172 KITCHEN GARDEN. 



early supply, it is useful to be at the pains of potting a few 

 scores of plants ; these are to be kept under glass during 

 winter, and plunged out in spring, defending them with a 

 hand-glass, and watering them when needful. Sometimes, 

 as in market-gardens, patches of three or four plants are 

 sheltered by hand-glasses throughout the winter in the open 

 border. It is advantageous to prick out the spring-sown 

 plants into some sheltered place, before they be finally trans- 

 planted and committed to the open ground in May. The 

 later crop, the transplantation of which may take place at 

 various times, is treated like early cabbages. Cauliflower 

 succeeds best in a rich soil and warm situation. After 

 planting, all that is necessary is to hoe the ground and 

 draw up the soil about the roots. 



It is found that this vegetable, being induced to form its 

 large and crowded clusters of flower-buds in the autumn, 

 may be kept in perfection over winter. Cauliflowers which 

 have been planted out in July will be nearly ready for use 

 in October. Towards the end of that month, the most 

 compact and best shaped are selected and lifted carefully 

 with the spade, keeping a ball of earth attached to the roots. 

 Some of the large outside leaves are removed, in order that 

 the plants may occupy less room, and at the same time, any 

 points of leaves that immediately overhang the flower are 

 cut off. Where there are peach-houses or vineries, the 

 plants may be arranged in the borders of these, pretty 

 closely together, but without touching. Or they may be 

 placed in the same manner in hotbed frames. In mild, dry 

 weather the glass-frames are drawn off, but they are kept 

 close in rain ; and in severe frost they are thickly covered 



snow with a thin coat of ice : the plants remained imbedded below at an 

 invariable temperature of 32, which they could well enough sustain, and 

 they ran no risk from the expanding effects of freezing. 



