BUTTONING. 57 



they can not be literally followed. The time for 

 sowing the seed should be so gauged that the plants 

 shall be neither too large nor too small during the 

 coldest months. If too small they will not be suf- 

 ficiently hardy to winter over ; if too large they will 

 be likely to button instead of forming fully devel- 

 oped heads. 



When the young plants are transplanted into 

 their winter quarters they should be set deeply, as 

 the stem is the part most easily injured by cold; 

 the same rule of planting deeply should be followed 

 in the first plantings in the open ground in spring. 



Wintering in the open air in a warm sheltered 

 situation is preferable, where it can be done, to 

 wintering under frames, for plants so exposed will 

 be most healthy and will continue their growth with 

 least interruption in the spring. 



Plants wintered under glass require considerable 

 room, and as much air as can be safely given. If 

 pots are used, care must be taken -not to have them 

 too small, or to allow them to become entirely filled 

 with the roots, for this will have a tendency to cause 

 the plants to. button. 



BUTTONING. 



I cannot perhaps do better than to mention here 



such other causes as have this same tendency. 



Anything which checks the growth of the plants 



when they are a few inches high is liable to pro- 



4 



