54 THE CAULIFLOWER. 



and wintered over in cold frames, or else started 

 from seeds sown in January or February in a hot- 

 bed or greenhouse, and planted in small pots or 

 boxes, so as to make plants strong enough to be set 

 out as soon as the soil is fit to work, which, in this 

 latitude, is usually the first week in April. We are 

 often applied to for cauliflower plants as late as 

 May, but the chances of their forming heads when 

 planted in May are slim indeed. The surest way 

 to secure the heading of cauliflowers is to use what 

 are called hand-glasses. These are usually made 

 about two feet square, which gives room enough 

 for three or four plants of cauliflower until they are 

 so far forwarded that the glass can be taken off. 

 When the hand-glass is used the cauliflowers may 

 be planted out in any warm border early in March 

 and covered by them. This covering protects them 

 from frost at night, and gives the necessary increase 

 of temperature for growth during the cold weeks 

 of March and April; so that by the first week in 

 May, if the cauliflower has been properh^ hardened 

 off by ventilating (by tilting up the hand-glasses 

 on one side) they may be taken off altogether and 

 then used to forward tomatoes, melons or cucum- 

 bers. If the weather is dry the cauliflowers will 

 be much benefitted by being thoroughly soaked 

 with water twice or thrice a week. * * * 

 The two best varieties of cauliflower we have 



