440 
CULTURE OF SEA CALE. 
drained. The method I recommend, has ansv\ered perfectly to my 
satisfaction, and to that of my employers. 
In sowing the seed , select a plot of good light sandy soil, in a 
situation most convenient to convey a proper supply of dung, be¬ 
ginning in December to dig the ground, at least two feet deep, and 
to give a good supply of rotten manure. If the ground be not 
naturally deep and light, it must be made so artificially, by adding 
vegetable mould and sand. If the situation be low and wet, it must 
be well drained, for much depends upon the dryness of the bottom, 
and the nature of the soil. The ground being thus prepared, in the 
beginning of February, commence sowing the seed, draw two drills, 
about an inch deep, and one foot asunder; then leaving a space of 
three feet, draw two move drills, one foot asunder, and proceed thus 
until sufficient drills are prepared for the seeds intended to be sown. 
Scatter the seeds thinly in these drills, and cover them with soil, not 
deeper than one inch. Keep the ground free from weeds, and the 
plants will soon be up. 
Thinning the Plants .—When they have made three or four leaves, 
let them be thinned out to one foot asunder. And if they be kept 
clean during summer, they will by the autumn have become very 
fine plants, and be quite fit for forcing. 
Forcing .—In the month of November, strip off all the leaves from 
the crowns of the plants; then take some quick lime, and scatter it 
upon, and round about the crowns, to destroy any slugs that may 
have taken shelter about them. Afterwards dig out of the three feet 
space, betwixt every two rows, a trench two feet wide, and deep 
enough to supply soil to cover the crowns of the plants in the two 
rows six inches deep. If the ground be strong, the soil of the 
trenches should be wheeled out, instead of being thrown upon the 
'crowns, and the plants should be covered with old bark or light soil. 
When this is done, pots may either be placed over the crowns or not, 
at the option of the cultivator, as the shoots will grow very clear and 
fine without being covered with pots. Procure a quantity of dung 
from the stable, and fill up the trenches, covering the crowns, and 
making the whole one level surface, at least eighteen inches above 
the top of the crowns, which will give a thickness of two feet of dung, 
where the trenches are made. If dung cannot be conveniently ob¬ 
tained, leaves will answer the purpose very well, but it will be neces¬ 
sary to increase the thickness to two feet over the crowns, or two feet 
six inches in the trenches. In severe weather, if there be a deficiency 
of warmth, more dung or leaves might be added. It would not be 
necessary to cover all the rows with dung at once, but two or four. 
