CHAPTER VI. 



Cauliflower. 



SOUTH TEXAS, especially near the coast, is admirably 

 adapted to this vegetable as a fall crop, but it is entirely 

 useless to undertake its growth here in spring. No mat- 

 ter how good the seed or rich the ground, the flowers will be 

 loose and open, and of small size. The cauliflower likes a 

 gradually decreasing temperature, as in the fall. It should 

 be sowed at the same time and treated exactly like cabbage 

 in every respect, and is quite as easy to grow, except that if 

 the center bud or heart is destroyed by any insect, the plant 

 rarely sends up a new one, though occasionally from near the 

 ground, a new sprout will start, but so late that it pays bet- 

 ter to pull it up and replant. The most important point for 

 success, next to very rich ground, is the right variety of seed. 

 When Henderson first introduced his Snowball cauliflower, 

 now so well and favorably known, I paid him $10 per ounce 

 for several years, and made big money by it, for the heads 

 were by far the finest in the market, and brought fancy prices. 

 As showing the intrinsic value of first-class cauliflower seed, 

 the Henderson Snowball is still held by that firm at $4 per 

 ounce, and is cheaper, really, at that than most of the cauli- 

 flower seed would be as a gift. There is no early variety 

 equal to it, but there is a large amount of so-called Snowball 

 seed that is of no value at all. 



After setting out as directed for cabbage, the plants should 

 be well cultivated until half grown and the weather begins to 

 get cool, after which the ground should not be again dis- 

 turbed. I state this as an absolute fact, after years of experi- 

 ments. While cabbage can be preserved through the winter 

 at the north and put upon the market as demand requires, it 

 is not so with cauliflower. After heading, it is impossible to 

 store the crop away long for future use, consequently there 



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