96 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



The seed should be sown in a coldframe or seed-bed dur- 

 ing September, or later. As soon as the seedlings are an inch 

 high, they should be picked out and transferred. The rows 

 are made 4 inches apart and the seedlings set 3 or 4 inches 

 in the row, pressing the soil about their roots lightly and 

 watering thoroughly. A speedy way of setting them out 

 is to make a drill about ^ inch deep and place the seedlings 

 in this in an upright position, then press the soil to them 

 from both sides. After a part of a coldframe has been 

 set out, an abundance of water is applied in a very fine 

 spray. By separating the plants in this way, damping-off, 

 that often causes great losses among plants belonging to 

 the cabbage tribe, is largely checked. When the plants 

 are 4 or 5 inches high, they should be set in the field, or 

 the seed may be sown thinly in drills 4 inches apart, and 

 the plants set out directly in the field. 



The soil should be rich sandy loam, deeply prepared 

 and heavily fertilized, using the same fertilizer ingredients 

 as for cauliflower. The rows are laid off 3 feet apart and 

 the plants set 18 inches apart in the row. 



As soon as the first seedlings are ready to set out, they 

 should be hardened off for a day or two before planting 

 in the field. If a cold snap is just at hand, the plants may 

 be kept in the frame for a week or two longer. A fresh 

 supply of plants should always be kept under special pro- 

 tection, to be used in case of a hard freeze that may kill 

 the plants in the field. 



Cultivation should be practiced frequently, but only to 

 a medium depth. When the heads are maturing, a light 

 band of bast or other cheap material may be used to tie 

 the leaves over the heads for the purpose of blanching. 



