PROPAGATION AND CULTURE 71 



This bed looked a motley picture when I had used every 

 available article to cover up my thousand plants. 

 The reason that I did not cover any crowns with earth, 

 sand, or ashes was that the soil was much too stiff to 

 use, and ashes are objectionable, as they get into the 

 base of the stems and are difficult to get out, whilst of 

 sand I had none. Over all these makeshift appliances 

 I put a good covering of strawy litter after filling up 

 between with leaves. This was the opposite of forcing ; 

 it was retarding, and when the kale came on and was fit 

 to cut, I do not remember ever seeing better, as but 

 few weighed less than half a pound each, and many were 

 a good deal heavier. The kale was about nine inches 

 long and .as white as possible. 



Now, had I bought the best plants ever sent out, I 

 should not have surpassed this bed and its results. I 

 find many who, when they put in good, strong plants, 

 have them in flower in June when they are in a measure 

 spoiled. I advise anyone planting such to put a six-inch 

 flower pot over each crown, screw the pot into the earth 

 or firmly on it, then put a piece of good clay over the 

 hole, when each plant will produce a fairly good stem 

 which can be cut with at least half an inch of the crown, 

 though this will not be as large as that which I have 

 above described. If this be not done, do not allow the 

 plants to flower, but cut off the crowns early, and then 

 others will be formed during the season. 



I now come to the autumn when the bed of cuttings 

 has done its work. Should a permanent plantation be 

 required for out of doors forcing, every other row 

 could be dug up together with every alternate plant in the 

 rows which will be left, thus giving three feet from row 

 to row, and two to two-and-a-half feet from plant to 

 plant in the row. When these plants are taken up, 

 carefully remove all roots, for any pieces left in the 

 ground will grow, and this is most undesirable. The 



