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XX. Hints relative to the Culture of the Early Purple Bro- 

 coli, as practised in the Garden of Daniel Beale, Esq. 

 at Edmonton. By Mr. John Ma her, jF. H. S. 



Read December 6", 1808. 



Few vegetables have been more improved of late years than 

 Brocoli, so that it now almost equals in flavour and magni- 

 tude the delicate Cauliflower, over which it has the decided 

 advantage of being more hardy, and may, by a little manage- 

 ment, be procured through the whole winter. 



Several varieties, differing in colour from white to deep 

 purple, are sold by our nurserymen ; and as all plants of this 

 natural family, become less alkalescent and more palatable, 

 in proportion as they approach to a pale or white colour, such 

 varieties will undoubtedly be preferable to purple ones, if 

 they turn out equally hardy : nor are we to despair of raising 

 them, by patience and perseverance in selecting the largest 

 and whitest specimens of the common Brocoli, for seed. 



All attempts of this kind, however, demand both a long 

 time, and no trifling expense, nor can they be easily prose- 

 cuted, except in the insulated grounds of those gentlemen, 

 whose liberality, like that of my master, rivals their exten- 

 sive possessions : for, out of a great number of plants set 

 apart for seed, perhaps not even one may answer our wishes, 

 and if a brisk * gale of wind, or wandering bees, bring 



* The result of an action for damages brought in Westminster Hall more 

 than a century ago, against an innocent but unfortunate gardener, for selling 



