1872. ] 
PROTECTING BROCCOLI IN WINTER. 
105 
was little sap left in the plants for the frost to lay hold of. The melted, 
withered outside leaves proved also good protectors. 
So far the case is strong in favour of laying Broccoli. What, then, are the 
drawbacks to this mode of enabling the plants to resist the frost ? Mainly these 
two. Many of the plants would insist upon lifting up their heads afresh, to see 
what the matter could be ; and, oftener still, the laying crippled the. plants so 
much as to seriously lessen the size and lower the quality of the crowns. The 
plants were carried through the winter assuredly, but the} r were of comparatively 
little use when the spring came. And if layered too soon, and thus affected by 
such weather as we had last January or February, the heads were often erect 
again before March came, with its stinging frosts, which often wrecked all the 
fair prospects of the Broccoli with its harsh severity. And it is a fact well known 
to all cultivators that Broccoli is safer not laid at all, than laid too soon. The 
change of position as it rises again opens, as it were, the joints of its armour, 
and makes a clear path between the newly arranged leaves for the sharp arrows 
of the frost to enter in and pierce it to the heart, producing immediate mortifica¬ 
tion or sudden putrefaction. 
For such reasons as these, I have left off the practice of laying down Broc¬ 
coli. Taking an average of seasons, as great a weight may generally be cut by 
leaving it alone. Possibly a good many may be frost-cut, but those that escape 
are so much finer and better. Neither need we leave them to the tender mercy 
of the frost if we do not lay them down. It is quite possible to protect them 
where and as they stand. The best material for this purpose is dry asparagus- 
tops. Light, clean, feathery, they resist with marvellous power the severity of 
the frost, whilst retaining no moisture. They should be cut and dried before 
they are dead-ripe, otherwise they are very brittle, and easily broken. A week 
or a fortnight’s difference in the time of cutting gives them toughness and en¬ 
durance enough for sheltering Broccoli-crowns. I have found nothing so efficient; 
and, besides, this employment of the dead tops of one vegetable for the shelter of 
another, almost equally valuable, is a pleasing illustration of mutual help. 
Nothing can be more simple than our mode of using them. Towards the 
end of October the tops are simply laid on, and stood up among or against the 
plants. The twigginess of the asparagus stems keeps them in position, they lay 
hold of the crowns on all sides, and it takes a very high wind to displace them; 
they afford no resting-place for moisture, and the tiny leaves are nearly always 
dry. Their slenderness also keeps them in motion, which adds to their power of 
keeping the frost off the crowms that they wave over. They are not even un¬ 
sightly, they make no litter, nor leave any flavour on the Broccoli. The nearest 
approach to asparagus tops in effectiveness are the dry fronds of the common 
brake, but even these present a more bulky front to the wind, and are apt to be 
blown off, unless, indeed, your readers agree to serve their Broccoli as we do 
most of our roses,—thrust a few dry fern fronds into or over each crown, and 
tie it on, as our forefathers often did their nightcaps. And a very efficient winter 
