Sea-Cale.
357. Sea•Cale, (Crambe nzaritima, L. ; Tetradynanzia Siliquosa ; nat. ord. Cruciferzz), is a perennial plant, grow ing naturally on many of the sandy and gravelly beaches of the west of England, and also among cliffs on the sea coast of Essex and Sussex. It is not mentioned by Light foot in his Flora of Scotland ; but it grows on the shore of the Frith of Forth at Caroline Park, near Edinburgh. It is figured in English Botany, t. 924. The roots are spread ing (rather than creeping, as they are commonly describ ed) ; the whole plant is smooth, glaucous, or covered with a fine bloom; the lower leaves large and waved ; the stalks rise near two feet high, producing white flowers, followed by spherical seed-pods, resembling peas, each containing only a single seed.
358. The common people, particularly on the western shores of England, have for time immemorial been in the practice of watching when the shoots begin to push up the sand or gravel, in March and April, and cutting of the young shoots, which are thus blanched and tender, and using them as a pot-herb. It was toward the middle of the 18th century, however, before sea-cale was introduced into the kitchen-garden. About the year 1767, it was first brought into general notice in the neighbourhood of Lon don by the late distinguished Dr Lettsom, who cultivated it in his garden at Grove Hill. In the " Gardener's Dic tionary," published in 1774, by James Gordon at Fountain bridge, are contained directions for the cultivation of this vegetable, and for blanching it by covering the beds four inches deep with sand or gravel. A good many years af terwards, a detailed account of its culture was given by the Rev. Mr Laurent, in the third volume of Young's Annals of Agriculture. The late Mr Curtis, well known for his botanical writings, next published a tract it; and in the first volume of the Transactions of the Horti cultural Sockty of London, there is a very good paper on its cultivation, by Mr John Maher, gardener at Edmonton. It is now become a pretty common vegetable in Covent Garden Market, and has even begun to appear on the green stalls of the Scottish metropolis.
359. The bed or quarter intended for sea-cale is trench ed deep, at least two feet. The soil should be sandy and light, but at the same time mixed with fine rich mould ; and it may here be noticed, that of all manures for this crop, drift
If the quality of the seed is any wise dcubtful, two or more arc commonly put in each hole, to make sure of a crop, any superfluous plants being afterwards
Dur ing the first summer, the only culture necessary is hoeing, to keep the plants clear of weeds. In November, some gardeners cover the whole bed With rotten dung, in the way that is often practised with asparagus. This is raked off in the spring, and the surface of the earth stirred with the asparagus fork. During the second year, the same plan is followed. In the third year, most of the plants will be strong enough to be blanched for use.
360. The blanching is accomplished in different ways. For a long time the only provision for this purpose was, to make the shoots pass through several inches of soil before reaching the surface, and afterwards drawing up the earth to them as they advanced. It was an improvement to use sifted coal-ashes for the earthing up, and a farther im provement to use old tree-leaves for that purpose. Some cultivators placed hoops over the beds, and covered them close with mats. Large flower pots, such as are denomi nated No. 1, inverted over the plants, were found very use ful in forwarding the etiolation, and in keeping the plant crisp and cleat. Blanching pots with handles were after wards used ; and a figure of one of these is given in the London Horticultural Transactions, vol. i. plate 1. A very great improvement in the constructing of blanching pots was suggested by Mr R A. Salisbury, Secretary to the London Horticultural Societ),--the making them in two pieces, or with moveable tops or lids. Such are how used in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, and are found exceed ingly convenient; a figure of one of them may be seen Pate CCCXII. Fig. 5. These pots should be nearly as wide at top as below, in order to give room for the cutting of such shoots as arc ready, without breaking the others ; and the covers should fit very nicely, so as to exclude light and air as completely as possible ; the pot in this way serving not only for blanching, but to a certain extent for forcing. It is necessary to have from thirty to fifty such covers ; each affording only as much as will form a dish, during the sea son. Sir George Mackenzie, Bart. whose name has more than once been mentioned as a horticultural improver, has described (Scottish Hort. Mem. i. 313) a simple and easy mode of blanching practised in his garden at Coul. This consists in covering the beds with clean dry straw, which is changed when it becomes wet or heavy. Oat straw, when it is broken in the thrashing-mill, is found to be well suited for this purpose.