64 GARDENING FOR ALL. 
Inasmuch as this plant is grown for use chiefly during 
winter and spring, and that it must of necessity brave the 
cold and inclemency of our winter, we ought to adapt our 
cultural treatment for the purpose of producing broccoli 
plants that are of full size, hardy, and possessing tough 
woody stems ere winter sets in. 
How is this hardiness to be obtained? Will it be 
obtained by planting upon rich and loose soil, and by 
crowding the plants together in some low and sheltered 
situation? No, certainly not! Such treatment will make 
them as tender as cauliflowers, and everybody is aware they 
will not stand severe frost. 
We must adopt a totally different system to the one that 
would produce the best cauliflowers, and the whole secret 
and system of successful broccoli culture may be summed up 
in eighteen words, thus :—Plant early ; plant on rather poor 
soil; plant on firm ground ; plant in exposed position ; plant 
widely apart. 
Early planting (in June and July) gives a long period of 
growth and time to attain their tull growth ere frost arrests 
all further progress. 
Soil not too rich will promote toughness and fibre. 
Firm soil is conducive to the formation of many fibrous 
roots, slow growth, short jointed and hard stems. 
High positions are productive of sturdiness of character, 
through full exposure to wind and sun. 
Wide planting ensures free access of wind and sun to all 
parts of the plant above the soil. And the whole produces 
plants most capable of withstanding with least injury the 
rigour of our winter. This is proved each winter in scores 
of cases by the plants themselves, and numbers of persons 
have, under my advice, demonstrated the fact—by the test 
of trial—to their entire satisfaction. 
Seed may be sown in March or April, upon good soil. 
The seedlings must be pricked out four inches apart, as soon 
as large enough to handle, upon good soil again. Good soil 
is advisable in the initial stages of growth, in order to obtain 
strong and healthy young plants, and do not forget to dust 
the seed-bed early and often with soot, to prevent injury by 
insect pests. 
