December 27, 1890 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
267 
SEA KALE, ITS HISTORY AND 
CULTURE. 
To this country the credit is due of first cultivating 
Sea Kale, or the Crambe maritima of Linnceus. It is 
a native of this country from Fife on the east, south¬ 
ward along the coast of England, along the south coast 
and from thence northwards to Islay on the west coast 
of Argyleshire. It had been gathered in a wild state, 
and used as food by the natives from time immemorial, 
until no doubt it was becoming scarce from the con¬ 
tinual cutting of the crowns. This no doubt led to its 
being taken into the garden and regularly cultivated 
with other vegetables. It has certainly been grown for 
more than 200 years, for it is well-nigh 300 years since 
L’Obel and Turner sent it to the Continent. Eembert 
Dodoens did in 1578 speak of Wilde Colewurtes, under 
the name of Brassica sylvestris, and identified this with 
the Crambe agria of the Greeks, but from his figure 
and description this is evidently nothing more than 
the Wild Cabbage (Brassica oleracea). Probably the 
precise date will never be ascertained when Sea Kale 
was first brought to market, but in 1753, bundles of 
the cultivated plant were noticed by Mr. William Jones, 
of Chelsea, in the market at Chichester. Now this 
town is situated near the south-west corner of Sussex, 
not far from the coast, and as Worthing, Shoreham, 
Beachy Head and Hastings are ancient localities for 
this plant in a wild state, it is not unreasonable to 
suppose that its culture was first taken in hand some¬ 
where near the coast of Sussex. Sea Kale still grows 
wild in tolerable abundance on the chalky and clayey 
cliffs at Beachy Head, as well as amongst the gravel 
close to the sea level. 
Culture. 
It is probable that the culture of this plant was brought 
to a high degree of perfection at least 100 years ago. 
In Philip Miller’s day it was propagated by means of 
seeds, and speaking in 1759, he said it throve ex¬ 
ceedingly when planted in sandy or gravelly soil. A 
rich alluvial soil was, no doubt, what he meant, for 
the Sea Kale is a gross feeder and delights in deep, 
rich and well-drained soil. In fact, any well-drained 
good garden-soil will grow it to great perfection. 
An old method of culture, which still holds good to 
a great extent, was to trench the ground 2J ft. deep 
during winter—say in December or January. Should 
the ground not be light naturally, it was ameliorated 
by adding silver-sand and well-decayed vegetable 
matter in quantity. It was well drained, so that no 
water might lie within 1 ft. at least of the bottom, for 
upon the richness of the soil and the dryness of the bed 
depended the success of the culture. The ground was 
then divided into beds 4 ft. wide, with an alley of 
18 ins. between. The rows were planted in these beds, 
or rather seeds were sown and the best three plants left 
to occupy the ground at 2 ft. apart each way. This 
distance was necessary not only for the sake of the 
foliage, but to permit of Sea Kale pots being placed 
over them for the purpose of blanching. When the 
succeeding summer proved to be a droughty one, the 
beds were heavily watered so as to encourage rapid and 
strong growth. As soon as the leaves decayed in the 
following November they were cleared away and the 
beds covered with 1 in. of rich light soil and sand 
mixed, and turned together two or three times during 
the preceding summer. Six inches of stable litter were 
put over all, and left in that state for the winter. 
In the following spring the litter was raked off and the 
finest or most rotten of it dug into the alleys. Another 
inch of the prepared soil was then added to the beds, and 
the plants allowed to make another season’s growth 
before any cutting was done. In the spring of the third 
year an inch of sand or fine gravel was laid over the 
beds after the litter had been taken off, and Sea Kale 
pots were placed firmly over the crowns so as to exclude 
the light, and blanch the crowns, for it was considered 
even then that exposure to light greatly injured both 
the colour and the quality of the young leaves. The 
latter were cut when about 3 ins. long, and, in order to 
do this, it was necessary to examine their condition at 
frequent intervals, because they became stringy and 
bitter as they got old. A succession of gatherings 
could be obtained in this way for a space of six weeks, 
after which the plants were uncovered to allow them to 
recruit themselves for another season. 
Another method was adopted by those who did not 
care to put themselves to the expense of Sea Kale pots. 
