180 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 4, 1905 
Growing Seakale. 
Seakale is mucli more extensively grown now than formerly 
both for market and private consumption. Large quantities 
of roots are grown annually for forcing, these receiving special 
attention during growth in order that as fine crowns as possible 
may be obtained. Without such crowns it is useless to attempt 
the early forcing of Seakale. The produce from small crowns 
gives poor results, it being spindly and disappointing. Given 
well-developed and thoroughly matured crowns, with a suitable 
place and temperature to force them in, Seakale may be had 
in fine condition by the middle of November or earlier, if de¬ 
sired. 
Seakale requires rich ground to grow it to perfection, and 
if the site it is te occupy is not in good heart, it should be 
made so by the use of plenty of well-rotted manure at digging 
time. The position of the site should be an open one and 
free from shade. If the ground slopes towards the south or 
west so much the better, as that will facilitate the maturing 
of the crowns, which is a very great advantage in early forcing. 
Some growers rely entirely on root cuttings for planting, 
while others prefer to use part of the roots that have been 
forced, and fill up the remainder of the ground with root cut¬ 
tings. When this is done, only one-year-old roots should he 
used ; these should be placed on one side after being forced 
until the required number is obtained. The advantage to he 
gained hy using one-year-old roots is that the crowns force 
more readily and give the best results when Seakale has to he 
forced in quantity before the turn of the year. After Christ¬ 
mas quite as good produce may be obtained from the younger 
as the older roots. Hoot cuttings are made from the long, 
thong-like roots broken oft' the main stem at the time of lifting, 
and the stronger they are the better the results. These 
should be cut into convenient lengths. Pieces 4 in. or 5 in. 
long will do, and in order that the planter may distinguish the 
top from the bottom the former should be cut level and the 
latter in a sloping direction. After the required number has 
been prepared, bury them in soil until planting time arrives. 
When taken out it will he found that a callus has formed on 
each set. This is a great advantage and means a gain over 
sets cut and prepared at the time of planting. The time for 
planting will depend a great deal on locality, hut as a rule the 
end of March or first week in April is early enough. Each set 
should have ample room for the full development of its leaves 
during the growing season. If they stand 18 in. apart, with 
a distance of 2 ft. between the rows, it will he none too much 
space for them. A garden trowel is much better to use for 
planting than a dibber. Place each set deep enough in the 
ground so that the top or flat portion will be level with the 
soil. When large enough for handling and discrimination, the 
young growths should be thinned out, leaving but one on root 
cuttings and two on the older roots, and these of the strongest 
and best. 
The after treatment will consist in keeping the ground clear 
of weeds, stirring frequently to promote a good tilth, and 
assisting growth as much as possible by use of stimulants, 
these latter may consist of either liquid manure, salt, or 
guano. Seakale being a seaside plant, it is able to assimilate 
a good deal of salt, but too much should not be given at one 
time. Lifting may be done as soon as the leaves turn yellow, 
and for convenience the crowns may be placed close together 
in a trench, placing soil on the top of them. For very early 
forcing it is a good plan to lift the ripest of the oldest crowns 
early in October, with as much soil to the roots as it is possible 
to obtain, leaving them on the surface for three weeks. This 
exposure will ensure a more thorough rest. A Mushroom 
house or any dark place, or one which can be darkened and 
with a similar temperature, is suitable for forcing Seakale. A 
temperature of 55 deg. is quite high enough ; above these 
figures growth is quicker but more spindly and unsatisfactory. 
Watering is a matter that must not be neglected, always using 
tepid water for the purpose. With regard to varieties, there 
are two grown in gardens—the common and the Lily White. 
j. W. ,T. 
Rehmannia angulata. 
This new half hardy or greenhouse plant, recently intro¬ 
duced by Messrs. James Veitch and Son, deserves to be grown 
in every garden for its lightness and beauty. The cultivation 
is quite easy. For getting the plants in flower at Christmas¬ 
time and onwards a packet of seed should be sown in April. 
Fill a pan with a compost of sifted loam and leaf-soil to within 
4 in. of the top with the usual drainage for seed sowing. After 
sowing, the pan should be placed on a vineiy shelf. Cover 
with a piece of glass, and the seed will germinate in about 
ten days. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle 
they should be pricked off in pans and kept close for a few 
days. In about three weeks they will be ready for a shift into 
small pots. As soon as the pots begin to fill with the roots, 
they can be shifted into the flowering pots; I find 5-in. pots 
suit them. The compost for this shift should be rich, viz., 
turfy loam, leaf-soil, Mushroom-dung, a sprinkling of soot! 
kept porous by some sharp sand or road grit. Place them in 
a cold frame. 
As soon as the cold nights arrive, they should he brought in 
and placed on a shelf near to the glass, a vinery being a very 
good place. By this time the pots will have become full of 
roots, and some feeding should be given. I find soot-water 
with a change to some other manure in a liquid state, native 
guano for preference, is most beneficial to them. To get 
the plants in flower by Christmas, a few of the strongest 
should be picked out and placed on a shelf in a. warmer house 
having a night temperature of 55 deg. The spikes wall soon 
begin to push up to a height of 3 ft,, and the purple flowers 
will throw out from every leaf. 
As soon as the first flowers commence to open they should be 
moved to a greenhouse, where they will last in flower for a 
long time, and other flowers continue to open all up the stem. 
I may state with this treatment we have had a good batch, 
and shall have for some time to come. M. A. W. 
Liquid manure, its use and Application. 
By liquid manure I mean, in the first place, the drainings 
from the stable or farmyard, but there is another kind, of 
which I will speak later on. A good supply of liquid manure 
should be looked upon as a valuable asset by every gardener, 
for what finer stimulant is there for plant life generally in 
the kitchen garden? For Celery, an application once or twice 
weekly adds greatly to the vigour of the plant, and thereby 
greatly assists it to withstand the drought of summer. For 
fruit trees carrying heavy crops of fruit an occasional applica¬ 
tion of the above will prove very beneficial, especially when 
the fruit is swelling. Lilies of the Valley also are greatly 
strengthened by frequent applications after flowering, and up 
to midsummer. In fact, it may be applied to almost all sub 
jects with advantage, provided that it is applied in the right 
way and at the proper time. 
I will here mention one subject of the garden which does not 
generally get the assistance it should have, considering the 
demand made upon it, viz., Asparagus. Now 7 , in most gardens 
th© beds are given a good mulch of rotten dung in the autumn, 
and later on, perhaps in -spring, when cutting commences, they 
may have an application of guano. Well, this is all right so 
fai as it goes, but the mistake is generally this : when cutting 
ceases, the stimulants are knocked off. Now, as every gar¬ 
dener knows, or should know, root action is practically sus¬ 
pended in winter, and hy continually cutting the young grass 
in spring is thereby restricted, but when cutting ceases and it 
is allowed to grow unchecked, it is then that the greatest 
demand is made 1 upon the roots. It is then also that the 
crowns for the next years supply are formed, and as the plant 
above ground increases in vigour, so also do the roots ; they 
work together, and this is where liquid manure comes in. Give 
the beds a good mulch with it as often as possible, and the 
next year reap the reward with finer grass. The proper 
strength for general use should be one-third manure to two- 
thirds water, if the liquid i's pure, but if much rain-water is 
