CAUF. 



CAULIFLOWER. 



tie. (Brit. Husb. vol. i. p. 202; vol. ii. p. 399.) 

 See VENTILATION. 



CAUF. A chest with holes in the top to 

 keep fish alive in the water. 



CAUKER, or CALKERS. A terra employed 

 in farriery to signify bending or turning up of 

 the heels c.f the shoes of horses, and intended 

 to prevent the animal slipping. This method, 

 though once general, is now commonly limited 

 to the outside heel of the shoes of the hind 

 feet. f 



CAULIFEROUS (From caulis, a stalk, and 

 fero, to bear). A term applied to such plants 

 as are furnished with a stalk which bear 

 shoots, as the cauliflower, cabbage, &c. 



CAULIFLOWER (From Lat. caulis; Bras- 

 gica olcnicea bo(rytis). A species of brassica, of 

 which there are two varieties; the early, 

 which is smallest and most fit for growth under 

 lights, for the winter-standing crop; and the 

 large, for the open ground plantations. Cauli- 

 flower is propagated by seed; the first sowing 

 to take place at the close of January or early 

 in February, in a slight hot-bed, or warm bor- 

 der, in either situation to have the protection 

 of a frame. The plants are fit to be pricked 

 out in March in similar situations, and for 

 final removal into the open ground during 

 April and May; and some to be placed under 

 hand-glasses fcr more immediately succeeding 

 the winter-standing crop. At the beginning of 

 March and April another sowing is to be per- 

 formed in a sheltered border, the seedlings of 

 which may be pricked out in May, and planted 

 finally in June for protection at the end of 

 summer. Again, another sowing may be done 

 in the last week of May ; for pricking out, in 

 June; and for final planting, the end of July; 

 to produce during October and November, and 

 in favourable seasons until Christmas. The 

 .seed of these sowings must be inserted broad- 

 cast, and covered half an inch thick with fine 

 mould. The seedlings are of sufficient size for 

 pricking out when they have four or five 

 leaves, about an inch in breadth ; they must be 

 set three or four inches apart each way. Water 

 must be given moderately, both in the seed-bed 

 and at the time of removal, if the weather is at 

 all dry. When finally set out, they must be 

 planted in rows two inches and a half apart 

 each way. The mould must be frequently 

 loosened by the hoe, and drawn up about their 

 stems. In dry weather during summer, a cup- 

 like hollow should be formed round each plant, 

 and filled twice a week with water ; but as soon 

 as the flower makes its appearance, it must be 

 1 every other day. As the head appears 

 exposed, it is advantageous to break some of 

 the leaves, and turn them over it as a shelter 

 from the sun : this preserves then from becom- 

 ing of a 3'ellow hue, as well as retards their 

 advancing to seed. 



r-s; until n '^ crop. The seed for this crop 

 must be sown in the third week of August, in 

 a warm border or an old hot-bed, with the pro- 

 tection of a frame or hand-glass. That the 

 cauliflower, though the most tender of the 

 brassica tribe, is not so impatient of cold as 

 some gardeners are led to imagine, is demon- 

 strated by the fact, that the imperfect covering 

 r f mats will almost always preserve the plants 

 304 



uninjured through the winter ; and the practice 

 of Mr. Bull, of Rossie Priory, North Britain, 

 proves that it is scarce^ more so than the 

 broccoli. He sows in the last ween, ul August, 

 transplants in the middle or end of November, 

 and often does not even afford the plants the 

 protection of a south wall, and no description 

 of covering. Plants thus raised are healthier, 

 and produce finer heads than those which 

 have additional shelter, though they are not sc 

 forward, neither are they subject to be black- 

 shanked. (Mem. Caled. Hort. Soc. vol. iii. p. 192.) 



The seed-bed, if not one that has grown cu- 

 cumbers, &c., must be well manured with dung 

 from a cucumber bed, or, as is sometimes re- 

 commended, a basis five or six inches thick of 

 dung in a perfectly decayed state must be 

 formed, firmly trodden down, and covered with 

 a similar thickness of light rich mould: in this 

 the seed is to be sown and buried a quarter 

 of an inch deep, and, during the meridian of 

 hot days, shaded with matting. Moderate 

 waterings must be given, as may seem neces- 

 sary. The plants appear in about a week, and 

 the shading and watering must in like manner 

 be afforded. 



The plants are fit for pricking out at the 

 close of September, when their leaves are 

 rather more than an inch wide. They should 

 be placed in a similar soil and situation to that 

 from which they were removed. Towards the 

 end of October, or first week in November, 

 they must be removed, and planted in patches 

 of from three to six together, these clusters 

 being in rows three feet apart each way are to 

 be sheltered with hand-glasses until the spring. 

 At the end of February, if an open season, or 

 not until March if otherwise, part of the plants 

 may be removed from under the hand-glasses, 

 two strong ones being left under each glass, 

 and set out in the open ground; the soil arid 

 sheltered situation being as nearly similar to 

 that from which they are taken as possible. 

 Some, also, may be planted out from the 

 frames ; but from either situation these re- 

 movals must be concluded by the middle of 

 April. Care must be taken to remove the 

 plants with as much earth as possible retained 

 to their roots, and they are to be planted at a 

 similar distance as was recommended for the 

 other open-ground crops. 



Those continued under the glasses must 

 have air admitted as freely as possible, and 

 other precautions adopted that were recom- 

 mended during their winter growth. Earth 

 should be drawn carefully about their stems, 

 without any being allowed to fall into their 

 hearts. When they fill the glasses, these last 

 are easily raised by a circular mound, four or 

 five inches high, thrown up round them. In 

 mild weather, hot sunny days, and during ge- 

 nial showers, the glasses may be taken com- 

 pletely off, but replaced at nfght. The plants 

 being thus hardened by degrees, and when al 

 danger of frost is past, about the end of April 

 or early in May the glasses may be entirely 

 removed. The leaves are to be broken down 

 over the heads, as before directed. For the 

 production of seed, some plants of the winter 

 standing crop which have fine and firm head 

 must be selected, as these will produce *% 



