THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
47 
CULTIVATION OF BEOCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER. 
is customary in gardening books to treat of the Broccoli 
and the Cauliflower as altogether distinct, and requiring 
different modes of cultivation. This is a mistake — they 
are not distinct — they differ in name only ; and as to cul- 
tivation, whatever rules apply to one, apply with equal 
force to the other. That we may be clearly understood, we are 
bound to say that the term “ cauliflower ” may be conveniently 
applied to the most perfect white curd-like varieties that are cut 
during summer and autumn, as they are at once the most handsome 
and the most delicate-flavoured. But there is no inherent impro- 
priety in regarding broccolis and cauliflowers as members of one 
class of vegetables, and the well-known Walcheren variety may be 
instanced in illustration, for this is acknowledged to be either a 
broccoli or a cauliflower, at the discretiou of the cultivator. If it 
be asked how the supposed distinction originated, it may be answered 
that the varieties of broccoli differ in degrees of hardiness, and the 
most tender of them require to be sheltered during winter ; and as 
only such of the finest quality are worth the trouble of protecting, 
these form a group which it is convenient to separate from the rest 
as cauliflowers, although in every essential particular they are as 
truly broccolis as any of the more hardy and less elegant varieties. 
Broccolis and cauliflowers require a rich deep soil. The culti- 
vator who seeks to obtain a supply from a poor soil will be disap- 
pointed unless he happens to be favoured with a hot summer, and 
gives the plants regular and copious supplies of liquid manure. 
Only on good living can handsome heads of broccoli be produced, 
and, therefore, the first step towards a good supply is deep digging 
and abundant manuring. In our heavy damp clay land, all the 
varieties attain to their highest possible quality, but a rather light, 
well-tilled loam is to be preferred for varieties that produce their 
heads during winter and spring. However, we have cut abundance 
of the finest broccoli during ten months out of twelve, the times of 
scarcity being June and December ; and though we have seen our 
plantations under water for days together, and at other times stififened 
with fifteen degrees of frost, w’e have rarely suffered from the trials 
the plants are exposed to on our cold soil in the winter season. On 
those old garden soils that produce club, the seed-beds should be 
prepared by digging in lime or plaster, and the ground for planting 
out on should be prepared by double digging, and putting a lieavy 
layer of good manure between the two spits. By such management 
the club will be exterminated, and the land will be constantly in- 
creasing in cleanliness and strength. As there is much to be said 
on the subject before us, and our aim is to convey the greatest 
possible amount of information in the fewest possible number of 
words, we shall arrange our observations under suitable headings, 
and the first will be — 
Beooooli as ak obdin'aex GtAEDEN Ceop. — B y good manage- 
ment broccolis may be cut during eight or nine months out of twelve, 
Febrnarj, 
