88 THE CAULIFLOWER. 



by eating through the stem under ground. The 

 bed having been thoroughly watered, the seed may 

 be sown broadcast or in lines, and covered with a 

 quarter of an inch of tine, dry, sandy soil, and 

 shaded from bright sunshine. When the seedlings 

 appear, gradually remove the shade. The most 

 convenient form of bed is not more than four feet 

 in width, the length being sufficient for the ground 

 to be planted. One ounce of seed is sufficient for 

 a bed fifty feet square, which will give sufficient 

 plants for an acre if the seed is good. Sowing 

 should be made once in ten days, from the middle 

 of August till the end of September. If the garden 

 has been neglected, or the district remarkable for 

 the quantity of grubs that yearly come out in 

 August, spread a considerable part of the garden 

 with a thick coating of stable litter or dry leaves 

 and burn it, prepare the seed bed in the middle of 

 the burnt space, and soak two pounds of saltpetre 

 in water for one hundred square feet, and water 

 the bed with it for at least two weeks before sowing 

 the seed. When the seedlings have acquired about 

 five leaves, and the ground to plant is ready, lift 

 the young plants gently on a cloudy day, and plant 

 them out two and one-half feet apart each way. If 

 bright sunshine comes out, shade the newly moved 

 plants with broad leaves, and water them daily 

 with the watering pot for a few days, besides 



