CRUCIFER. 
watering and occasionally shading from the mid-day sun, till 
they have taken root; to remain in such beds till they have 
gained strength till October. 
Hand-glass Division. “ Towards the close of October, 
transplant a quantity finally into rich ground, which has been 
well dunged, under hand-glasses in rows three feet and a half 
or four feet asunder, with intervening alleys a foot wide, and 
three feet apart in a row. Set three, four or six plants centrally 
under each glass about four inches apart, with the design of re- 
taining only two or three of the best plants in the spring. Give 
a moderate watering at planting, and put on the glasses close 
till the plants take root, discoverable in a week or ten days, by 
their shewing a renewed growth; then raise the glasses on the 
warmest side, one or two inches in mild days, to admit free air 
to the plants. Continue the glasses all winter, but in all tem- 
perate weather tilt up the south side daily two or three inches to 
give the requisite admission of free air. You may occasionally 
take the glasses off, especially if the plants appear to draw or 
get on too fast in growth, as they are sometimes apt to run into 
small button heads in their nursery state, useless for future 
culture; but put on the glasses early towards evening, and 
always keep them on at night and during cold rain, snow, and 
frosts, shutting them close down in all inclement weather, and 
during rigorous frosts it would be advisable to give some pro- 
tection with long dry stable litter round the glasses, or to cover 
with mats, removing the covering when mild settled weather 
occurs. Thus conforming to the vicissitudes of the weather, 
continue the glasses till the close of April or beginning of May, 
giving larger admissions of free air as the warmer season of 
spring advances, and sometimes in fine mild weather admit a 
moderate warm shower of rain. Meanwhile in March, if all 
or most of the plants under the glasses have stood the winter, 
be careful to leave only one or two of the strongest under each 
glass, transplanting the superabundant into the open garden in a 
quarter of rich mellow earth, improved with rotten dung dug in 
a spade deep ; setting the plants two feet and a half asunder, and 
giving water. In thinning the plants be careful in taking out 
those with black shanks, but do not take the trouble to transplant 
them, for they will prove abortive. At the same time, to assist 
those remaining under the glasses, draw a little earth about the 
stemof each. To these continue the glasses till the period men- 
tioned above to forward them in full growth for the most early 
production; but as they expand in the herb raise each glass 
upon the props three or four inches high, to admit air freely, 
and to give a larger scope of room above, for the free growth of 
the plants, or when further advanced you may draw a small 
ledge of earth round the bottom of each glass, both to raise the 
Props higher for an additional upward space, and to contain 
Water when occasionally given in dry weather. ‘Towards the 
end of April or the beginning of May, when the plants will in 
a manner have filled the glasses, remove these from the most 
forward, but continue the aid of glass as long as practicable, to 
accelerate the plants into early heading in May. Thus the most 
early crop will produce a supply of flower-heads for gatherings 
succession in May and June.” 
Frame Division. “ The other plants of the same sowing 
designed for wintering in frames, may in young growth, at the 
end of September or beginning of October, be either pricked 
at once into the winter beds, or be at that time removed into a 
preparatory bed in the open garden, to have a month’s growth 
in order to be transplanted into the frame beds in the end of 
October or beginning of November in rows, crosswise, four or 
three inches apart in the bed, covering the surface with dry 
oe or sharp sand. Give a light watering, and put on the 
pants close till the plants have taken root, then prop up the 
'gats behind two or three inches, or draw them off occasionally 
LXXXIII. Brassica. 
235 
to the back of the frames in mild dry days, but keep them on 
when very cold, and in rain, snow, frost, and always at night, 
and in severe frost cover the glasses and round the frames with 
dry long strawy litter and mats; but in all mild, dry weather 
admit the air fully as in managing the hand-glasses. Then in 
March or beginning of April, transplant the whole into the open 
garden in rows two feet and a half asunder, and they will come 
into full production in July and August.” 
Half-sheltered Portion. “ In want of frames or hand-glasses, 
you may in October either prick some plants into a warm south 
border close under the fence, three inches apart to be protected 
in rigorous frosts with mats, dry litter or reed pannels ; or you 
may prick some into a bed, arched over with hoops, to receive a 
covering of mats during cold nights or heavy rains, snow or 
frosts in the day-time in winter. Give the full air in all moder- 
ate weather till March or April, then all to be transplanted 
finally as above.” 
Secondary sowing or first spring-raised crop. *“ For late 
succession summer cauliflower to succeed the autumn-raised 
early and main summer crops, or if none were raised to stand 
the winter. Sow in February. or beginning of March in a mo- 
derate hot-bed, or where that cannot be had, in a warm border 
under a frame or hand-glass, and when the young plants have 
leaves an inch broad, prick them into other beds of the same 
description, three inches apart, to gain strength -by three or four 
weeks growth, in order to be planted out into the open garden at 
the end of April or beginning of May, where they will produce 
tolerable heads in July or August. Sow also in the open garden 
during the last fortnight in March and the first in April for a 
later succession with small heads in August and throughout 
autumn. Plants of the late crop removed as late as May for 
fruiting the same year should be planted in a shady border.” 
Second spring-raised crop. ‘ The next and last sowing is for 
the late autumn and winter crop, commonly called the Michael- 
mas crop, to be made towards the 24th of May, ina bed of light 
earth. Prick out the young plants in June to remain in the in- 
termediate bed till about the middle of July, then to be trans- 
planted two-feet and.a half asunder. Give occasional watering 
till they have taken good root. They will begin to produce heads 
in October, but they will be of superior size in November and 
December if temperate weather follows. 
Final culture of the three crops. “ With respect to the cul- 
ture of the different crops, after being finally transplanted, it is to 
hoe the ground occasionally in order to cut down weeds, and as 
well to loosen the earth and draw some round the stems of the 
plants. When the early crops are nearly advanced to full growth 
in May and June, one or two good waterings to the roots will con- 
tribute to their producing large heads. In the dry weather of 
meridian summer water those not in flower twice a-week, and 
those in flower every second day. As the flower heads shew 
themselves turn down some of the larger leaves to defend them 
from sun and rain, and to preserve them white and close in per- 
fection.” Abercrombie. 
Insects and Slugs. “ Cauliflower plants when first planted 
out are frequently infested with flies or their larvee, to attract 
which it is not uncommon to sow a little radish-seed on the Cauli- 
flower ground a fortnight before transplanting, the flies preferring 
the tender leaves of the radish to those of the cauliflower, the 
latter are thus suffered to escape.” Loudon. 
Look carefully once a-week or oftener, if mild weather, over 
the cauliflower plants, as slugs will destroy many of them, the 
best way is to pick them carefully off with the hand. Laying a 
little chaff round the plants is said to keep off slugs. In severe 
weather mice and rats will be apt to destroy them ; recourse must 
then be had to poison and traps. The plants should be kept 
clean from dead leaves and weeds. 
Hh2 
