36-1 
PRODUCTIVE FAMILY GARDENING. 
the stems, so as to have the effect of covering 
up the roots a little, as a sort of protection, 
and forming a slight ridge, that it may be seen 
where the rows are. The principal object is 
to keep clear of weeds. Cut down the haulm 
at the end of the growth, and slightly earth 
up, to keep the row conspicuous when there 
are no plants to show it, and avoid damaging 
it in minding the other crops. After the 
third year you may calculate on cutting, and 
the only way to do this with advantage, for 
your own eating, is to let the buds grow a 
good four inches above the surface, and then 
cut it even with the ground. All the trouble 
of forming beds, and earthing up eight or 
nine inches, is saved by doing without the 
long useless stem which market bundles 
have, and instead of being a troublesome 
thing, involving considerable labour, to form 
the beds every autumn, there is no more 
trouble than there would be with a cabbage 
crop. For family purposes the asparagus is 
better, the roots are less exhausted, the ground 
less interrupted or interfered with, and, in fact, 
the luxury is no more trouble than a crop of 
broad beans, or a row of scarlet runners. In 
cutting this vegetable, care must be taken to 
avoid injuring the root. On cutting down the 
stems after the first year's cutting for use, a 
good dressing of dung should be laid at top, 
and a little soil thrown on it : the immediate 
effect of this is beneficial, and it scarcely more 
than reinstates the soil, for it washes away 
from the roots, and in time would expose 
them altogether ; but there is to be no pro- 
fessed earthing up to lengthen the buds as if 
they were for market, for that does away 
with the simplicity and economy of this mode 
of treating it, which is reducing its culture 
to the same trouble as almost any other 
vegetable, and the quantity eatable is nearly 
treble that which can be found in the mar- 
keted asparagus. 
CAULIFLOWER. 
This highly esteemed vegetable is economi- 
cally or extravagantly grown according as it is 
required in or out of season. If sown in March, 
pricked out when large enough into a well- 
dressed bed to gain strength, and planted out in 
its final place in June, there is no more trouble 
required to grow cauliflowers than cabbages. 
It is only when sowing in frames and pro- 
tecting under hand-glasses are resorted to, for 
the purpose of producing early maturity, that 
the thing becomes extravagant, because of the 
labour necessarily expended on it. Many 
vegetables are of the same nature ; if we were 
content to have them in their natural season, 
they would cost us but little ; but to obtain 
them out of season much labour and expense 
s frequently incurred. Sow, therefore, on a 
warm border in March. In April they will 
be large enough to prick out, three or four 
inches, or say six inches, apart ; these will 
have attained such strength in June as to 
be planted out in their final destination in 
the garden, and come in well for use in the fall 
of the season. If you sow on a slight hot-bed 
in January, and when large enough prick them 
out in a frame, but without much heat, and 
bring them well forward by April and May 
to plant out, you may get them much earlier. 
If you desire to have plants to grow through 
the winter, sow in August, prick out where 
they can be covered with a garden-light, and 
stand protected all winter ; but the strongest 
may be planted out under hand-glasses, three 
or four under each glass. In this case, great 
care has to be taken about keeping the glasses 
down in cold weather, and during heavy falls, 
and taking them off altogether, or tilting them, 
in any mild weather. As they grow large 
enough to crowd each other under the glasses, 
take away the weakest, and plant them out in 
the open ground, leaving only one, or per- 
haps two plants, to complete their growth, 
under each hand-glass ; as they show their 
flower the leaves should be bent down, to 
keep the sun off, that the colour may not be 
injured. Cauliflowers should be planted out 
as a general crop two feet apart one way, and 
eighteen inches the other ; but under hand- 
glasses there must be room for the hand- 
glasses to be taken off and placed in the row 
when the plants are at their largest size. The 
best sorts are Walcheren, Asiatic, and Early. 
BKOCOLI. 
Here is a varied and an excellent crop, 
and occasionally a cheap one. It is, however, 
one which no poor man ought to trust. Of 
the varieties choose Grange's early white, 
Chappel's cream, Somers's superb, Chappel's 
white Roman, Purple cape, White cape, and 
Early sprouting. The latter is the most use- 
ful. From January to June this vegetable 
might be sown every month, pricked out six 
inches apart as soon as it is large enough, and 
planted when strong enough. In this way 
brocoli is obtained from various sowings and 
plantings all the latter part of the summer and 
through the autumn and winter, unless it be 
very untoward weather. The sprouting sort 
is a very delicious and economical vegetable ; 
it eats well with anything, gives a good sup- 
ply for a long period, and requires but little 
labour. The best season for sowirg all the 
sorts is February and March, half each 
month. As soon as they have four rough 
leaves, prick them out in an open space, six 
inches apart, taking the strongest plants from 
the seed-bed each time ; you will thus get 
several different seasons out of each sowing. 
