CAULIFLOWER 



207 



warmth. Keep close till the seeds 

 germinate, then give air freely, and 

 when the plants are large enough, 

 pot off singly in small pots. Winter 

 on a shelf in the lightest part of the 

 greenhouse. 



PLANTING UNDER HAND-LIGHTS. 

 These are old-fashioned but excel- 

 lent contrivances. About March, 

 acting as all must according to the 

 character of the weather, arrange 

 the lights for the early crop in a 

 warm, sunny, sheltered position, 

 where the soil is deep and rich, 3 ft. 

 apart each way, and plant four 

 plants under each light. As the 

 season advances, ventilation will be 

 required, either by placing the lights 

 on bricks, or, if the lights have 

 movable tops, by altering their 

 position. A few early Cauliflowers 

 may generally be obtained by 

 planting in front of a south wall, 

 almost close to it, to take advantage 

 of the sun's warmth, which accumu- 

 lates there both on the soil and in 

 the air. Such plants may be further 

 assisted by a ridge of soil in front, 

 and when the weather gets warm, 

 later in the season, this ridge of soil 

 will help to confine the soakings of 

 liquid manure which good culti- 

 vators will obtain by hook or by 

 crook for their early Cauliflowers. 



SUCCESSIONAL SOWINGS should be 

 made in March in heat. A few 

 seeds may be sown among any other 

 young crops, such as Early Horn 

 Carrots, as the Cauliflowers will be 

 transplanted before any harm can be 

 done. If it is not convenient to do 

 this, sow the seed in a box, and place 

 it where there is some artificial 

 warmth, harden off, and plant out 

 as seems necessary. The Autumn 

 Giant should be sown in March 

 for late summer and autumn use. 

 This is a very valuable Cauliflower 

 for hot seasons. It is very difficult 

 with any other sort to secure close, 



firm hearts in August and Septem- 

 ber, but the cross of the Broccoli, 

 that is so apparent, and which gives 

 this kind its hardiness, almost makes 

 it heat and drought proof hence 

 its great value, not only in the late 

 autumn, but also through the season 

 from August up till Christmas. Sow 

 the Walcheren in April, and again 

 in May and June for autumn. This, 

 with the Autumn Giant, will furnish 

 a supply till the winter Broccoli 

 turn in. In some situations Cauli- 

 flowers are very uncertain ; they 

 must have plenty of rich manure. 

 In such, to get them good, I have 

 opened a trench 4 ft. wide all across 

 a quarter, worked in plenty of 

 manure, then drawn three drills at 

 equal distances apart in the trench, 

 and sown seeds of the Walcheren 

 thinly. If it is necessary to sow in 

 trenches, this is a better plan than 

 having single rows, as the better soil 

 and manure being in bulk will retain 

 the moisture longer, and the plants 

 will do better. When the seedlings 

 are strong enough to transplant, 

 single them out, leaving the strongest, 

 and for this crop they may with 

 advantage be much thicker than 

 we should plant them generally. 

 Small, white, close hearts are in the 

 hot weather more useful than large 

 ones, which nearly always develop a 

 tendency to open. Some of the 

 plants thinned out may be useful if 

 planted under a north wall in rather 

 deep drills. This is acting on the 

 principle of never throwing a chance 

 away. The crop in the trench had 

 better be started about the first or 

 second week in June, and if well 

 attended to, and grown without a 

 severe check, they will be sure to 

 produce nice useful hearts at a very 

 small expense. And it is worth 

 something to feel that, under all 

 circumstances, we may rely upon any 

 particular crop turning out right. 



