78 CAULIFLOWER. 



making- rapid and vigorous growth, and the heads 

 begin to form, a drouth sets in which blights his 

 hopes, because, if he has no means of irrigation, his 

 cauliflower field will soon present a sorry sight of 

 stunted, irregular, small or leafy heads, which con- 

 trast sadly with those grown when the Danish climate 

 is true to its nature. Then the fields are a mass of 

 almost dazzling beauty ; the heads are all perfect in 

 form, large, smooth and pure white. Again, there 

 is a moment of suspense ; the heads may be too solid, 

 so that the seed stalks cannot break through, which 

 makes it necessary to cut out a small piece from the 

 center of the head, and in doing this there is danger 

 of cutting the seed stalk, which would ruin that head 

 for all purposes. 



This danger past, the field is a mass of golden 

 yellow flowers, warming up the grower's anticipa- 

 tions of a successful crop, another trouble looms up. 

 An insect enemy appears, almost too small to be seen 

 by the casual observer, and eats away the pistil, which 

 prevents fertilization, sometimes in part, at others 

 wholly. The work of this invidious destroyer is 

 rapid, and against its attacks there does not appear 

 to be any protection. 



But suppose all dangers safely past until Sep- 

 tember arrives, a year from the sowing of the seed. 

 The pods are fully developed, and the seed shows 

 signs of ripening, when the greatest danger of all 

 awaits the grower. The full development and ripen- 

 ing of the seed, when the fall weather is very cool, 

 cloudy and moist, may be entirely prevented or 

 protracted for many weeks. To cut the seed stalks 

 too early is dangerous ; it may cause a greater or less 

 proportion of the seed that appeared well developed 



