8 THE BOOK OF RARER VEGETABLES 
when about 8 to lo inches long, or less would suffice, 
but each one should be taken with a heel ; that is, a 
small portion of the stem of the old plant is slipped off, 
and often with this will be some small roots attached, the 
stools or old plants being carefully uncovered to get at 
the young sucked growth. In planting there are two 
ways: either in straight rows 1 8 inches apart, 3 feet 
between the rows, or three suckers in a clump 9 to 12 
inches apart and 4 feet between the rows in places where 
plants winter well. I prefer the last named; and in other 
places the single plant system, as I find the plants can be 
more readily protected. In planting make each sucker firm 
and water thoroughly, and mulch over in dry seasons. 
In heavy land I would advise making raised mounds for 
each lot of plants by liberal additions to the soil of 
lighter materials ; and by raising and using rotten manure 
freely, the plants do much better than on the surface if 
the soil is clayey or at all wet. The plants will give a 
few heads the first season, but later than the older 
ones; but they will give a much later crop, and often, say 
in October or early November, there will be no lack of 
good heads from the young plants, and these, if cut 
with a few inches of stalk and placed in water, may be 
kept for weeks in a cool root store. At the approach 
of frost the plants should have all the old stalks removed, 
the long leaf foliage also being reduced to about 18 
inches, and yellow leaves entirely cut away, and a good 
thickness of dry bracken or litter placed over the 
roots, closely packing round the stems of the plants, 
as from this portion next season’s suckers will be 
obtained. In gardens where these plants winter badly 
I have found it advantageous to lift a few young 
stools, and to divide and plant them in a cold frame ; 
or they may be potted if a special variety. In March 
the protecting material is removed, and after a little 
exposure the new planting, if needed, is done, the old 
