26 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



and planting is another important matter. If you are not ready to 

 plant, thin the seed-bed and prick out the seedlings. A first-class 

 crop of Broccoli is worth any amount of trouble, although trouble 

 ought to be an unknown word in the dictionary of a gardener. 



As a rule, Broccoli should be planted in fresh ground, and, in 

 mild districts, if the soil is in some degree rank with green manure 

 the crop will be none the worse for it. But rank manure is not 

 needful ; a deep, well-dug, sweet loam will produce a healthy growth 

 and neat handsome heads. However, it is proper to remark, that if 

 any rank manure is in the way, or if the ground is poor and wants it, 

 the Broccoli will take to it kindly, and all the rankness will be gone 

 long before they produce their creamy heads. Still it must be clearly 

 understood that the more generous the treatment, the more succulent 

 will be the growth, and in cold climates a succulent condition may 

 endanger the crop when hard weather sets in. With this reservation, 

 we proceed to observe that Broccoli follows well upon Peas, early 

 Potatoes, early Kidney Beans, and Strawberries that are dug in when 

 gathered from for the last time. But it does not follow well upon 

 Cabbage, Turnip, or Cauliflower ; if you must plant it to follow any 

 of these, dig deeply, manure heavily, and in planting dust a little 

 freshly slaked lime in the holes. The times of planting will depend 

 on the state of the plants and the proper season of their heading in. 

 But everywhere and always the plants should be got out of the seed- 

 bed into their permanent quarters as soon as possible, for the longer 

 they stay in the seed-bed the more likely are they to become drawn 

 above and clubbed below. As regards distances, too, the soil, the 

 sort, and the season must be considered. For all sorts the dis- 

 tances range from two to two and a half feet ; and for most of the 

 medium-sized sorts that have to stand out through the winter for use 

 in spring, a distance of eighteen to twenty-four inches is usually 

 enough, because if they are rather close they protect one another. 

 But with strong sorts in strong soils and kind climates, two feet and 

 a half every way is none too much even for safe wintering. Plant 

 firmly, water if needful, and do not stint it ; but, if possible, plant in 

 showery weather, and give no water at all. Watering may save the 

 crop, but the finest pieces of Broccoli are those that are secured 

 without any watering whatever. 



It is time now to come to particulars, and we shall begin with the 

 AUTUMN BROCCOLI. A few years ago the only Autumn Broccoli 

 known were the so-called Cape varieties, and the White Cape is still 

 worth growing, although other excellent varieties, such as Michaelmas 



