268 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



as they have attained a growth of at least two inches across the 

 head, the outer leaves should be tied up in order to protect against 

 sun and weather, and to blanch the heads. It also prevents them 

 from becoming discolored or bitter. Sometimes the ribs of the 

 inside leaves are broken and allowed to cover the heads. Cut for 

 use as soon as the heads are hard and compact, otherwise they are 

 not so good in quality. 



This crop is usually badly attacked by' the cabbage worm. To 

 save the crop several practices are resorted to: Dusting the 

 young plants with such powders as wood ashes, fine road dust, 

 air-slacked lime or fine tobacco dust, and often Paris green is 

 mixed with one of these powders. The dusting itself is chiefly 

 to keep the white butterflies from laying their eggs on the plants 

 where the worms which hatch from the eggs would eat the plants. 

 The dusting is done while the early morning dew is still on the 

 plants. This makes it stick better. 



Broccoli. This crop makes its chief growth in the fall. The 

 plants are often started in the early spring in a hotbed or cold- 

 frame, and the young plants are afterwards transplanted to the 

 garden. They need much the same garden conditions as cauli- 

 flower. 



For the fall crop, the seed is sown in the open in late summer, 

 and the row is marked with a little lime dust as in the fall seeding 

 of late cabbage. 



Brussels Sprouts. In many sections this crop is not well 

 known. The cultural methods are similar to those for cauliflower 

 and late cabbage. The plants may be started under protection 

 and then transplanted in late spring to the garden. On the tall 

 stalks are produced small heads resembling minute cabbage heads. 

 These are considered rare delicacies, and are cooked and served 

 in much the same way as cauliflower. The harvest is usually 

 delayed until .after some frosts have attacked the crop, as this 

 improves the flavor. 



Celery (Fig. 183). This plant is considered especially valuable 

 when the stalks are thick, crisp and tender, and blanched to a 

 creamy whiteness. It is now a staple vegetable, and may be served 

 in several ways in salads, or the crisp stalks are carefully trimmed 

 and washed and eaten raw with the addition of a little salt. It is 

 also cooked. Celery contains certain medicinal qualities, and is 

 valuable as a nervine. 



Seed sown from February to April will be ready to transplant 



