KITCHEN-GARDEN PLANTS. CHAP. 



137. CAULIFLOWER. The cauliflower is, in fact, 

 one sort of cabbage and the French call it Ckoujleur, or 

 flower-cabbage. Its product, as a vegetable to eat, is a 

 lump of rich pulp, instead of being a parcel of leaves 

 folding in towards a centre, and lapping over each other. 

 There is this distinction besides, that it is an annual 

 instead of being a biennial. The head, or flower as it is 

 called, sprouts off into real flower-stalks ; flowers come 

 upon these stalks ; seed-pods and seed follow the flowers, 

 and the plant bears seed within twelve months after it 

 is sown. As much care as possible should be taken in 

 obtaining good and true seed, which, as it is always pretty 

 dear, is apt to be adulterated. Some persons have talked 

 of an early sort and a late sort ; but I believe there is 

 but one. The manner of sowing the seed, and of thin- 

 ning out the young plants in the rows, is precisely that of 

 the cabbage. The season of sowing for cauliflowers to be 

 eaten in the spring, is about the middle of the month of 

 August. To guard against the effects of the difference in 

 seasons, the best way would be, perhaps, to make three 

 sowings, one on the first of August, one on the fifteenth 

 of August, and one on the 31st. for, the day which would 

 be the proper day in one year, would not be the proper 

 day in another. When the plants are of the same size as 

 the cabbage-plants have been directed to be before 

 pricked out, they should be pricked out also ; but in a 

 more careful and regular manner than was thought neces- 

 sary in the case of the cabbage-plants. The spot should 

 be one of the warmest in the garden j and it should not 

 be a wet spot by any means. The cauliflower is a tender 

 plant, and, in severe weather, will want covering of some 

 sort, and, to say the truth, it is almost useless to attempt 



