450 The Principles, of Vegetable- Gardening 



although it is deserving of popularity. After the plants 

 are well established, the young shoots are blanched by 

 covering the crown to the depth of a foot or more 

 with loose, fine earth in early spring. Sometimes 

 the shoots are allowed to grow upward into a dark 

 receptacle, as into a box inverted over the crown. After 

 the early spring shoots are removed, the plant is allowed 

 to grow as it will for the remainder of the season for, as 

 in asparagus and rhubarb, the vigor of the young shoots 

 of any season depend, to a large extent, on the vigor 

 and energy of ihe plant in the preceding j^ear. The 

 soil should be deep and rich, and rather moist. 



Sea-kale is propagated either by seeds or divisions 

 of the roots. In either case, the crop is not to be har- 

 vested until the plants have grown two or three years. 

 If the root divisions are large and the soil is strong, 

 some shoots may be cut the following year, but it is 

 better to allow them two seasons' growth. The plants 

 should not be less than 3 feet apart each way, and if the 

 Land is not too valuable, they may stand as far apart as 

 3% or even 4 feet. The seeds'' are really fruits. They 

 are ordinarily sown without being shelled. Two or 

 more plants are likely to come from each of these fruits, 

 all but one of which should be removed. Sea -kale will 

 retain its vigor for a number of years, but if the plants 

 begin to show signs of decline, a new crop should be 

 started. It is much benefited by an autumn dressing 

 of straw or light manure. 



Sea -Kale is Cranibe maritima, one of the CruciferaB 

 or Mustard family. It is native to sea -coast regions of 

 Western Europe. Sturtevant has an historical note in 

 Amer. Nat., July, 1890, pp. 644-5. | 



