1883.] 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



63 



CAULIFLOWER CULTURE, 



The Cauliflower, when grown to perfection, 

 is one of the most delicious vegetables, and 

 should be found in every garden, however 

 small. It is a vegetable of the Cabbage 

 tribe, to which it bears considerable resem- 

 blance, but differs in having long, pale-green 

 leaves and close, curly heads, which are com- 

 posed of the flower-stalks and buds before 

 they run up to seed. Many persons are 

 under the impression that Cauliflower is of 

 difficult cultivation ; yet such is not the case, 

 for any soil that will grow good Cabbage 

 will produce fine heads, if certain conditions 

 are carefully complied with. 



Cauliflower prefers a rich, deep, loamy soil, 

 and requires clean cultivation. To obtain a 

 satisfactory crop, the ground should be 

 plowed or trenched as deeply as possible, 

 working in at the same time an abundance 

 of well-rotted stable-manure. A good dress- 

 ing of bone-dust, or wood-ashes, is then given, 

 either harrowed or worked in with the rake, 

 and the whole leveled off as neatly as pos- 

 sible. The plants are set out in rows, two 

 or three feet apart, and two feet apart in 

 the row. If an abundance of manure is not 

 on hand, it can be applied in the hill, care 

 being taken to thoroughly incorporate it with 

 the soil by means of a 

 fork or hoe. In this 

 way, although less man- 

 ure is required, the 

 plants suffer more in 

 the event of drought. 



Keep the plants well 

 cultivated, hoe deeply, 

 drawing the earth up 

 around the stems, and 

 when the flower-heads 

 make their appearance, 

 tie a few of the leaves 

 over them, rather loose- 

 ly, in order to protect 

 them from the sun and 

 rain. Cauliflower pre- 

 fers a cool and moist 

 atmosphere, and when 

 these conditions exist 

 when the plants are 

 about to head, large, 

 fine heads will be ob- 

 tained, while in hot and dry weather failures 

 will often occur in spite of all our care. To 

 counterbalance drought, some resort to co- 

 pious waterings ; yet, if the soil is rich and 

 deep, a good mulch of coarse manure or litter 

 will answer much better; but to bo of any 

 benefit it must be applied early, before the 

 plants are injured by drought, especially 

 with the early or June crop, which is most 

 liable to suffer. 



For the early crop the seed should be sown 

 about the middle of September, and the 

 young plants wintered over in a cold frame ; 

 or, the seed may be sown in an early hotbed, 

 and as soon as the young plants are strong 

 enougli to handle, they should be transplanted 

 into rich soil in a cold frame. Place the 

 the young plants three inches apart each 

 way ; keep them close and warm until well 

 established, then gradually expose to the 

 open air, and plant out when large enough 

 and severe weather is over. 



For the autumn crop, the seed should be 

 sown in the open air, about the middle of 

 May, in a moderately enriched border. Sow 

 thinly, and protect the young plants from the 

 Cabbage fly by dusting them with air-slaked 



lime. Transplant to the rows any cloudy 

 day, between the fourth and fifteenth of 

 July. An ounce of seed will produce about 

 three thousand plants. It may be well to 

 mention that plants which have not headed 

 may be taken r_p before severe frosts, and 

 put in a cellar, placing the roots in earth, 

 and many of them will produce tolerably 

 fair heads during the winter. 



With Cauliflower, more perhaps than with 

 any other vegetable, much depends upon the 

 quality and pure strain of seed. Market 

 gardeners who do not hesitate to pay ten 

 dollars an ounce for positively reliable seed, 

 would not take a doubtful strain as a gift. 

 The following are the most desirable varie- 

 ties. 



Earliest Dwarf Erfurt is the best known of 

 the earliest varieties, and produces fine, 

 solid, pure white heads, — a grand variety for 

 forcing, on account of its dwarf, compact 

 habit. The seeds of this variety are always 

 very scarce. 



Early Snowball, a new and promising vari- 

 ety, much esteemed for its reliability in head- 

 ing. The heads are of good size and color. 



