CALIFORNIA CAULIFLOWER GROWING 167 



With a long knife, he would chop off the leaf ends within about two 

 inches of the head. If he couldn't see the head then without pulling the 

 leaves away it passed as "white and solid" for the incurving leaves have 

 protected it from the sun. If it were too old it would have spread out and 

 opened the leaves apart. But a large percentage could be seen and then a 

 quick look decided whether the head would go into the pile to be sold at 

 about 25 cents per dozen to peddlers for immediate consumption in the city, 

 or whether he would toss it to the representative of the shipping company 

 who was packing the acceptable cauliflower in "pony" crates. Many heads 

 were soft, would spread apart on pressure with the fingers, many were yel- 

 lowed, many covered with dust blown probably from the road. These could 

 not be shipped. 



When to Cut Cauliflower. According to his own confession, 

 it took R. M. Plympton, of Arroyo Grande, a long time to learn to 

 cut the cauliflower at the right stage. Sometimes it looks all right 

 when still immature. In such cases, a delay of three or four days 

 greatly increases the weight and price without hurting the quality. 

 When such heads are found in the regular semi-weekly picking, the 

 leaves are broken over them so they will not sunburn, or get dirty, 

 or turn yellow, and so the rain will be kept off. Too much rain is 

 likely to hurt the heads. The cauliflower is ready to cut when the 

 sections of a head spread out just enough to show very slightly the 

 lines of separation between them. Plenty of big leaves are left 

 around each head until they are trimmed at the house. If the 

 cauliflower is to go a long distance, more leaves are left on to pro- 

 tect the heads from dirt and injury. 



Vegetable crates 20x22x24 inches are packed with about three 

 dozen heads per crate, weighing 110 to 125 pounds large and small 

 being packed together to economize space. Grading for size is also 

 practiced, however, by some growers. 



Soil. Like the cabbage, the cauliflower likes good, rich soil 

 and plenty of water ; coarse, long manure answers the purpose of a 

 fertilizer very well if the soil is heavy; if applied on the surface, 

 either on light or heavy soil, it keeps the ground loose and the water 

 soaks through, and thus the soil is always moist. 



Situation. The cauliflower is less hardy than the cabbage, and 

 where there is a choice of situations in the garden, it should be 

 given, for winter growing, the one which is warmer and more pro- 

 tected. It also resents heat which a cabbage will endure, and for 

 summer growing will be benefited by partial shade. 



Growing Plants. There is a wide difference in practice in 

 different regions. On irrigated ground in the foothills seed is sown 

 in the open ground in June or July, by making the soil as fine as 

 possible; sow the seeds and cover with a slight coat of well-rotted 

 manure ; keep well wet down. This prevents drying out and harden- 

 ing of the ground and the plants come along finely. Similar prac- 

 tice is followed in regions of little frost in other parts of the state 

 at different times from July to September, for winter cutting. As 

 eastern shipments of cauliflower continue from December through 

 the winter, early growth of plants is necessary, and the fall weather 



