THE KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



59 



litter, or fallen tree-leaves, Sec. ; such, materials in 

 process of ferment gi%ing heat for the earlier supply 

 about Christmas, bringiag it on gradually about the 

 months of March and April without fermentation, 

 and, in the same way, retarding it during the month 

 of May. To insure the latter, however, it is only 

 necessary to place such cold materials over it before 

 signs of gT0wi;h occur. 



The all-important considerations connected with 

 this process are as follows : — For early forcing, to 

 produce a supply during the month of December, a 

 somewhat great heat will be requisite. To insure 

 this with safety, the materials should be first thrown 

 up into a conical heap, where they will, in process of 

 fermentation, become very hot. Meantime, the sur- 

 face of the bed should be neatly raked over, and 

 small moxmds of sandy materials placed over the ma- 

 terials ; finely-sifted ashes will do, where the foniier 

 does not exist. The object of this is to protect the 

 more tender parts of the crowns from injury by any 

 excessive heat or steam which arises. Then the 

 pots must be fixed firmly upon the soil, so as to pre- 

 clude steam from ingress beneath them over the 

 crowns, placing the feimenting materials over as 

 many of the pots as are likely to be needed in a state 

 of production at one and the same time. Such 

 materials should be about two feet in height during 

 moderately temperate weather, and three feet high 

 during very severe frost and snow-weather. It 

 should not be of greater width at any one time than 

 is requisite to cover over three rows of crowns, con- 

 sidering always that the outside pots within the ma- 

 terial should have several inches against them on the 

 outer sides. Place a test-stick or two centrally down 

 to the bottom of the material, and should signs 

 of heat beyond 80° to 85° exist in the mass, remove a 

 few forkfuls from the centre, to neutralise such ex- 

 cess, returning such as need be subsequently to renew 

 and maintain the heat when it begins to wane. 



The maximum heat recommended is only necessary 

 when forcina: is undertaken during the months of 

 November, December, and early in January. In a 

 week or ten days the crowns will start inta growth. 

 So soon as this is observed reduce the heat to a 

 maximum of 60°, maintaining it as nearly as possible 

 at this uniformly. All fluctuations of temperature 

 cause the produce to be tough and stringy. As cut- 

 ting advances, remove the pots, and place them upon 

 other crowns in advance, placing the fermenting 

 material also thereon, with a little fresh added as 

 required, to maintain the necessary heat. As the 

 season advances, and the outer temperature rises, the 

 natural season of growth of the crowns being nearer, 

 less and less heat will be requisite, until during the 

 months of April and May probably no heat will be 

 requisite at all to insure excellent produce. 



The other plan, most generally employed by 

 growers for market, as well as many others, is to dig 

 the grown and prepared roots up, shorten their ex- 

 tremities, and bui-y them in soil or other material, 

 either in a Mushi-oom-house or other warm place, 

 according to the season; the only necessity being 

 the maintenance of such heat as previously suggested, 

 a nice supply of latent moisture around them, with 

 perfect exclusion of both light and air. The latter is 

 most important, any departure therefrom producing 

 red or green growth, in lieu of the necessary blanched 

 and perfectly white state. 



When gathering the crop, cut each growth off with 

 a portion of the hard root-rhizome attached; this 

 will not only assist in keeping it fresh until used, but 

 enable its being pruned or trimmed with a better 

 base for the culinary purpose. ^"VTien the crop is all 

 gathered remove the pots and materials, thi'owang a 

 little light litter over the wounded crowns to protect 

 them until about the first week in the month of May, 

 This also should then be removed; all pieces of 

 crowns which are above the ground- level cut down 

 to such a level, and a little manure be placed be- 

 tween the rows and just pricked, in. In other words, 

 deep digging must not be resorted to, as the roots 

 generally traverse the ground horizontally, and would 

 by such a practice be cut in twain and injured. 



One other important matter must be noticed. On 

 no accoant must any of the plants at any stage 

 be permitted to push up flower-stems. Immediately 

 these are observed — and they should be periodically 

 sought for — it is necessary to cut them out at the 

 ground-line. Where these are permitted to form, the 

 plant becomes blind as regards future produce, no 

 young crowns being capable of forming ; the result, 

 a loss of the proper supply. 



Particulars regarding varieties cannot be much 

 depended upon in connection with this crop. There 

 exists, however, a variety which, for convenience, we 

 will name ^ATiite variety, the young leaves, and old, 

 upon which have no trace of that pink margining so 

 characteristic of the plant. \\Tien forced, this white 

 variety is of purer white, such pink traces being 

 entirely absent ; for which reason it were well to 

 seed and otherwise increase such. To secure seeds, 

 permit the fii'st growth upon any cluster of plants to 

 grow, when they will be formed abundantly. The 

 seeds are invariably encased in a large outer case. 

 Such case must not be removed ; all seeds should be 

 sown, therefore, entire as grown. 



Dwellers in towns, possessing no gardens whatever, 

 may, by purchasing two-year-old roots by the hun- 

 dred or more, readily grow the crop in boxes or bins, 

 in their cellars, or other dark, airless places, thereby 

 producing annual crops of an expensive vegetable, 

 cheaply. 



