1446 The Vegetable Industry in New Yokk State 



The coral-like substance is the only portion sold. The yield 

 per acre of flowers for pickling varies from three to ten 

 tons. A good average yield is about five tons per acre. Many 

 growers of market cauliflower have an opportunity of selling their 

 rice heads, extra large heads-, or over-supply during years of 

 heavy production, to the pickling stations; thus realizing more 

 from their crop than they otherwise would. 



GROWING CAULIFLOWER UNDER GLASS 



Cauliflower is grown under glass, particularly at Mattituck, 

 Long Island, in the fall of the year. The plants are placed in the 

 greenhouse early in the fall and given the same attention as that 

 mentioned for outside with the exception that more care is exer- 

 cised regarding the moisture conditions. The flowers are not~ 

 allowed to produce as large heads as those grown outside. They 

 should be produced about Christmas time and from then on until 

 the first of February. At this time small heads are sold at from 

 fifteen to twenty-five cents apiece. 



It is particularly valuable as a fall crop with greenhouse 

 vegetable men who are growing cucumbers and tomatoes as a 

 spring crop. The only competition of this crop at the particular 

 time of year is from flowers grown in Xew Orleans and California. 



The time necessary to produce heads from seeds in the green- 

 house varies from ninety to one hundred twenty days. A house 

 50 feet wide and 320 feet long will accommodate about 2,700 

 cauliflower plants. At the same time lettuce plants may be inter- 

 planted and it will accommodate three times as many of these. 



From eighty-five to ninety per cent, of all the cauliflower plants 

 should form heads under proper management. Some very high 

 yields of flowers have been mentioned from various men engaged 

 in this line of work. The first quality heads sell at from fifteen 

 to twenty-five cents a head, the second quality at from ten to 

 twenty cents and the third from five to fifteen cents. The fuel 

 cost for growing the crop should not exceed $60 to $75 ; the 

 care of the house should be about the same as for lettuce or other 

 cool greenhouse crops ; the cost of seed about $6 to $8 ; insurance 

 $20; miscellaneous about $75 — total, $221 to $253. 