This was to cover the beds with 4 ins. or 5 ins. of sand 
or fine gravel, through which the crowns would have 
to push themselves before becoming exposed to light. 
The same method appears to have been adopted at that 
time in the culture of Asparagus, as it was more 
recently in the blanching of Dandelion leaves. The 
extra trouble required to clear away the sand in order 
to cut the crowns soon rendered this practice obsolete. 
Unless when seeds were required the flower buds were 
pinched out or removed as quickly as they made their 
appearance. Seeing that crowns could be obtained in 
this way, measuring from 10 ins. to 12 ins. in circum¬ 
ference, the efficiency of the method of culture pursued 
was amply demonstrated. 
A more recent method of procedure was to trench 
and prepare the soil as above-mentioned, and, supposing 
that one-year-old plants raised in nursery beds were 
available, the ground was marked off in lines 2J ft. 
apart, with a space of 3 ft. between every third and 
fourth row. If ground was scarce, 2 ft. only was 
allowed between each of the three rows, with the same 
distance from plant to plant. Before inserting the 
young plants the crown bud was cut off to prevent the 
production of seed the first summer after planting. A 
number of axillary buds were however, developed, and 
these were encouraged to make as much growth as 
possible during the summer by mulching and watering, 
also occasionally with liquid manure ; for upon the size 
of the leaves depended that of the buds which were to 
be blanched the following spring. Therefore it was of 
material importance to limit the number of crowns, in 
order to encourage the development of the remainder. 
A covering of leaves or litter was placed over the crowns 
in autumn. The method generally adopted at the 
present day is to save the stout thongs or roots when 
the plants are lifted in autumn for forcing, and to make 
new plantations, by cutting the fleshy roots into pieces 
about 4 ins. long, using them as sets. By limiting 
them to a single crown they make good stuff to lift for 
forcing in the autumn of the first year. In such a case 
there is no necessity for making beds, and space may be 
economised by making plantations in lines at regular 
distances apart. 
The blanching of the crowns in spring is evidently 
coeval with the first attempts at artificial cultivation or 
nearly so ; for we are told by Miller that the inhabit¬ 
ants of Sussex and Dorset, where the wild plant grew 
in plenty upon the gravelly sea-beach, used to observe 
where the crowns were pushing themselves through the 
sand ; these were uncovered and cut already in a 
blanched state, and after being cooked were relished by 
the natives and preferred on account of their tender and 
sweet character to any other of the Cabbage tribe. 
Blanching by means of light soil, sand or fine gravel, 
and afterwards by means of Sea Kale pots, succeeded 
one another as successive steps in the art of Sea Kale 
culture. Forcing by means of artificial heat in properly 
constructed houses for the purpose is now almost uni¬ 
versally adopted. 
rARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Asplenium obtusatum lucidum. 
The typical form of this New Zealand and Australian 
Fern reminds one of A. marinum to some extent, 
but is more robust, with leathery, erect fronds and 
obtuse pinnae. The variety A. o. lucidum is almost 
universally known in gardens of this country simply as 
A. lucidum, and certainly it seems very distinct. 
Whereas A. obtusatum is of stiff, erect habit, and 
about 12 ins. or 14 ins. high, A. o. lucidum is a 
spreading and gracefully arching Fern, with fronds 3 ft. 
to 3 ft. long, or even more when large plants are grown 
under favourable conditions. Naturally it is a long- 
lived plant, and when shifted on as it increases in size the 
crown ultimately attains a wonderful state of vigour, and 
throws out fronds till the plant measures 5 ft. or 6 ft. 
across. Plenty of room must be given it when such 
dimensions are attained, to allow free play to the fronds, 
which would trail on the ground or become cramped 
by the stages unless raised above the surrounding level. 
The best plan in such a case is to suspend the pot, or, 
better still, grow the plant in a basket, so that the 
fronds will have full advantage of the light on all sides. 
Barleria cosrulea. 
With the exception of a few species of Acanthus, none 
of the members of this large order are hardy in this 
country, although a large number are now cultivated 
in our stoves and greenhouses, some for the sake of 
their foliage, others for their flowers. Fortunately a 
goodly proportion of them flower during the autumn 
and winter months, when variety is most needed. 
