26 
AMERICAN KITOL.SN GARDENER. 
throw out a great profusion of leaves by breaking off the top when it u 
about half grown .—RusseWs Catalogue. 
BORECOLE 
Brassica oleracea—Chou vert . Fr.— Grime Kohl , Ger. 
The Borecole contains several sub-varieties, the common characteristic of 
all which is an open head, sometimes large, of curled or wrinkled leaves, and 
a peculiar, hardy constitution. There are fourteen varieties enumerated by 
Loudon, ’"hose which he says are the most valuable, are the green bore¬ 
cole, Scotch kale, or Siberian borecole, the purple or brown kale, the Ger¬ 
man kale, German greens, or curlies. 
Propagation .—All the sorts are propagated by seed; and for a seed bed 
four feet by ten, Abercrombie says, one ounce of seed is necessary. McMahon 
directs to u sow towards the end of March [about three weeks later in New 
England] a first crop of borecole for autumn service,” and observes : 
“ There are two principal sorts, the green and the brown, both very hardy 
plants, with tall stems, and full heads of thick fimbriate, curled leaves, not 
cabbaging, and are desirable open greens for winter, &c. Let this seed be 
sown in an open exposure, distant from trees, and frorn close fences, as, in 
* such situations they are apt to draw up too fast, with long, weak stalks; 
sow it broad-cast, and rake it in.” Several crops may be sown in several 
successive months, from the middle of April to the middle of September. In 
dry weather, water the plants occasionally, both before and after they are up 
a When about three inches high, it will be proper to thin the seed bed, anc s 
prick out a quantity therefrom, at four inches distance, that the whole ma? 
obtain proper strength for final transplanting. 
“ When the plants are set in the places where they are to complete theb 
growth, they should be planted out like cabbages, at three feet distance 
every way, and afterwards be kept free from weeds, and the earth drawn t* 
their stems as they advance in growth. Those intended for winter us* 
should not be planted in a rich, fat loam, as there rhey would become too 
succulent, and consequently could not bear the frost as well as if growing on 
a gravelly soil. S-uch as are designed for autumn use, may be planted in 
any convenient bed that is tolerably rich. 
u The green and brown curled borecole, being very hardy, will require 
little protection [against the cold of winter]. In November they may be 
taken up, and planted in a ridge tolerably close together, and, during severe 
frost, be covered lightly with straw; this will preserve them sufficiently 
ar.d during winter the heads may be taken off as they are wanted for use 
