Crops for Pickling and Preserving. 
721 
grown plants, as they make the fastest growth, but large plants 
require more careful setting than smaller ones. The main 
root should be cut off, so that the rootlets may strike near 
the surface as much as possible, and in all transplanting it is 
necessary to prevent the root from turning up in the dibble- 
hole. Another common way of growing cauliflowers is to plant 
them between rows of early small-topped potatoes, which are dug 
early and sold "green." The plants then get a good root-hold 
before the potatoes are dug, and time is economised ; the soil 
from the ridges is turned back on them, and with a little horse- 
hoeing a good growing tilth is prepared. It is an approved 
plan with all varieties of cabbages to drop a little nitrate of 
soda round each plant very soon alter transplanting, as a more 
vigorous start is thereby promoted : cauliflowers are no excep- 
tion to this rule. Cauliflowers are also successfully planted out 
on land which has carried an early crop of pickling onions taken 
off at the end of June or the beginning of July. By putting 
in large plants at that time, the heads are ready for cutting in 
October, aud the custom is in favour with briners. 
When the heads are fit to cut, men are sent into the crop 
daily, and pick out those which are ready and suitable, whilst 
others, not sufficiently grown, are left to mature. Firm heads 
are essential for pickling, and these, as soon as cut, are at once 
taken away to be brined. 
The preparation for brining consists in cutting off all stemmy 
and green portions, so that nothing but the white coral-like part of 
the head is left ; this, of course, results in a large amount of offal, 
which is usually carted away and consumed by sheep on pas- 
tures, so that it is not wasted. The yield of clean heads varies 
very much, from one to five tons per acre of prepared heads 
being grown, though five tons is not common. The process of 
brining is practically the same as for onions. 
Cucumbers, Gherkins, and Vegetable Marrows. — The fruit of 
the cucumber and vegetable marrow is pickled to a consider- 
able extent. Large cucumbers are usually sliced, small ones 
are picked out and sold as gherkins ; and vegetable marrows — 
though this is not generally known — are pickled and substituted 
for cucumbers when the crop of the latter fails. 
Cucumber-growing in the open air is not so profitable as it 
was, owing to the more extended cultivation under glass. Open- 
air cucumbers are not so good as those raised beneath glass, but 
the field cucumbers are the only ones employed for pickling. 
The Dutch cucumbers, grown in both Holland and Belgium, 
are also strong competitors in the vegetable market, and very 
vol. i. t. s. — 4 3 B 
