Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 89 



A rich loam should be selected, heavily fertilized, and 

 deeply prepared. The directions given for the prepara- 

 tion of land for cabbage will also apply for collards. The 

 seed is sown in a coldframe or in an open seed-bed during 

 February and March in the colder part of the orange belt, 

 and as late as August in the warmer part of the wheat 

 belt. As soon as the plants begin to crowd one another, 

 they are shifted to a new place in the coldframe. When 

 the plants are from 4 to 6 inches high, they are planted in 

 the field, laying the rows off 4 feet apart and putting the 

 plants 3 feet in the row. 



The crop may be marketed any time after the first of 

 October. This may be done in crates, in barrels, or in 

 bulk. 



CAULIFLOWER 



Many persons prefer the cauliflower to any other 

 vegetable. It has no doubt been derived from the 

 cabbage. The broccoli is a land of cauliflower, and hardly 

 shows differences enough to deserve a separate name. The 

 cauliflower is remarkable as being one of the few plants 

 whose flower-buds and stalks are eaten. From the 

 swollen colorless state of the flower-buds and flower- 

 stalks, the production of good seed is naturally scanty, and 

 therefore the seed is high-priced. The cauliflower is a 

 monstrosity among cultivated plants, and this may account 

 for several difficulties in its culture. It stands somewhat 

 more warmth than most varieties of its ancestor, the cab- 

 bage, and is also more sensitive to frost . Though it can 

 endure some heat and drought when young, it requires 

 moisture and a cooler temperature to head well. If 



