THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
49 
resorted to. This brings us to another section of the subject, 
namely, — 
Broccolis and Caultfloweks all the Tear Eound. — To 
insure a continuous supply, there should be three sowings of 
Broccolis, as above advised, and a dozen sorts, at least, should be 
grown. But Cauliflowers must be grown also, and there should 
be three sowings of these, one at tlie end of August, another at 
the end of September, and another in February. In the far north, 
the August sowing will be most useful ; in the far south, it is not 
advisable to sow until the beginning of October. It is impossible 
to advise for every climate, but this rule may be useful, that large 
plants are not to be desired before winter, and, therefore, a little 
judgment must be exercised in determining the dates of sowing. As 
soon as the plants are large enough to handle, they should be potted 
or planted in a bed in a frame in rather light soil, and be kept well 
aired all the winter to prevent spindling or rotting at the collar. 
As they will stand five, or even seven, degrees of frost without harm, 
it is not advisable to keep them closely muffled up at any time during 
winter ; for, indeed, if they are weakened by coddling, they will in 
the end come to no good. The February sowing should be aided 
with a gentle heat, and the plants potted as soon as large enough, 
and after about ten days’ enjoyment of a greenhouse temperature to 
assist them in filling the pots with roots, should be removed to a 
cold frame, and be gradually “ hardened ” preparatory to planting. 
Put out the autumn-sown plants first, and shelter them if the weather 
is bleak, but it is better to wait a week or two, and even to shift a 
lot into larger pots to keep them growing than to plant too early, 
for the check of exposure to cold, may cause them to “ button,” that 
is, produce heads the size of a florin, or crown-piece, of no use at 
all. From these several plantations you ought to cut fine heads 
from June onwards far into the autumn. 
Now, let us suppose you have by some accident lost your autumn 
sown stock, and are speculating how to gain time, and keep up the 
supply by some other method. It would in this case be a good plan 
to sow in the first week of February and the first week of March a 
pinch each of Walcheren, Purple Cape, Hammond’s White Cape, 
and Beck’s Early Dwarf, and carefully nurse them, so as to be 
enabled to put out strong plants at the earliest moment the weather 
will permit. It may be, worthy of notice, too, that all the foregoing 
sorts are worth trying for supplies in May and June, by sowing them 
in autumn, and planting them out iu cheap protectors, such as 
Boulton’s, or in ground viueries of wood or brick. In March they 
should be thinned to twentj’ inches apart ; the thinnings planted out, 
and those remaining left to flower in the frames. It would be neces- 
sary to give plenty of air, and to take the glass otf entirely at the 
end of April. 
There yet remains the depth of winter to be provided for. It 
is important, therefore, to bear in mind that broccolis in flo.ver may 
be kept a long time in perfect condition under cover during winter. 
If, therefore, in the latter days of December there is a good supply 
of nice heads of Walcheren, or any other good sort on the ground, 
February. 4 
