DECEMBER. 
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put anywhere according to the room, in empty vineries, Peach-houses, &c., 
taking care to give them an ample supply of light and air, and by all means to 
keep them as hardy as possible. I have differed from the usual instructions 
with regard to planting under hand-glasses at the end of October, deferring 
that process until towards the middle of February. Then selecting a warm 
south border, in front of some Peach-houses, I place hand-glasses 5 feet apart, 
putting a barrow of good rotten dung under each glass, and then planting out 
three of my most forward plants from pots. Thus we avoid a good deal of 
labour in lifting the glasses on and off, and avoid treading upon the ground 
when it is in the wettest state, which is, I think, very important. Due atten¬ 
tion is of course paid to them according to circumstances, and as soon as they 
have grown a little a large basin is formed round them for watering, which we 
usually fill with liquid manure. Continuing this treatment the plants will 
produce fine heads from the middle of May till the middle of June. We have 
thus provided for the first crop. Now for a succession. In about a fortnight, 
or three weeks time, we would take the forwardest plants from the second 
sowing, and plant out under hand-lights in the same way as before, at the 
same time shifting all our remaining plants into 48-sized pots, and removing 
them into temporary frames made of boards provided with a covering of double 
mats. Here they will come on nicely, and form the principal crop for summer 
use. 
In giving directions for the culture of Asparagus in a former paper, I have 
advised a good coat of dung to be wheeled over them; meaning by this, not 
dry, half-rotted stuff, but the best and blackest manure, and if this has been 
done the alleys will be in fine order for summer Cauliflower; to this point, 
therefore, I would bring all my plants, and plant them one yard apart in the 
yard-wide alleys. Here they will, if well supplied with water, grow fine, and 
be benefited in very hot weather by the slight shade afforded by the Asparagus. 
Perhaps I may be censured for advising this annual produce of Cauliflower 
in the same spot of ground, but we must remember that it is annually manured, 
and that by making the holes between each other every year, we secure fresh 
ground. I have found from experience that it will answer for many years, 
therefore it is no mere chimera. The supply from this source will be great, 
and from it the Cauliflower for pickling should be derived. 
We now come to the later crops. For the first next to that which we have 
discussed, a sowing should be made the middle of February, pricking the 
plants out in the seed-leaf, and gradually shifting them into 32-sized pots, from 
which they may be transferred to the open ground. It will require two or 
three of these sowings to fill up till the autumnal crop, which must be sown 
the 20th, 23rd, and 28th of May, and turned out upon a warm south border. 
The crops between this and the Asparagus being raised upon well-manured, 
deeply-dug ground, and being also kept well supplied with liquid manure. 
It will be necessary to house the autumnal crop rather before the heads are 
perfect. This should be done on a perfectly fine and dry day. It should be 
placed in a roomy, dry shed, free from damp, the decaying foliage should be 
carefully picked off. This supply will carry on the family till Christmas 
comes. Those who wish for a further supply must have it. 
The late Mr. John Wilmot, of Isleworth, used to have a variety of white 
Broccoli, looking very much like Cauliflower, which he gave to me. I grew it, 
took it up, and planted it in a pit or vinery, and it enabled me to supply the 
table till the end of February. In this way March and April were the only 
months in which we were short of this vegetable. 
I lay particular stress upon the potting of the Cauliflower, for there is no 
plant to which a check is more detrimental than it is to this. During the heat 
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