CAULIFLOWER 



205 



exception of the spring Cauliflowers, which are sown in autumn and 

 wintered under frames, it is grown as an annual, which is sown in 

 the spring in the open ground, and yields a crop in the course of 

 the same year, without requiring any attention whatever except 

 frequent waterings. But, on the other hand, it is certain that, in 

 order to obtain a fine crop, the cultivation of the Cauliflower 

 requires a certain amount of skill and tact which no mere cultural 

 directions can supply. The " head " will not be regularly formed 

 unless the growth of the plant proceeds rapidly and without any 

 check from beginning to end, and the greatest watchfulness and 

 most assiduous care sometimes fail to ensure this. 



At Paris there are three principal seasons or successional periods 

 for growing Cauliflowers. In the first, the seed is sown in autumn, 

 and the crop comes in in spring. In the second, the seed is sown 

 late in autumn or in winter, the crop, in this case, not coming in 

 until the following summer. In the third, the seed is sown in 

 spring, and the crop is gathered in the autumn of the same year. 

 Those which are sown in autumn, for the spring crop, are sown 

 either in the open ground, or (most usually) on a hot-bed, in 

 September. In the course of the autumn, the seedlings are pricked 

 out under a cold frame, or in the open ground in a border with a 

 warm aspect, where they are protected with cloches or bell-glasses. 

 In January or February they are transplanted to a hot-bed, six 

 -plants to each light. The heads obtained in this way are the first 

 that appear in the market in May. Almost at the same time that 

 the plants are removed to the hot-bed, other plants are placed in 

 cold frames ; the crop from these is naturally later, and comes in 

 in succession to that which was obtained from the hot-bed. 



The Cauliflowers of the second season are sown in the beginning 

 of January, in a hot-bed ; the plants are pricked out into another 

 hot-bed, and are not transferred to the open ground until they are 

 pretty strong, about the end of March or the beginning of April, at 

 which time they have no further need of artificial heat ; the crop 

 from these comes in about the end of June or the beginning of 

 July. Successional sowings are made in February and March, and 

 the seedlings, reared under frames or bell-glasses, are planted out 

 a little later than those which were sown in hot-beds. This second 

 season, in which the plants are pushed forward by special treatment 

 and artificial heat, produces by far the largest quantities of Cauli- 

 flowers that are sent to the Central Market at Paris. 



Lastly, in the third season, the entire growth of the plant is 

 effected, without the help of artificial heat, in the open ground. 

 The seed is sown in May or June in a sheltered or shaded border, 

 and the seedlings are planted out permanently in July, without 

 having been previously pricked out. This method, which at first 

 sight appears the simplest of all, does not always produce the best 



