172 KITCHEN GARDEN. 
early supply, it is useful to be at the pains of potting a few 
scores of plants; these are to be kept under glass during 
winter, and plunged out in spring, defending them with a 
hand-glass, and watering them when needful. Sometimes, 
as in market-gardens, patches of three or four plants are 
sheltered by hand-glasses throughout the winter in the open 
border. It is advantageous to prick out the spring-sown 
plants into some sheltered place, before they be finally trans- 
planted and committed to the open ground in May. The 
later crop, the transplantation of which may take place at 
various times, is treated like early cabbages. Cauliflower 
succeeds best in a rich soil and warm situation. After 
planting, all that is necessary is to hoe the ground and 
draw up the soil about the roots. 
It is found that this vegetable, being induced to form its 
large and crowded clusters of flower-buds in ‘the autumn, 
may be kept in perfection over winter. Cauliflowers which 
have been planted out in July will be nearly ready for use 
in October. Towards the end of that month, the most 
compact and best shaped are selected and lifted carefully 
with the spade, keeping a ball of earth attached to the roots. 
Some of the large outside leaves are removed, in order that 
the plants may occupy less room, and at the same time, any 
points of leaves that immediately overhang the flower are 
cut off. Where there are peach-houses or vineries, the 
plants may be arranged in the borders of these, pretty 
closely together, but without touching. Or they may be 
placed in the same manner in hotbed frames. In mild, dry 
weather the glass-frames are drawn off, but they are kept 
close in rain; and in severe frost they are thickly covered 
snow with a thin coat of ice: the plants remained imbedded below at an 
invariable temperature of 32°, which they could well enough sustain, and 
they ran no risk from the expanding effects of freezing. 
