 15th. The young seed- 
lings were very slow to root and of course 
suffered a great deal from transplanting, so 
that by the time they had recovered from 
the shock other plants which had been sown 
in the open had caught up with them. 
Plants can also be raised from the 
eyes which are found in the spring on the 
old stump near the crown. These, cut with 
a piece of root attached and planted in the 
same way as one would plant a potato but 
without burying the eye, will soon commence 
to grow; they will, however, throw up seed- 
shoots which must be removed. I, personally, 
do not like this method as well as planting 
the seed, as it is more troublesome and the 
results are no better. 
The seed is slow to germinate and the 
anxious gardener must not hoe the ground 
if it is not ‘‘up” as soon as the peas. The 
young plants, which greatly resemble young 
cabbages, must be thinned as soon as they 
are well up in the row. This can safely be 
done when the plants are about four inches 
high. 
During summer a rank, heavy, rapid 
growth is made, and by fall the very thick 
leaves, of a glaucous, succulent appearance, 
will easily measure two feet from the crown. 
Therefore, the plants must be given, when 
thinning, one foot of space each way. They 
will then not require any further attention 
until the fall, except for an occasional culti- 
vation. I have-never known seakale to be 
troubled with insects or disease of any kind. 
In fall the leaves will turn yellow and 
ripen, after which the roots may be lifted 
and stored for forcing, or they may be left 
a 
where they were grown. In the latter case, 
they must be well covered to prevent freez- 
ing. 
The best plan to follow when the roots 
are to be forced is to lift them, strip off all 
the leaves and store in trenches covered with 
hay or leaves. They must not be allowed 
to become dry or they will lose a great deal 
of their vitality; on the other hand, if kept 
too moist, they will rot. This means simply 
that the rules which apply to the storing of 
other root crops must be followed in the case 
of seakale. 
Any time after December tst the roots 
can be forced, but the longer the season of 
rest the quicker the roots will respond to 
the forcing. It will take about three weeks 
to force the crop in December, but only half 
that time if the forcing is done toward 
spring. 
The roots to be forced must be planted 
in something that is veryretentive of moisture; 
soil from an old, spent mushroom bed is 
excellent, but any good garden soil will do. 
It need not be rich in manures or fertilizers 
as the crop does not need any, no rootlets 
being sent out during the forcing process. 
If the mushroom soil is used it must be 
rammed down hard after planting, on account 
of its very loose texture; but if garden soil 
is used simply firm it, but do not pound. 
Give the roots a thorough soaking with 
water after planting. One soaking will 
usually be sufficient for the crop when the 
old mushroom soii is used, but garden soil 
must be watched and watered as occasion 
demands. The roots are not very exacting 
in their requirements, however, but there 
must be enough moisture at all times to 
supply the growing plants. Beds can be 
prepared under the benches in the green- 
house and the roots planted directly therein; 
or four or five can be set in a g-inch pot. 
I prefer this way because the roots will stand 
a great deal of heat, and the quicker they 
are grown the better will be the quality of 
The seed for these roots was 
sown on April lst, and the photographs taken on 
November 15th, just before forcing began 
A season’s growth. 
