82 PIGTOEIAL FBAGTIGAL VEGETABLE GROWING. 



cultural neglect and inclement weather have combined to deprive us 

 of them. 



Borecole :— 



The " Cottager's Kale " is perhaps typical of this useful class, and 

 with its many companions, such as the Dwarf Green and Tall Green 

 Curled, the Asparagus, and the Hearting, it gives us a very valuable 

 group for spring use. We must remember, too, that the Kales are 

 ornamental as well as useful. Once, in the years gone by, I recollect 

 suddenly coming upon a bed of coloured Kales in a village garden in 

 Holland, and having no expectation of seeing any such thing, and 

 being smitten with a lively admiration, I stood and stared longer 

 than good manners would have tolerated in this country. However, 

 Mynheer is a different animal from John Bull. He likes all that he 

 has in the way of worldly things (except his banking account) to be 

 minutely and thoroughly surveyed. 



Borecole is so simple a vegetable to grow that remarks on culture 

 seem superfluous, even if brief. A sowing in March or April, a 

 transplantation 30 inches apart in May or June between Potatoes or 

 in the open — this about sums it up. 



Pickings from Kale rows may often be got in autumn and winter, 

 but Brussels Sprouts and Savoys ought to supply early Greens ; the 

 season when the Borecole proves its value most is late winter and 

 early spring. The young, succulent shoots which begin to push with 

 the strengthening heat are sweeter far than the old leaves. 



Of the curly Kales I like Suttons' Al the best. It is a fine, hand- 

 some, upstanding plant. Arctic and Cottager's are both very hardy. 

 Asparagus Kale gives tender little sprouty hearts in spring. 



Broccoli : — 



People come to grief with Broccoli because they will treat it like 

 Cauliflowers. Botanically the same, the two plants are, culturally, 

 wide asunder. To grow a Cauliflower well you want a deep, rich, 

 loose, moist soil ; without it, the plants " button." Now, let a man 

 who wants Broccoli to stand the winter grow his plants through the 

 summer in deep, rich, loose, moist, soil, and he will very likely be left 

 lamenting. 



It is because people insist on treating Broccoli like Cauliflowers 

 that so few of these delicious vegetables are seen in gardens and 

 allotments in spring. The order of use for Winter Greens should 

 be : Autumn, Brussels Sprouts ; early winter, the^ same, with 

 Savoys ; late winter. Kales ; spring, the same, with Broccoli. 

 Generally it works out : Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, Kales, nothing. 



There are x>lenty of varieties of Broccoli which have the elements 

 of hardiness in them. What they want is bringing out. Now, the 

 bringing-out process is not effected by growing the plants as large as 

 possible ; rather is it suppressed. To get Broccoli hardy the plants 

 should be raised sturdily and then grown in firm, rather poor, soil. 



There is no occasion to raise spring Ijroccoli in heat ; on the 

 contrary, it is a jnistake. The very most that should be attempted 



