84 



KITCHEN-GARDEN PLANTS. 



[chap. 



138. CAULIFLOWER.—The cauliflower is, in fact, one sort 

 of cabbage, and the French cali it Choufleur, or flower-cabbage. 

 Its product, as a vegetable to eat, is a lump of rich pulp, instead 

 of being a parcel of leaves folding in towards a centre, and lapping 

 over each other. There is this distinction besides, that it is an 

 annual, instead of being a biennial. The head or flower, as it is 

 called, sprouts off" into real flower-stalk ; flowers come upon these 

 stalks ; seed-pods aad seed follow the flowers, and thep'ant bears 

 seed within twelve months after it is sown. As much care as 

 possible should be taken in obtaining good and true seed, which, 

 as it is always pretty dear, is apt to be adulterated. Some per- 

 sons have talked of an early sort and a late sort ; but I believe 

 there is but one. The manner of sowing the seed, and of thin- 

 ning out the young plants in the rows, is precisely that of the cab- 

 bage. The season of sowing for cauliflowers to be eaten in the 

 spring, is about the middle of the month of August. To guard 

 against the effects of the diff'erence in seasons, the best way would 

 be, perhaps, to make three sowings, one on the flrst of August, 

 one on the fifteenth of August, and one on the 3 1 st, for the day 

 which would be the proper day in one year would not be the pro- 

 per day in another. When the plants are of the same size as the 

 cabbage plants have been directed to be before pricked out, they 

 should be pricked out also ; but in a more careful and regulal 

 manner than was thought necessary in the case of the cabbage- 

 plants. The spot should be one of the warmest in the garden ; 

 and it should not be^a wet spot by any means. The cauliflower 

 is a tender plant, and, in severe weather, will want covermsf Oi 

 some sort, and, to say the truth, it is almost useless to attempt to 

 rear them unless you have glass to put them under in very severe 

 weather. They should be pricked out, therefore, in such manner 

 as to allow of frames or hand-glasses being placed over them. 

 They should not be covered, however, until the weather demand 

 it, and, in the meanwhile, you should hoe nicely between them 

 very frequently, and, by that means, keep the earth as dry about 

 their stems as the season will permit. In very severe weather 

 they must be covered ; but never any longer than is absolutely 

 necessary; for, too much covering, and too much deprivation of 

 air, make them weak and disqualify them for bearing. From these 

 beds, you may plant them out in rows like cabbages, only at a 

 little greater distances, and, taking care to move a little earth 



