CAU 



[ 189 ] 



CAU 



the first principal and main crops of the 

 following year. Should the weather he 

 very dry at the time of sowing, the soil 

 should be thoroughly well watered hefore 

 the seed is sown, and so continued to 

 encourage the 'growth of the seedlings. 

 As soon as these are up large enough to 

 handle, heds should be formed in an open 

 situation, well broken up, made rich, 

 lined out neatly, and, if the weather is 

 dry, well watered before planting, as well 

 as afterwards. The best time for prick- 

 ing out young plants of any kind, in dry 

 weather, is late in the afternoon or in 

 the evening. By this attention, strong, 

 healthy plants will be ready for either 

 finally planting out under hand-glasses, 

 about the middle of October, or for pro- 

 tection in frames, or at the foot of walls. 

 These protected plants are to form a 

 second crop to those which were planted 

 out under the hand-glasses, and may be 

 finally planted out towards the end of 

 February, if the weather is favourable, 

 two feet and a half asunder each way ; 

 and should severe weather set in again, 

 flower-pots just large enough to cover the 

 plant may be turned over each, but taken 

 off in all favourable weather. Care 

 should always be taken to lift up the 

 plants out of the nursery-beds, so as to 

 insure uninjured roots. 



Should the weather be very severe in 

 the winter, the hand-glass crop must 

 have a little protection more than that of 

 the hand-light itself. But particular at- 

 tention should be paid to airing at all 

 times when the weather will permit, by 

 either taking the lights entirely off, or 

 tilting them. 



If, through some mismanagement or 

 misfortune, the winter stock should be- 

 come short, a sowing towards the end of 

 January becomes of importance. A very 

 little seed must then be sown in a pan or 

 box. placed in some moderate-heated 

 structure, or in a gentle hotbed made up 

 for the purpose ; and when the seedlings 

 ere up, and large enough to handle, they 

 should be pricked out on other very 

 gentle hotbeds, care being taken to keep 

 the plants up close to the glass, and 

 inured to the open air. Plants raised 

 in this way will be nearly as forward as 

 those sown in August, and protected in 

 cold frames through the winter. 



The second Sowing should be at the 

 end of February or beginning of March, 

 and then either in a cold frame, or warn:. 



open border ; or, if the weather be very 

 unfavourable, a sowing may be made on 

 a very gentle hotbed even at this time, 

 attention to pricking- out, &c., given as 

 before directed. From this sowing a 

 third planing is made. 



The third Sowing should be made about 

 the last week in April, or first week in 

 May, and the seedlings attended to a3 

 before, as to pricking-out, &c. From 

 this sowing a fourth planting is made. 



Fitness for Use. When a cauliflower 

 has arrived at its full size, which is shown 

 by the border opening as if it was about 

 to run, pull up the plant, as it never 

 produces any useful sprouts ; and if hung 

 up thus entire, in a cool place, it may be 

 preserved for several days. The best 

 time to cut a cauliflower is early of a 

 morning, before the dew is evaporated : 

 if it is done during the meridian or after- 

 noon of a hot day, it loses much of its 

 firmness, and boils tough. 



To preserve from Frost. As frost de- 

 stroys the cauliflower, it is a practice in 

 November, before it sets in, to pull up 

 the late-standing plants, and the leaves 

 being tied over the head, to hang each 

 up in a coal-shed or cellar, by which 

 means they remain good for some time. 

 But a better mode is to bury them in 

 sand, laying them in alternate layers with 

 the earth, in a dry situation. By this 

 means they may be preserved to the close 

 of January; or they may be put in a 

 trench dug at the bottom of a wall, 

 eighteen inches wide and deep, the plants 

 being laid with their roots uppermost, in 

 an inclining position, so that the roots of 

 the second covered the top of the one 

 preceding. The earth to be laid over 

 them thick, a considerable slope given 

 to it, and beaten smooth with the spade, 

 to throw off rain. 



Saving Seed. Some should be from 

 the first planted out of the hand-glass 

 crop. The best with well-formed heads 

 should be selected for this purpose, and 

 marked for seed, by placing a strong 

 stake to each for the future tying of the 

 flowering stems up to. Gather each 

 branch of seed as it ripens. 



Diseases and Insects. See CABBAGE 

 and BBOCOU. 



CAULOPHY'LLUM. (From kanlon, a stem, 

 and phyllon, a leaf; in reference to the 

 stems ending as if it were in a leaf-sta'ik. 

 Nat. ord., Berkerids [BerberidaceaeJ. 

 Linn., Q-Hexandria l-Monoyi/nia.) 



