Book 1. CAULIFLOWER. 613 



main superior crops next summer. A secondary sowing in February or March, for succession and late 

 inferior crops the same year in summer and autumn. A final sowing near the close of May, for ordinary 

 crops, to yield fruit the following autumn and winter." Ball finds, that if cauliflower-seed is not sown 

 till the last week in August, and that if the seedlings are not transplanted till the middle or near the end 

 of November before the hard weather sets in, no sort of covering is necessary, nor any other protection than 

 that afforded by a wall having a south aspect. " In such a border, and without any covering, young 

 cauliflower-plants have uniformly stood well for many successive winters, and have always proved better 

 and sounder plants for spring planting than such as have had additional shelter. The seedlings protected 

 with glass frames generally grow too gross in the stems, which become partly blackened ; and the plants 

 being thus unhealthy, are not fit for planting out. Late raised seedlings, which spend the winter in the 

 open border, uniformly become the largest and finest table cauliflowers during the summer, though they 

 certainly do not come in quite so early. Cauliflower-plants, it is probable, are often killed with too much 

 attention. Seedlings raised late in autumn seem to tie very tenacious of life." [Caled. Hort. Mem. iii. 192.) 

 " A method of producing cauliflower pretty early, and with great certainty, is this : The plants are set in 

 small pots in the winter season, and kept in any convenient part of the floor ot a vinery or other glazed 

 house. In the beginning of March, they are taken out of the pots with the ball of earth attached, and 

 planted in the open ground. If they be here protected against severe frosts with bell-glass covers, they 

 come into head in the course of April, if the weather prove favorable." (Neill, in Ed. Encyc.) 



3543. Sowings to stand the winter. " Time of sowing and first culture. For the early and general crops next 

 summer, make a considerable sowing in August, about the eighteenth, and thence to the twenty-fourth 

 day of that month ; or two different sowings between those extremes, at three or four days' interval, to 

 raise young plants to stand the winter under protection ; some being planted out finally the same year in 

 October or November, under hand-glasses ; and the others pricked into frames and warm borders, for 

 planting out finally in the spring, into the open ground, to succeed the hand-glass fruit, or for the general 

 summer crop. Sow in a bed of rich, light, mellow earth. After sowing, give occasional light waterings in 

 dry weather, and shade in hot sunny days, till the plants come up. When these have leaves an inch or 

 an inch and a half broad, in September, prick them into intermediate beds, three or four inches apart ; 

 watering, and occasionally shading from the mid-day sun, till they have taken root ; to remain in such 

 beds to gain strength till October." 



3544. Hand-glass division. " Then 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 the row. Set three or four plants 

 centrally under each glass, about four inches apart, with the design of retaining only one or two of the best 

 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 showing a renewed growtli ; 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 temperate weather, tilt up the south side daily, two or three inches, to give the requi- 

 site admission of free air, in order to strengthen and harden the plants ; and sometimes, in fine, mild, 

 dry days, 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, unless for 

 future culture; but put on the glasses early towards the evening; and always keep them on at night, 

 and during cold rain, snow, and frost, shutting them closo down in all inclement weather ; and during ri- 

 gorous frosts it would be advisable to give some protection, with long, dry, stable-litter, round the glasses, 

 or to cover with mats, removing the covering when settled mild weather occurs. Thus conforming to the 

 vicissitudes of the season, 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 compartment of rich mellow earth, improved 

 with rotten dung digged in a spade deep : setting the plants two feet and a half asunder, and giving water. 

 In thinning the plants, be careful to take 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 stem of 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 three 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 gathering in succession in May 

 and June." 



3545. 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 at the end of October or beginning of November, in rows 

 crosswise the bed, four by three inches apart. Give a light watering, and put on the lights of the frame 

 close till the plants have taken root; then prop up the lights behind, two or three inches, or draw them 

 off occasionally to the back of the frame in mild, dry days, but keep on when very told, 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." 



3546. 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 rigor- 

 ous frosts, with mats, dry litter, or reed pannels ; or you prick some in a bed arched over with hoops, to 

 receive a covering of mats during cold nights, or heavy rain, snow, and frosts, in the day-time in winter. 

 Give the full air in all moderate weather, till March or April: then all to be transplanted finally as 

 above." 



3547. Drwnmond, of the Cork botanic garden, protects cauliflower-plants during winter by planting 

 them in excavations made in the common soil of the garden, and covered with frames thatched with long 

 straight wheat-straw. He uncovers constantly in mild weather, whether nights or days. {Hort. Trans. 

 v. 365.) 



3548. Secondary sowing, or first spring-raised crop. " For late succession summer cauliflowers, to succeed 

 the autumn-raised, early, and main summer crops; or, if none were raised to stand the winter ; sow in 

 the spring, February, or beginning of March, in a moderate 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 in the open garden, at the end of April or the 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 late succession, with small flower-heads in August and throughout 

 autumn. Plants of the last crop, removed as late as May, for fruiting the same year, should be planted in 

 a shady border." 



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