72 THE CAULIFLOWER. 



cauliflower may be grown to good advantage. The 

 moist atmosphere, which renders much of this 

 region so well adapted to the cultivation of fruit, 

 favors the growth of the cauliflower. In this 

 region the fall crop is the one mainly grown, and 

 the half -early varities, such as Early Paris and 

 Early London have been chiefly used, though the 

 earlier Erfurt varities are now largely grown. 



Detroit, Grand Rapids, and other Michigan 

 cities are comparatively well supplied with home- 

 grown cauliflower. 



In Western Michigan there is considerable high, 

 rolling land, of a deep loamy character, covered 

 originally with a heavy growth of hard- wood timber. 

 It was on such land as this, in Ottawa County, that 

 the writer grew cauliflower very successfully 

 between the years 1870 and 1884. The land had 

 but recently been cleared of its timber, and it sel- 

 dom received any other fertilizer than the heavy 

 June- grass sod which was turned under. The 

 method of preparing the ground was the same as 

 for any other farm crop, and the plants, mainly of 

 the Early Paris variety, were set out about the last 

 of June, usually four feet apart each way. They 

 were given good care, and generally began to head 

 in September, at the time of the autumnal equinox, 

 when there is usually a week or two of cool, rainy 

 weather. Following this, early in October, there 



