BRUSSELS SPROUTS 



153 



physiological point of view, in the circumstance that the principal 

 rosette of leaves of this plant does not form a head, while the 

 secondary shoots or sprouts regularly form very perfect heads. 

 The very reverse of this is mostly found to occur in other Cabbages 

 and in Lettuces, in which the principal leaves of the head enwrap 

 one another closely, while the leaves of the sprouts which they 

 produce stand apart at greater or less distances from one another 

 on the shoots which bear them. Be that as it may, we are indebted 

 to this anomaly for an excellent vegetable. 



Culture. — The Brussels Sprout is a plant of rather slow 

 growth, and in order to have a crop from the end of October to 

 March, sowings should be commenced in March or April, and 

 continued in succession until June, if a successional crop is desired. 

 When the seedlings are strong enough, they are planted out 

 permanently, leaving a space of 20 in. in all directions from plant 

 to plant of the ordinary variety, and of 16 in. for plants of the 

 dwarf kind. The sprouts will be fit to cut in October, and the 

 plants will continue to bear them all through the winter. They 

 like good, rich, well-drained soil, which, however, should not be 

 too highly manured, otherwise the growth would become too rank, 

 to the detriment of the sprouts, which, under such circumstances^ 

 do not head well. 



As a rule, in England, Brussels 

 Sprouts are only cultivated in large 

 and market gardens, although they 

 are well deserving of a place in 

 every garden, however small. With 

 a little skill and forethought, they 

 may in warm districts be got to 

 supply the table from September 

 till April. The common rule is to 

 sow one good batch in March or 

 April, and let that serve all purposes. 

 Where, however, a long supply is 

 desired, this is decidedly a mistake, 

 inasmuch as Brussels Sprouts ought 

 to be made use of as soon as they 

 are ready, otherwise they burst or 

 rot, and are useless. Successional 

 sowings should be made to keep up 

 a constant supply. 



For early crops the best plan is 

 to sow a pinch of seed in a shallow 

 box, well drained, early in January, 

 and place it in a pit or frame where 

 the temperature is from 40° to 45°. 

 The plants will soon be up, and 



should be kept close up to the 

 glass until they are large enough to 

 handle, when they should be pricked 

 off into other boxes, or out into a 

 bed in a frame. Plenty of air must 

 be admitted to them after they have 

 again commenced to grow, and if 

 the weather be favourable in the 

 middle of March, they may be 

 planted out-of-doors on the warmest 

 border that can be spared for them. 

 If the plants be taken out with a 

 good ball of earth and planted 

 during showery weather, they will 

 grow away without a check, and a 

 crop of fine large sprouts in Sep- 

 tember will be the result. 



The first sowing out-of-doors 

 should be made in February or 

 March, the main sowing early in 

 April ; and if later supplies be 

 required, a small sowing may be- 

 made in May or June. When 

 the plants are large enough to be 

 conveniently handled, they should 



