Gardening for Amateurs 



1069 



Cauliflower the seeds should be sown the 

 last week of August. As soon as the young 

 plants are large enough to handle transplant 

 them to cold frames at least 6 inches apart. 

 They should be grown as sturdily as pos- 

 sible during the winter, giving air freely 

 in favourable weather day and night, and 

 protecting on frosty nights by covering the 

 lights with mats. Plant out of doors in pre- 

 pared ground at the end of March. At this 

 early season it is necessary to protect the 

 plants against cold winds and frost, pre- 

 ferably by hand-lights or cloches, though 

 Spruce and Laurel branches are good sub- 



border outside, planting 5 inches apart. 

 Before they become too crowded they are 

 planted permanently 18 inches apart in rows 

 in a sheltered and warm position, and will 

 not be far behind the autumn-sown plants 

 in " turning in." Further sowings should 

 be made out of doors on a warm border late 

 in March and again at the end of April and 

 May. After that it is too late to sow Cauli- 

 flowers for cutting the same season. The 

 main crop, from seeds sown in March, and 

 those sown later must be put out as soon 

 as ready in prepared ground 18 inches apart, 

 the rows being 2 feet distant from each other. 



The final "earthing up" of Celery 



Celery planted 

 in trench, 

 Lettuce on the 

 ridges : dust- 

 ing with soot 

 to prevent 

 attacks of fly. 



stitutes. Sometimes there are empty spaces 

 at the foot of a south or west wall ; the 

 plants thrive well here, and produce early 

 heads. As long as the plants are under pro- 

 tection, until late in May, watering must be 

 carefully attended to. Soon afterwards the 

 earliest heads will be fit to cut. If the young 

 Cauliflowers are exposed to strong light 

 they turn a bad colour ; the simplest way to 

 afford shade is by breaking the leaves of the 

 plants and bending them over the heads. 



To obtain Cauliflowers to succeed those 

 sown in August, sow the Snowball variety 

 on a hotbed at the end of February ; trans- 

 fer the plants to a cold frame or a warm 



Water in dry weather, and keep free from 

 weeds by frequent hoeing. 



The following are good varieties : Large 

 Erfurt, Early Giant, Eclipse. For late 

 autumn Veitch's Autumn Giant is excellent; 

 sow this in March. 



Gelery. This plant is a native of Britain, 

 and is found growing in marshes and damp 

 situations. Its merits, both as a vegetable 

 and a salad plant, have forced it to the front 

 of late years, and it now ranks amongst 

 the most important of our vegetables. To 

 grow it to perfection it requires generous 

 treatment. 



An Early Crop. At the end of February 



