December 21 , 1907. 
TUB GARDENING WORLD. 
797 
Very little room and only a gentle heat 
is required in which to force Seakale, 
and, provided plenty of good strong 
crowns are available, fine heads of this 
highly-prized vegetable can be had at a 
time when other fresh vegetables are 
scarce. Once a supply of crowns or 
plants has been obtained it is an easy 
matter to both maintain and increase the 
stock from root cuttings, this method of 
propagation being preferable to growing 
plants from seed, which occupies a rather 
lengthy period. 
Seakale crowns for forcing should be 
lifted from the ground after the leaves 
have naturally died down in the autumn, 
and when this is done, it will be founa 
that there are a number of branch or side 
roots growing from the main root similar 
to fig. 1 of the annexed sketches. These 
side roots must be cut or broken off and 
the main root prepared for forcing, as 
shown in fig. 2, the best of the removed 
pieces of root being retained for propa¬ 
gating purposes. 
After the crowns have been prepared, 
all, with the exception of those that are 
to be immediately forced, should be 
placed on end in light sandy soil in a 
fairly warm and frost-proof shed, from 
which thev can be taken at intervals as 
required for forcing according to the 
supply of heads wanted. There are 
several simple methods of forcing the 
crowns, one being to plant the roots in 
light soil under the greenhouse bench or 
stage and place a screen round to keep 
them dark. 
Roots may also be planted a few inches 
apart in large pots or suitable boxes, as 
shown in fig. 3, light, rich soil being used 
and the crowns left just showing above 
the surface. A temperature of from fifty - 
five to sixtv degrees will be suitable, and 
as Seakale is of little use unless it is 
blanched as it grows, light must be ex¬ 
cluded from the commencement by cover¬ 
ing the roots with a larger pot as shown, 
all holes being stopped up in some way 
or other. Before the crowns are covered 
over with the inverted pot, they should 
be given a good watering with tepid ivater, 
whilst the atmosphere round about crov ns 
that are being forced should always be 
kept in a rather moist condition. Seakale 
crowns that have been forced should be 
thrown away, as they are of no further 
use. and in cutting the heads it is as well 
to remember that a small portion of the 
crown should also be removed, as indi¬ 
cated by the cross line in fig. 4, or the 
head will fall to pieces. 
Seakale can, of course, be forced out-of- 
doors, provided a good supply of manure 
or fermenting material, consisting ot 
leaves and manure mixed, is available. 
The crowns may either be forced in the 
position in which they were originally 
planted by covering with Seakale pots or 
the roots "be dug up and replanted closer 
together, this being the more convenient 
arrangement in many cases, a large deep 
bottomless box being placed over them, as 
shown in fig. 4. The top of the box must 
be covered with loose boards, and the Sea¬ 
kale pots or boxes, as the case may be, 
be entirely covered with plenty of manure 
or fermenting material, which will gene¬ 
rate heat and force the crowms into 
growth. The crowns must be examined 
occasionally to see what progress has 
been made, the manure being carefully 
replaced over the pots or boxes. 
With regard to the treatment of the side 
or branch roots which were removed from 
the forcing crowns and retained for pro¬ 
pagating purposes, the pieces selected 
should be as straight and strong as pos¬ 
sible, cut into lengths of about four inches, 
when they are technically termed “sets’’ 
or “whips.” These whips should be tied 
in bundles of twelve or fourteen, the 
broad or thicker end of each being placed 
upwards. The bundles must be stood 
thick end upwards in light soil or sand, as 
fig. 5, in a cold frame, where they must 
remain until spring, say early in March, 
when it will be found that the cut por¬ 
tions have callused over and two or three 
shoots grown from the top of each whip, 
as fig. 6. 
It is never advisable to grow Seakale 
roots with more than one crown, and all 
but one of the shoots just referred to 
should be removed either before planting 
or after the plants have grown two or 
three inches, the strongest shoot of course 
being retained. Light, rich soil is the 
most suitable for Seakale, and the ground 
should be well manured and deeply dug 
in the autumn or winter. Plant the sets 
in rows, allowing eighteen inches from 
plant to plant and two feet between the 
rows. The ground must be kept free 
from weeds and the soil aerated by fre¬ 
quent hoeings, and with good manage¬ 
ment a large proportion of the sets will 
develop into forcing crowns by the follow¬ 
ing autumn. “Ortus.” 
-- 
Chrysanthemum Edith Jameson. 
The blooms of this Japanese variety are 
of great size, densely built, with slightly 
interlacing florets of a soft salmon-pink. 
Award of Merit by the R.H.S. on Novem¬ 
ber 26th, when shown by Mr. Norman 
Davis, Framfield, Sussex. 