Amongst this class may be placed Barleria cocrulea, a 
species by no means common. The stems are stout, 
erect, branching with moderate freedom, and generally 
attain a height of 14 ins. to 18 ins. The leaves are ovate, 
and comparable to those of Jacobinia magnifiea, better 
known as Justicia carnea. The flowers are produced 
in dense heads or clusters, and appear to spring from 
a mass of bracts, constituted by the leafy calyx. They 
are of good size, with a wide-open mouth, and sky-blue, 
with the middle segment of the larger lip several 
shades darker. Being a native of the East Indies it 
requires stove treatment, similar to that given a 
number of other plants belonging to the same order 
and grown for winter work. We noted it in the Water 
Lily house at Kew. 
Pteris palmata, 
In gardens this species is better known under the name 
of Doryopteris palmata, and as far as general appearance 
goes it is certainly very distinct from the majority of the 
genus Pteris in cultivation. The botanical distinctions, 
however, are so slight that there is hardly any necessity 
for making a separate genus. Being a native of tropical 
America, one would expect that a stove temperature 
was necessary for its cultivation, yet it not only thrives 
under those conditions, but also in the intermediate 
house, a greenhouse, or even a window in a dwelling- 
room where a fire is kept up in the evening at least 
during frosty weather. Plants in a room where the 
frost had got in during the day and formed ice upon 
water standing there have passed through the ordeal 
apparently unhurt. The foliage was, of course, dry, 
and in that respect no doubt materially assisted in 
preventing injury during a period when the thermometer 
outside was registering 18° to 22° of frost. 
Pear, Lucy Anderson. 
As yet this comparatively new Pear is but little known 
in gardens. The fruit is pyriform, and of medium or 
large size, according to the treatment it receives. 
When mature, as it is now, the skin is of a light 
greenish yellow, marked and marbled with thin, narrow 
lines of russet. The flesh is white and firm, but crisp, 
sweet and juicy. Its season is November and Decem¬ 
ber, so that it adds to the list of fruits that come in 
handy for Christmas. There is a young tree in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick, 
which last summer bore a crop of useful-sized, clean 
fruits. 
Nicotiana colossea. 
We have on former occasions referred to this new 
species as a handsome and suitable subject of colossal 
proportions for sub-tropical gardening on account of 
the imposing appearance of its foliage. Some large- 
leaved subjects are already in cultivation, to wit, Grias 
cauliflora, Pentagonia Wendlandi, Miconia magnifiea, 
Wigandia caraccasana, and others, not to mention 
Palms ; but all of the former require stove treatment, 
and in many cases require very careful management to 
keep them in good condition for any length of time in 
a presentable state. The giant Tobacco Plant under 
notice grows rapidly, and can be raised from cuttings 
taken in autumn or spring, as well as from seeds, and 
can therefore be grown to a useful and suitable size in 
a short time, whereas the subjects above mentioned 
require a long time to attain a large size, or to repair any 
damage which they may have happened to sustain. A 
young plant about 3 ft. high may be seen planted out 
in the greenhouse at Kew. The leaves measure from 
24 ins. to 30 ins. in length or more, and from 14 ins. 
to 16 ins. wide in the middle. They have passed 
through the late fog quite unharmed, whereas many 
other and more familiar subjects have lost their leaves 
wholesale, or have had them shrivelled up as if 
scorched. The species appeared in Europe for 
the first time in the garden of Madame D. de 
Saint-Germain-les-Corbeil, a few years ago. It came 
up as a chance seedling amongst some soil that had 
been shaken off some Orchids from Brazil. 
Warner’s King Apple. 
Notwithstanding the fact that this is a very old 
Apple, it has not attained the wide popularity of many 
which are less deserving from several points of view. 
Within a few years past, however, it has been gaining 
in popular estimation, and will no doubt soon find its 
way into every good collection. A number of the 
smaller-fruiting sorts will always be grown, because some 
of them fruit almost regularly every season, and con¬ 
sequently prove very acceptable in seasons like the 
past, when scarcity is the rule of the day. Warner’s 
King is an Apple of the first size, ovate, very broad at 
