174 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



\Junem 



water once or twice a week. In this way the plants continue 

 gi-een and vigorous, resisting mildew, and yielding fruit till 

 killed by the frost. For the last sowing made this month, 

 prefer the Charlton and Knight's marrow-pea 



PRICK OUT CAULIFLOWER. 



The cauliflower-plants sown in May for the autumnal crop, 

 should be pricked out when sufficiently strong, into a nursery- 

 bed of rich earth. Prepare a bed for them in an open situa- 

 tion, set the plants about three inches apart, then give them a 

 little water to settle the mould about their roots. Shade them 

 from the sun occasionally in the middle of the day, till they 

 have taken good root. The plants are to remain in this bed 

 for four or five weeks to get strength, and then, in July, to 

 be planted out where they are to remain. They will produce 

 their heads in October and November. It will be necessary to 

 prick out a considerable number of them, as from this crop 

 the autumn and winter cauliflowers are to be expected. 



Look over the plantations of early cauliflowers, which are 

 now coming to perfection, break down some of the large leaves 

 over the young heads as they appear ; this will blanch them of 

 a fine delicate white colour, and prevent them fi'om getting 

 too open, or too advanced towards seeding, and thereby 

 rendered unfit for the table. 



Those plants which are coming into flower, and advancing 

 in growth, should, in dry weather, have copious supplies of 

 water at their roots, two or three times a week ; this will cause 

 them to produce large and handsome flower-heads. 



TO SAVE CAULIFLOWER r-EED. 



This is the proper season for the selection of those cauli- 

 flowers from which the seed is to be saved. The largest, 

 whitest, and closest heads, should be chosen for this purpose. 

 They should not be transplanted, but allowed to stand in the 

 place where they were originally planted. In July, or early 

 in August, they will shoot up into seed-stalks, and in Sep- 

 tember the seed will be ripened. 



