1440 The Vegetable Industry in New York State 



The length of time necessary for development of the head after 

 it has been tied depends mainly upon the weather conditions, 

 but it also depends on how well the factors in growing the crop 

 have been carried out. If the field has lacked cultivation, do not 

 expect the heads to grow very rapidly unless rains are frequent. 

 Where conditions are correct, it has been found that in the hotter 

 part of the season, two or three days will be sufficient. In the 

 cooler days of autumn it will require from eight to twelve days 

 to develop the head. Heads should be watched carefully, and 

 when they become six to eight inches in diameter, should be cut. 

 If left too long in warm weather, the leaves decay and discolor 

 the head. In cold weather the heads begin to push up from the 

 flower stalk, becoming undesirable, because they are irregular. 



CUTTING AND TRIMMING 



In cutting, it is seldom necessary to examine more than an 

 occasional head for plants of any particular day's tying, because 

 the plants of that tying will be ready about the same time. If, 

 however, there seems to be an unevenness in their development, 

 it will then be necessary to pry open the leaves of every head. 



Cutting may be conveniently performed with a large butcher 

 knife or hunting knife. The instrument will also serve for 

 trimming. When the heads are to be cut, it should be done very 

 carefully. They are seldom trimmed in the field, but are merely 

 severed several inches below the flower and removed, leaves and 

 all, to a packing house, where they are dressed and packed. It is 

 necessary in cutting to have quite a portion of the stem and also 

 of the large leaves remain with the flower, because in trimming 

 the leaves are severed even with the sides of the flower and in 

 such a manner that the whiteness of the flower is set off by the 

 green frings. The leaves also serve as a protection. Where ship- 

 ment of long cut flowers is practiced, the leaves are cut three to 

 four inches above the flower, thus protecting the head efficiently. 



There are three different types of trimming, the long and the 

 short trim, both previously mentioned, and a medium between 

 these two. The long trim is especially suited to distant ship- 

 ments, protecting the snow-whit? heads from bruises, therefore 

 disfigurement. It also enables the retailer to retrim the head 



