168 On the different Varieties of Broccoli. 



ting to keep off the birds, also to sprinkle the plants when 

 they appear, with lime water, or to strew on them fresh 

 slacked lime, to destroy the slugs. In this case, when the 

 plants are six or eight inches high, they may be planted at 

 once at the distances recommended for each sort. 



In old gardens, infested, as is often the case, with an insect 

 which in summer insinuates itself into the roots of all the 

 Brassica tribe, and causes a disease usually called the club, 

 trenching the ground deep enough to bring up four or six 

 inches of fresh undisturbed loam or earth, will probably bury 

 the insects too deep for mischief and provide fresh ground 

 for the benefit of the plants. In gardens much exhausted by 

 reiterated cropping, if this mode cannot be adopted, a good 

 quantity of fresh loam from a common or field, dug in, would 

 materially improve the Broccoli, and be of lasting use to future 

 crops. 



Broccoli in general succeeds best in a fresh loamy soil, where 

 it comes, I think, more true in kind, and is hardier, without 

 dung : but if this situation cannot be had, deep digging, with 

 plenty of manure is the only remaining alternative to procure 

 good crops. 



I believe soap ashes dug into the ground in considerable 

 quantities, to be a good preservative from the club, and if the 

 roots of the plants, just previously to planting, are dipped and 

 stirred well about in mud of soap ashes with water, its adhe- 

 rence will, in a great measure preserve them from attack ; 

 perhaps a mixture of stronger ingredients, such as soot, sul- 

 phur-vivum, tobacco, &c. would be still better. 



Although it must be acknowledged that Broccolis come 

 larger and finer on the spot where they are planted, yet it is 



