BRASSICACEOUS PLANTS.— THE SEA-KALE. 



105 



thus given by Mr Cuthill, in "Market- 

 Gardening round London," p. 20. " At 

 taking-up time " — that is, when the esta- 

 blished roots are taken up for forcing, 

 beginning in November, and continuing 

 till the middle or end of February — " all 

 the thongs are cut off from the plants. 

 The small prongs or end roots are at once 

 cut into 4-inch pieces, and laid together 

 in a heap for the winter. In February 

 they are deposited thickly in beds, and 

 covered with mould an inch deep ; when 

 sprouted, it is seen by the buds which is 

 the top, and by the roots which is the 

 bottom. The ground being prepared, 

 they are planted" as described above. 

 " This last plan makes finer plants, as 

 the whole of the strength is in the roots 

 when cut off in winter, which is not the 

 case after they have produced a crop. 

 After forcing, the pores of the thongs must 

 be empty, and they take a long time in 

 recruiting." When seed has been sown 

 the previous season, the young plants 

 should be carefully taken up the March 

 following, preserving their roots with the 

 utmost care ; they are then to be planted 

 in richly-manured and deeply-trenched 

 ground, in rows 2^ feet apart and 15 in- 

 ches in the line, if the intention is to take 

 them up the following winter for forcing. 

 If, however, the crop is planted with a 

 view to its remaining several years, either 

 to be blanched where it grows, by cover- 

 ing with the sea-kale pot and the influ- 

 ence of the sun, or to be covered with 

 leaves, dung, &c, and excited into growth 

 during winter, then the rows should be 

 3 feet apart, and the plants set 2 feet 

 apart in the row, to allow a full develop- 

 ment of the large foliage during summer, 

 for on this much of the success of the 

 future crops will depend. 



In planting seedlings, as 

 the roots have very few 

 fibres, they may be set with 

 the planter, fig. 38, which 

 is a wooden dibber 3| feet 

 in length, with a cross- 

 handle at top, and another 

 cross-piece as a gauge with- 

 in from 9 to 12 inches of 

 its point, made so as to 

 shift to suit the length of 

 the roots to be planted, 

 which will in general aver- 

 se kale dibber. age from 9 inches to a foot. 



The lower part, which is to perforate the 

 soil, should be 3^ inches in diameter, and 

 tapering to 2 inches at the point, which 

 should be left obtuse. The holes being 

 made by one man using the perforator, 

 and being guided by a line, another 

 should follow, having the roots arranged 

 with their tops all in one direction ; and 

 as the holes are made, he drops a plant 

 into each, slightly filling in the soil about 

 them with his foot as he progresses. 

 From this it will be seen that propaga- 

 tion by the root is the most expeditious 

 way, giving a saving of time equal to 

 one season. 



Subsequent cultivation. — Whether the 

 plants are originated from seed, cuttings 

 of the roots, or division of these, retaining 

 the crowns entire, it is necessary that the 

 ground around them should be kept clear 

 of weeds, and also that it be repeatedly 

 stirred up between the rows, and that not 

 in the scuffling manner performed by the 

 Dutch hoe, but well roused up by means 

 of the Vernon hoe (fig. 3, page 38), 

 care being taken that the extending roots 

 be not mutilated. In spring, when the 

 buds are beginning to break through the 

 ground, and also once or twice during 

 the growing season, a top-dressing of salt 

 should be applied in quantity about 1 lb. 

 to the square yard. The crop should be 

 gone over in November in Scotland, and 

 October in England, at which time the 

 offices of most of the leaves will have 

 ceased. Those that have changed to a 

 yellowish hue may safely be removed as 

 no longer useful, and this will admit 

 light and air to assist the ripening of the 

 buds. Where the beds are not intended 

 to be destroyed, and the plants taken up 

 for forcing, the ground between them 

 should be forked up, and a good dressing 

 of rich manure applied in which salt has 

 been liberally incorporated. In this state 

 the young crop, as well as those intended 

 to be blanched without artificial heat, 

 should remain till spring. Many recom- 

 mend covering this crop with leaves or 

 litter as a protection from frost — a recom- 

 mendation wholly unnecessary, unless in 

 some of the highest and coldest parts of 

 Scotland, where such a precaution may 

 be worth the trouble : for although the 

 plant is a native of our own country, 

 still its natural habitat is close to the sea, 

 and never inland. What degree of frost 



