May 8, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
357 
8 
Th 
Royal Society at 4.30 P.H. 
9 
F 
Quekett Club at 8 P.h. 
10 
S 
Royal Botanic Society at 8.45 P.M. 
11 
Sun 
4tr Sunday after Easter. 
12 
M 
IS 
TU 
Royal Horticultural Society. (Fruit and Floral Committees at 11 A.M.) 
14 
W 
Bath Spring Show. 
NOTES ON BROCCOLI. 
0 difficulty was experienced during the past winter 
in supplying the table with an abundance of 
good Broccoli. Commencing long before the late 
autumn Cauliflowers were finished, they have 
hearted-in regularly—each sort in its own proper 
time—and will continue to be of service till early 
Cauliflowers are plentiful. It is not often that 
this happens, and recent immunities must not 
cause us to forget that Broccoli is by no means 
a certain crop unless it receives special treatment. 
It appears to me that the two primary causes of failure 
are overcrowding and assigning the plants a loose rich soil. 
Each results in the formation of tall succulent growth, with 
stems that are much too long to be safe, as it is these long 
unclothed stems that are the most liable to injury, if not 
destruction, by severe frosts. If the plants are not killed 
the sap vessels are so damaged as to cause the largest and 
most promising of stems to form the smallest of hearts. 
The two faults mentioned—viz., overcrowding and over¬ 
rich and loose soil—are not confined to the final planting, but 
are quite as often perpetrated in the seed beds. If the seeds of 
the early sorts are sown under glass, the seedlings should be 
thinned out before they spoil each other, and the first favour¬ 
able opportunity should be taken of pricking them out on a 
fairly warm border and at such a distance apart as to admit 
of their transplanting with a trowel. The majority of 
Broccolis, however, are sown on sheltered borders, and there 
any of them can be raised quite as early as wanted, though 
not so surely, especially from old seeds, as when sown under 
glass. Unfortunately, warm borders are generally limited in 
extent, and as a consequence the seed is sown much too 
thickly. In addition the plants very often remain till they 
are drawn and, in fact, spoilt, as to start with tall plants 
is anything but a good preparation for severe wintry weather. 
Those, then, who sow thickly must thin out quickly and 
prick out the requisite number of plants. Those left in the 
seed beds will prove of service either in filling up any blanks 
or for giving away to less fortunate neighbours. As a matter 
of fact, an open poor piece of ground is the best place for 
rearing Broccoli, as well as Kales and Savoys, as in such a 
position, if the seed is sown thinly broadcast and covered 
with a little fine soil, or very thinly in drills and the soil 
levelled over them, a number of sturdy plants will be obtained, 
which during showery weather may be drawn and dibbled out 
without the loss of a plant. It is the overcrowded weakly 
plants that are the slowest to recover from the check experi¬ 
enced in the removal, and are thus much longer an easy prey 
to all pests that are liable to attack them. 
Where the plantations shall be made has generally to 
depend upon circumstances. Few gardeners are able to 
entirely devote an open piece of ground to them, yet this is 
best if space could be spared. If planted among other crops 
they are almost certain to become drawn, while if planted in 
succession to them they seldom attain sufficient size and 
strength to be hardy and profitable. Supposing a quarter 
No. 202 .— Yol. VIII., Third Series, 
has been occupied with Potatoes, Carrots, and other roots, if 
this can be devoted solely to Broccoli it is not advisable to 
either dig or manure the ground before planting. All that is 
necessary is to draw drills with a heavy hoe and to soak these 
drills either with water, or, better still, if at all poor, with 
liquid manure. This will admit of planting with a trowel, 
and which I prefer to cramping the roots into holes formed 
with a crowbar. If planted among Potatoes, the rows of 
these should be disposed at least 42 inches apart, unless they 
happen to be short-topped early sorts, when 3 feet is sufficient. 
When the Broccolis are planted between wide-disposed rows 
of Peas, which are, say, not less than 10 feet apart, not more 
than three rows of plants should be put out, and a distance of 
30 inches be allowed between them in the rows. Even then 
they are apt to become much too tall. 
We are obliged to double-crop as much as possible, and 
our plan is to plant the early varieties of Broccoli as well as 
late Cauliflowers between the rows of early and second early 
Potatoes, and the remainder either among main-crop Peas 
or in succession to early Peas, while the very latest sorts are 
generally planted on ground just cleared of Strawberries. 
Those among Potatoes, directly the latter are lifted, have a 
ridge of soil worked up to them with the spade, this serving 
to steady as well as protecting them to a certain extent. 
Instead of arranging the Peas at wide intervals, we prefer 
to have the rows about 7 feet apart, and to plant a single 
row of Broccoli between them. In this case the plants are 
only 18 inches asunder, and alternating on each side of the 
line, so that half are disposed to fall one way and half the 
other. The Peas, however, tend to draw them up, and in 
order to protect the moderately long stems early in November 
the soil on each side is well mounded up to the heads, this 
both improving the soil and saving the Broccoli. They are 
generally cleared off in time for the quarter to be planted 
with Potatoes or sown with root crops. Those planted on 
the undug and very firm Strawberry ground are invariably 
the sturdiest and the hardiest plants; in fact I have seen 
these only escape when all others not earthed up or otherwise 
protected have been destroyed. 
Lifting the plants and laying them in the ground up to 
the leaves no doubt frequently saves the crops, but it also 
materially reduces the size of the heads. So also does laying 
without lifting, and both are laborious operations. As I 
have previously intimated, many of us are too greedy—that 
is to say, we put out too many plants instead of being con¬ 
tented with fewer, which would be more likely to escape 
destruction by frosts. If market growers find it advisable 
to dispose Broccoli plants 3 feet apart each way, and that too 
in the open and not very rich fields, how much more necessity 
is there for those managing sheltered rich gardens to allow 
plenty of space. On loose rich ground, then, I say make this 
as solid as possible ; have the rows 3 feet apart and the plants 
not less than 30 inches asunder in the rows, while on firm 
or undug soil the rows may be 30 inches apart and the plants 
2 feet asunder. 
I have previously commented on the qualities of the 
different sorts of Broccoli, but shall venture a. few more 
brief remarks on this portion of my subject. Veitch’s Self- 
protecting again proved to be the most serviceable early sort, 
as both Walcheren and White Cape hearted too early to be 
valued. The former is nearly approaching to Cauliflowers, 
as it can be had early by sowing in the autumn and wintering 
in frames, or by sowing in heat in the spring, is very white 
and good in quality, and also unfortunately rather tender. 
The popular Snow’s Winter White I used to sow early in 
frames, and never could understand why we secured so few 
good heads and so many monstrosities. Acting on Mr. 
R. Gilbert’s advice I sowed much later, and on the open 
border, with the best of results. Mr. Gilbert recommends 
sowing early in May, but that is not early enough for our cold 
soil, and the middle of April best suits us. Those who are in 
the habit of sowing early and have previously partially failed 
No. 1858.—Yol. LXX., Old Series. 
