230 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



made of roiigli plauks, braced with cross-pieces ; this I will put on 

 when the weather is frosty, and take off when the weather is mild, 

 and the plants will be sure of air to keep them strong and sturdy. 

 Or if AYOod is not at hand, and a cottager has a turn for a little 

 homely work, let him thatch a few hurdles with reed or straw, and 

 lie will be pretty well off, aud may grow as fine cauliflowers as the 

 nobleman's gardener who has acres of glass. Even if the district 

 does not supply turf for the walls, he need not be beaten j he can 

 surely get a few rough boards to form the sides, and then bank it 

 up all round outside with puddled clay and chopped straw, or with 

 a bank of fern or straw in frosty weather only. 



Let us now see about the sowiug of the seed. The best time for 

 small gardens in these parts is from the 18th to the 24th of Sep- 

 tember, but in cold climates a month earlier is not too soon. There- 

 fore it is that I bring the subject forward now, for in the northern 

 parts of our island the 20th of August is none too soon for sowing 

 cauliflower seed. In great gardens several sowings are made, and 

 fine heads are obtained from seed sown in heat in February and 

 March, and brought forward with care until they are large enough 

 to be planted out. Supposing a few rows only to be required in a 

 tradesman's or cottager's garden, a thimbleful of seed will be enough, 

 and the border should be sheltered and the soil nicely broken up and 

 pulverized, so that the little plants wnll have a healthy and I'ree growth. 

 They should be pricked out a few inches apart as soon as they can 

 be handled, in order to keep them short and sturdy. If the weather 

 continues mild and favourable to growth, lift them a second time, 

 and replant th^m, taking care not to break the roots or leaves in 

 so doing. It is very important to prevent them getting " too gay," 

 as we call it, at that season ; that is, we want short healthy plants, 

 not long, large-leaved, light green succulent plants, for these do not 

 go through the winter so well as those that are stubby. It has been 

 well said that severe checks are the ruin of celery, and I must say 

 that severe checks are the ruin of cauliflowers. Let them grow 

 rank in autumn, get a little frost in winter, and then let the plant- 

 ing out in spring be followed by dry weather, and the result is they 

 " button" — that is, they form useless little heads of flower before 

 the proper time, and then terminate their career disgracefully. 

 About the first or second week in November, get them into their 

 winter quarters, Avhatever such quarters may consist of, and re- 

 specting which 1 have no doubt said enough. Keep them healthy 

 and hardy ; plenty of air except in frosty weather, and even then, 

 in the middle of the day, air ought to be given if the sun shines, 

 and there is no danger of getting them frozen. Remove dead 

 leaves, and stir the ground between them, and they will do well 

 till the time comes for planting out. I have seen many fine 

 batches of cauliflower plants wintered safely on steep sloping banks 

 having a north aspect, short evergreen boughs being stuck in when 

 frost was likely to occur, to break the force of the wind. In a south 

 aspect they do not get on so well, for the sun starts them into 

 growth too early, and they are in the end very much cut about by 

 frost. 



