CAULIFLOWER. 77 



people would submit to. There is a secret, too, about 

 keeping the plants in a healthy condition, that can 

 only be learned by years of practical experience; it 

 cannot be taught. During some winters, when there 

 are no great extremes of temperature, the difficulties 

 attending the keeping of the plants and of growing 

 them on through the winter are not serious. But 

 when severe and long-continued frosts, accompanied 

 by heavy snowstorms, which make it impossible to 

 freely air the frames ; and again, when the weather 

 is so mild as to excite an unhealthy growth at a 

 period when the plants should be kept as nearly dor- 

 mant as possible, then difficulties multiply rapidly, 

 and it is a fight for life. Often the entire crop of 

 plants rots away during these trying seasons, even 

 with the most careful attention. Taking it for 

 granted the plants have gone through the winter 

 safely, in early spring they must be transplanted into 

 hotbeds to be "started", into active growth before 

 setting out in the open fields, and this is an uncertain 

 work; at least, the proper time is difficult to deter- 

 mine, as the seasons are very variable. It is impor- 

 tant to have the plants ready for the field at the 

 earliest moment, consistent with safety. But if 

 started too early and the "winter lingers in the lap 

 of spring," the grower is again in a quandary. If 

 the plants are started too early, they may be either 

 frost-bitten or rotten before planting time comes. 



In the most favored seasons, the plants are set 

 in very rich and mellow soil from the loth to the 

 2Oth of April, and commence active growth, stimu- 

 lated by the warm, moist atmosphere wafted over 

 the land from the surrounding sea. And when the 

 grower's expectations are the highest, his plants 



