THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES. 



467 



root ; Jaims's Inter- 

 mediate, New Inter- 

 mediate, rather larger ; 

 Long Surrey, a very 

 deep - rooted variety ; 

 and Altrincham. These 

 long deep-rooting kinds 

 are less grown than 

 formerly, the New In- 

 termediate displacing 

 them. 



Cauliflowers. — As 



Broccolis are the hardy 

 section, so are Cauli- 

 flowers the tender 

 group, of white-headed 

 plants, and are, too, 

 practically annuals, as 

 all produce their iieads 

 for culling in the same 

 year as the seed is 

 sown, and the early 



varieties also bloom and seed in the year. The 

 season of the Cauliflower is from the beginning of 

 June until Christmas. A sowing made of such a dwarf 

 variety as the Snowball, Early Erfurt, or Early Forcing, 

 all much alike, in January or February in warmth, 

 enables good stout plants to be secured lor planting out 

 on to a warm border in April and producing heads in 

 June. Even a forcing made in a cold house or frame in 

 February gives plants that head in very little later. The 

 seedling plants should be, when 3m. in height, lifted 

 from the seed pans, and be dibbled out thinly into 

 shallow boxes filled with leafy soil, and when strong 

 enough to harden will transplant outdoors with good 

 balls of soil and root, The^e dwarf varieties may be 

 planted in rows 1 Sin. apart and but I2in. apart in the 

 rows. A further sowing made of the same dwarf 

 varieties, or of Early London, or King of C uiliflowers, 

 in April, will give plants similarly treated to lie. id 

 in during July and August, whilst a sowing of the 

 Autumn Giant made on a warm bed in March will give 

 plants to be put out in rows 30111. apart, and some will 

 head in during September. One later sowing of seed 

 will enable a yet later planting to be made, and if 

 the winter be mild the season of fine white Cauliflower 

 heads is continued even to the end of the year. As 

 the winter approaches, it is wise to draw the leaves of 

 plants that have begun to produce white heads into the 

 torm of a cone by tying them with raffia grass or bass, 

 thus helping to protect the heads from frost or excessive 

 rains. Even breaking down a few large leaves over the 

 centres is helpful. In some case^; Cauliflower plants of 

 the Eirly London variety are raised from seed sown in a 

 frame or shallow b >xes at the end of August, and later 

 planted out in chimps of live on a warm border, and 

 covered up for the winter with clochss or hand-lights. 

 These carry fine heads in the early summer. Plants 

 may also be dibbled thinly into a frame, and then be 

 wintered safely. 

 Celery. — A most valuable winter salad, and very nice also 

 as a stewed vegetable if the plants have been properly 

 blanched. Whilst the leaf stems are in an exposed con- 

 dition quite inedible, and very acrid and hard, yet when 

 the colouring matter in them is expelled by proper 

 moulding or earthing up to promote blanching, the 

 stems be:ome white and tender, and really delicious food. 

 Celeries are white and coloured, both being good. Some 

 are dwarfer than others, and these are most suitable lor 

 small garden culture, needing less space between the 

 rows for earthing up. Of white dwarf varieties, Dwarf 

 White, Incomparable, White Gem, and Sandringham 

 are good ; and of coloured ones, the Dwarf Red and 

 Standard Bearer are excellent. Of later whites, Grove 

 White, Giant White, and Ivory White are good ; and 

 Oi coloured varieties, Sulham Pink, Major Clarke's Red, 

 and Manchester Red are of the best. Celery plants are very 

 easily raised from seed. To secure specially early ones a 



KING OF CAULIFLOWERS 



sowing may be made 

 thinly in one or more 

 shallow pans on fine 

 soil, and be stood in a 

 warm house or frame 

 and watered. Growth 

 soon follows. The 

 plants should then be 

 fully exposed to the 

 light to keep I hem 

 sturdy, and when 3 i n . 

 in height be lifted care- 

 lulls from the pans, 

 and dibblsd out 2'in. 

 apart into shallow boxes 

 in good soil, kept in 

 warmth until well 

 rooted, then be stood 

 in a cold house or frame 

 for a couple of weeks, 

 and by that lime should 

 be ready to plant into 

 outdoors. If the sowing be made about 

 of February the plants will be strong enough 

 >ut by the middle ol May. Later sowings 

 treated in the same way, but any made in 

 May will germinate freely with ordinary sun 

 It is, however, always best to raise Celery 



1 o'n hes 

 the end 

 to put 

 m iv be 

 April 01 

 warmth. 



plants under glass, as good growth is thus more quickly 

 ensured. In the case of later sowings, the plan's may be 

 taken direct from the seed pans, and be dibbled out 3in. 

 apart on to a piece of ground specially prepared by 

 burying just beneath the surface a dressing of de ayed 

 manure, the soil being gently pressed down and levelled. 

 Here, planted, watered, and shaded for a week or so, the 

 plants soon get hold of the manure, and become very 

 stout and sturdy. They can be lilted with good balls of 

 soil and roots, and be planted into the prepared trenches 

 without suffering from the transition. In sowing seed it 

 is much better to do so thinly, raising 100 plants in a 

 pan where very commonly 300 are found crowded, as 

 crowding and starving them in their early stages is often 

 productive later of soft pi r hy stems and early bolting off 

 to flower. II Celery be planted out in trenches in hot 

 weather, besides giving the plant a good watering it is 

 well to throw pea sticks across the trenches, and on them 

 mats or canvas during the day to protect the plants from the 

 heat. They recover much sooner from the transplanting 

 if thus protected from the sun. As a rule, Celery is grown 

 in trenches, and for two reasons — first, trenches facilitate 

 moulding up the stems later ; and, second, plants in 

 trenches may be more effectually watered in dry weather. 

 Celery plants are gross feeders, and will readily absorb 

 water, whether clear or in the form of liquid manure. But 

 the digging of trenches may much depend on the nature 

 of the subsoil. If that be clay or gravel, or poor and 

 devoid of nutriment, it is often best to plant on the 

 level. But where ground has been from lime to time 

 trenched and well manured, the soil is throughout in 

 good condition, or where the subsoil is poor and 

 trenches are desirable, then it is best to throw out the 

 top spit from a trench I Sin. wide on to one side and the 

 bottom spit on to the other side Then throw in the top 

 spit, and wilh it mix a heavy dressing of half-decayed 

 manure. Then fork in from the sides at top a little 

 more of the soil, and plant. Moulding up should not 

 be hurried. Plants should be well led, and encouraged 

 to make strong growth, and when that is formed a dry- 

 day should be taken advantage of — a good so.xking 

 of liquid manure having been given overnight — to 

 first gather the leaves up together and put round 

 them a loose tie of bass, at the same time pulling 

 away from the base of each plant any short leaves or 

 suckers that may have formed. Then with a fork loosen 

 the soil, and place some 5m. to bin. of it close up to the 

 plants. Repeat this a couple of weeks later, and so continue 

 to do the work gradually, until each row is banked up 

 neatly and firmly on each side, making a sharp solid ridge 



