No. 144.] 439 



CAULA RAPA. 



Professor Mapes said : — Mr. Chairman— This seems to be a 

 ■hybrid between the caulifiower and some of our turnips. We 

 have thirteen kinds, of some of which I have grown large crops. 

 There is now a white one, which, if gathered when young, is 

 equal almost in flavor, if thoroughly cooked, to the cauliflower, 

 and has almost the keeping qualities of many kinds of turnips. 

 It is extremely white, and resembles what is called the White 

 Vienna. Some of the various kinds yield very large crops ; are 

 not subject to any of the difficulties of the turnip; are not at- 

 tacked by the flyj may be transplanted, and always succeed. 

 They grow full as close as turnips. I have no doubt they will 

 yield a thousand or twelve hundred bushels to the acre. They 

 miglit be profitably raised for market, and are superior to the 

 turnip for feeding purposes, because they do not give the milk 

 the bad flavor that turnips, when not fed immediately after milk- 

 ing, are likely to communicate. This vegetable should be intro- 

 duced more generally. I have the seeds of the better kinds, and 

 I will bring some for distribution, if possible, at the next meeting 

 of the Club. 



HOT BEDS. 



S. Payne Lowe.— Mr. Chairman — This subject is of much im- 

 portance to the market gardener, not only because he is thus 

 ■enabled to have plants for his own immediate use in due season, 

 but also for the reason that i;e can obtain high prices for those 

 oot required by himself, if marketable at an early date. 



It is a useful practice, and indeed economical, to have the neces- 

 sary amount of earth collected in a heap, say latter part of August, 

 so that it may be ready for use when required in early spring at 

 the time of making hot beds. This heap, during the winter sea- 

 son, in consequence of frequent freezings and thawings, becomes 

 finely pulverized, and not being trodden down, or in a compact 

 state, the atmosphere can freely circulate through the mass, and 

 in so doing deposit ammonia, etc., which will prove conducive to 

 its fertility. 



