MONTHLY CALENDAR. 521 



scorbutic. Hahnemann, the originator of homoeopathy, prescribes it in 

 €ome of his remedies. 



897 . Our English physicians consider cabbages in general as hard of digestion, 

 and apt to produce flatulency in weak stomachs. It is, however, a wholesome 

 diet for those who have good digestion, when used immediately after cutting, 



898. Cauliflower {Brassica oleracea Botrytis). — In the preceding varieties of 

 the Brassicce, we find them cultivated for their leaves, growing either loosely 

 on the stem, or forming a round compact head, blanched by being covered with 

 the outer leaves, or sprouting from the stem, sometimes in small heads, at 

 others in separate small slender leaves. We now come to the cauliflower, in 

 which the abortive flowers form a serried corymb, connected with the stem 

 by a thick fleshy peduncle, the whole thickly interwoven, and forming a com- 

 pact round head of a creamy- white colour, and of great delicacy when properlj 

 grown. 



899. The origin of the cauliflower, hke all the family, is ascribed to the 

 common wild cabbage, B. oleracea ; but it requires considerable faith in the 

 tendency of the plant to sport into varieties, in order to believe them to be of 

 the sgime species. It is of eastern origin, having been brought from Cyprus 

 into France, and introduced from that country into England early in the 

 17th century. 



900. With us the plant is treated as an annual, although it may, like all 

 the race, be propagated from cuttings. In order to keep uj? a succession, three 

 or four sowings should be made in the season, the first sowing being made on 

 a slight hotbed in February, or very early in March. This is done by digging 

 away a few inches of the soil the size of the intended bed, filling it up to a 

 few inches above the surrounding soil with fresh stable-dung which has been 

 well turned, covering the bed with the soil removed, raking it, and patting it 

 smooth with the back of the spade. On this bed sow the seed, raking it in, 

 or sifting fine soil over it, and covering it with hand-glasses, and otherwise 

 protecting it when necessar3\ 



901. Early in April a second and larger sowing should be made in the open 

 :gi'ound, and a third and last sowing about the middle of August, to stand 

 through the winter. These sowings are made on beds of rich light soil, 

 thoroughly pulverized by digging, and neither too dry nor too moist, 4^ feet 

 wide, and long in proportion to the requirements of the garden, half an 

 ounce of seed being sufficient for a 10-foot bed. In very dry weather, the seed- 

 beds should receive a copious watering the night before sowing. When the 

 plants are large enough to be handled, transplant them to nursery -beds of 

 rich soil, well manured, pricking them out four inches apart each way. Some 

 authorities recommend a second removal when the roots have formed a 

 compact mass, in order to check the gi'owth of stem and promote balling. 

 In June the April sowings will be fit to plant out where they are to grow ; in 

 September they will be heading, and will continue to improve up to the frosta 

 of early winter. 



902. Like all the Brassicas, the cauliflower reouires a rich deep soil and an 



Y 



