274 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



it should be thoroughly worked in to a depth of three or four inches. 

 From a few days to two weeks should elapse before the seed is sown 

 for there is great danger in planting seed too soon after applying 

 commercial fertilizer as the seed is likely to be destroyed by the action 

 of the mineral substance unless it has been dissolved and thoroughly 

 incorporated with the soil. The time between the application of the 

 fertilizer and the sowing of the seed will depend upon the amount of 

 rainfall and it is often better to wet down the seed-bed each day for 

 four or five days before planting and not to depend upon the uncer- 

 tain rainfall. The rows should be about three inches apart. In six or 

 seven days the young plants should begin to appear and the ground 

 between the drills should be cultivated. Do not allow the soil to dry 

 out as the cauliflower plant from seed to head should never be 

 checked. Neither should the bed be kept too wet, else there is danger 

 of "damping off." The bed should be carefully watched and if the 

 disease does break out it may be checked by removing the diseased 

 plants, working the soil, scattering dry sand and sulphur along the 

 rows and withholding water until the surface sorl becomes dry. It 

 might be pointed out here that about six months must be allowed 

 from the sowing of the seed until the crop matures. 



Transplanting. The plants should not be allowed to remain 

 long in the seed rows. If left too long they will soon crowd and 

 become weak and spindling. When they have reached the height of 

 one inch, they should be pricked off and set in another portion of the 

 bed. They may be set in rows four inches apart with the plants one 

 and a half to two inches apart in the rows. Here they should remain 

 until ready for the field. If care has been exercised all the way 

 through, the plants will be short, stocky and vigorous. By the time 

 they are four or five inches high or when the leaves have lapped they 

 are ready for the field. It is not best to let them get too large, because 

 there is often a delay of a few days in order to obtain good climatic 

 conditions for setting out. If left too long in the seed bed, greater care 

 must be exercised in transplanting, else the plants may suffer a severe 

 check and will button or break irregularly instead of forming smooth 

 well shaped heads. 



Soils and Preparation. Work should be started on the ground 

 at least a month before the plants are set out. The cauliflower is a 

 deep rooted plant, consequently the soil should be prepared deeply. 

 It is not advisable to turn under the good surface soil and to obviate 

 this ground may be plowed shallow and then stirred and opened with 

 a bull-tongue to a depth of seven or eight inches. After this the sur- 

 face should be cultivated to a depth of two or three inches. ^ Give 

 thorough preparation by frequent cultivation before the fertilizer is 

 applied, preparatory to setting out the plants. 



Setting Out. It is best that the plants be set out either just 

 before or immediately after a rain, but if this can not be done they 

 should be set out late in the evening and watered, giving each plant 

 about a quart of water. A cloudy day is much preferable to a clear 

 one and if the day on which the plants are set out is followed by 

 cloudy weather, so much the better. The ground should be leveled 