Early Paris, a well-known and excellent 

 variety, with large, compact, solid heads, — 

 a fine variety to succeed either of the above. 



SEA-FOAM CAULIFLOWER. 



Half Early Paris, or Nonpareil, one of the 

 most popular varieties, and equally good as 

 an early or late variety ; a great favorite of 

 the market gardeners, many of whom will 

 use no other. 



Lenormand, a very excellent variety for 

 the late crop, producing large, compact heads. 



Algiers is a most popular late market vari- 

 ety, especially valuable for pickling. 



Sea-Foam, a new variety lately introduced, 

 which has been tried alongside of all the 

 older kinds, and has made a most favorable 

 impression upon all who have given it a trial. 

 In size, quality, and general apjiearance, it 

 ranges second to no kind, while it heads 

 more freely and evenly, and is of more com- 

 pact habit than the older kinds. In forcing, 

 as well as open ground culture, it has given 

 most satisfactory results. 



Chas. E. Parnell 



RADISHES, BEETS, AND CABBAGE. 



Of early vegetables, there are none as sure 

 to produce a good crop, and none that will 

 sell as readily at profitable prices as Radishes 

 and Beets, provided they are grown early 



enough, and managed properly. The method 

 I have followed for many years, to get these 

 crops to market as early as practicable and 

 with as little expense as possible, has been 

 so satisfactory to me that it may also be of 

 value to others. 



Near the house I have a covered pen, built 

 of slabs slipped between two posts at the 

 corners. This is large enough to hold twenty 

 two-horse wagon loads of soil, and on one end 

 of it is the privy. In the fall, when the soil 

 is dry, I cart about ten loads of rich loam 

 from the woods and throw it in the pen oppo- 

 site the privy. All the soap-suds from the 

 laundry, and slops from the house, are also 

 thrown in this pen, and every few days 

 enough soil is thrown over to prevent all bad 

 odors. In Spring all is turned over and 

 thoroughly mixed with the scrapings of the 

 poultry-house and some wood-ashes. 



The land to be planted has been plowed 

 up the previous fall, in narrow ridges, with 

 deep dead furrows between them, so as to 

 carry off the water and dry the ground earlier. 

 As soon as the soil can be worked, the ridges 

 are leveled, the land is well plowed, and top- 

 dressed with the above described compost, 

 and brought into as fine condition as possi- 

 ble. The ground is then marked off one 

 and a half feet apart, 

 and sown with Rad- 

 ishes and Beets, in al- 

 ternate rows. As soon 

 as the plants are up, 

 ashes are scattered 

 over them freely, and 

 everything is kept 

 clean and well cul- 

 tivated. 



The Radishes are 

 sold and out of the 

 way before the Beets 

 require more ground. 

 As soon as the Rad- 

 ishes have been pull- 

 ed, late Cabbages are 

 planted in their places, 

 and before these have 

 grown large enough to 

 need all the room, the 

 Beets have been taken 

 off and marketed. 

 By managing in this way, I obtain three 

 crops from the same ground, and, my Rad- 

 ishes and Beets coming on before those of 

 my neighbors, I have generally the market 

 all to myself for a week or two, and realize a 

 handsome profit. The Egyptian Beet and 

 the Early Purple Radish I have found the 

 best varieties for early market. 



T. D. Baird. 



BLANCHING ASPARAGUS. 



The demand for blanched or white 

 Asparagus is rapidly increasing in our mar- 

 kets, to the exclusion of the green " grass." 

 To produce blanched stalks, the roots have to 

 be planted six to eight inches deep, in rows 

 four feet apart. As early in spring as the 

 ground is dry enough, and before the sprouts 

 have started, the rows are ridged up with a 

 plow, similar to hilling Potatoes, but making 

 the ridges broader. The soil over the rows 

 should be made very fine and mellow with a 

 prong-hoe or rake, and all stones removed. 

 The stalks are cut off about eight inches be- 

 low the surface, and as soon as their tips 

 appear above ground. 



