01 THE COTTAGE GARDENEIl. Uotoueu ;i8. 
the keejiiiig qualities of the article in question ; now, 
in order to have Cauliflowers as early in the suininer 
as jiossihle, means must he taken to forward their 
growth in such a manner as to ensure their arriving at 
maturity in the shortest possible time, as in the case of 
many other things, the attemj)t to accomplish this 
sometimes leads to an opposite extreme. 'J’he rearing 
of plants too early in autumn causes tiiem to attain a 
sort of matured growtli sooner than they ought to do, 
and the consequence is, they present us with their jiro- 
mature heads long before they have attained that size 
which is re((uisite for their usefulness. This is what is 
called “buttoning,” and is just exactly what tlie skilful 
cultivator tries to avoid. Now, though we have occa¬ 
sionally had such mishaps, and every one who trios to 
have his produce early must exjtect some of the ])lants 
to run thus prematurely to head, yet the fewer of such 
useless productions the better, and the only way to pre¬ 
vent its lia))iicuing, is not to sow too soon, while to 
delay that duty too long is attended with risks from 
another quarter;—the young plants, unable to stand 
the rigour of winter, cither perish, or if they live, 
cannot ])0ssibly come in early ; but as all this has 
been explained, I will suppose that a seed-bed, well 
furnislied with robust plants, is just w'aiting to be 
planted out. 
A well sheltered border lacing the full south, but de¬ 
fended on all other sides, should be dug and manured, 
adding as much mortar-rubbish as can be had, to expel the 
slugs and other enemies that may be lurking there. This 
ground must then be measured off in such a way as to 
give s})ace for the tops of the hand-lights being taken olf, 
and still afford room to walk through and examine them 
as required. The common sized square hand-light will 
hold nine plants, which, after jdanting, may be covered 
up a few days to assist them in forming roots, and other¬ 
wise establishing themselves; after which they may be 
gradually uncovered, so as finally to inure them to the 
cold air, wiien the thermometer is not too much below 
the freezing point. A. mild, dull season, encouraging an 
unhealthy growth, is at variance with the plant’s preser¬ 
vation when severe W'eather docs set in: fortunately it 
often happens that very sharp frosts are preceded by 
more or less of cold chilly weather, which hardens the 
plant so that it endures the frost with less injury than if 
a severe frost suddenly followed an open mild season. 
Though there are various modes of obtaining early 
Cauliflowers, this old-fashioned one may still be regarded 
as the best; but another way is to have a quantity of 
plants potted, which being partly protected and partly 
forced, are planted out in March, on some wcll-j)repared 
situation, as under a south wall; yet it does not always 
happen that such are the earliest after all, and when the 
extra trouble is taken into account, the odds lie certainly 
on the side of planting under hand-lights; or, if they be 
! wanting, a common frame may be placed in such a 
situation, and filled with plants, which, being treated 
exactly the same as the above, may be thinned in spring, 
and the residue left to grow where standing. 
It very often happens that both frames and hand- 
lights are required to protect the necessary number of 
plants that are wanted in spring; and, in fact, if frames 
be not wanted for anything else, it is better to appro¬ 
priate them to this purpose than allow them to remain 
idle. Now, in addition to the above modes, many tem¬ 
porary ones are made use of with equal success. A bed 
is made and surrounded with rough slabs, sticks are 
j hoo])ed over it, and a few longitudinal ones being added, 
1 mats or-olher covering are thrown on in bard weather : 
j and with this purpose in view the size and shape of tlio 
j bed is made in aeordance with its covering. Jn a mild 
1 winter, and in the south of England, they will but 
j seldoin want covering up ; but, in more bleak districts, 
j this will be more wanted: in the latter case, a greater 
breadth ought to bo ]dautcd under glass, if possible; and, 
in very severe weather, that will bo the bettor for a little i 
covering iq), if snow docs not affect that purpose. ; 
in the general management of jilants in ])ositions j 
as above, it is to bo understood that a robust growtli ! 
is to be encouraged, rather than a delicate, tender 
one. A little frost,ought never to hurt them, which it 
assuredly would, wore they nursed in a temiieraturo 
more suited for geraniums; in the latter case, the elon¬ 
gated leaves, and the general dovelo2)ment of tlio jilant 
at a period at variance with the state of things out-of- 
doors, renders it very unflt to withstand any amount of 
hardship. Nothing is better to harden this, or any 
other doscri])tion of half-hardy plant, than the cold dry¬ 
ing winds we sometimes have in autumn and winter; 
the chilling effects of this suspends all growth that may 
bo active, and by contracting or sealing-iqi those pores, ! 
which, in a more e.xcitcd state, rendered the plant liable 
“ to catch cold,” by every cold draught, inures it to that 
condition in which its constitutional hardihood is ]nit 
to a fair, yet not severe, test. When hard weather 
really does set in, it is better to open tbe frames or hand- 
lights a little, to allow the damj) atmosphere to evapo¬ 
rate. Lotus supjiose a clear sunny afternoon in Decem¬ 
ber, or January, which we know often betokens a sharp 
frost; on such an occasion, let the jdauts bo very much 
exposed, and when shut in, both they and the ground 
they occupy will be less charged with moisture than 
]U'eviously ; and if even a little crisjiy stillness from 
frost has caught hold of them, they are no worse, jiro- 
viding they have been properly inured to cold ^Jreviously; 
with this care they may be covci'cd up for several days, 
if a succession of severe weather forbids their being 
opened; as by being partly chilled, or shall we say 
“ benumbed”? the active powers of vegetatiou, as well 
as of decay, arc very much checked: the latter being 
hardly less important than the former. Caro, of course, 
must be taken in re-opening them to the curi'ents of 
cold air, but the duU weather that usually follows the 
“breaking up of a storm” facilitates that; everything 
being done in the mean time to gradually accustom 
them again to full exposure. By attending to these 
simple rules, the amateur will bo able to carry his 
plants through the winter with that degree of robust 
health which is the only safeguard to a successful issue. 
J llonsoN. 
ALLOTMENT EARMING.— Novembeu. 
At last we are arri\ed at that part of the year wlien the 
vegetable kingdom, for the most pai-t, sinks into a state of 
repose—a not less wondrous provision of Almighty God 
than that cheering activity and exuberance exhibited in the 
garden and the held during the spring and summer. By 
this annual repose, the exhausted soil is enabled to lay in a 
store of the necessary gases, or qualities derived from the 
[ atmosphere; a great proportion of the insect tribes, which 
otherwise would accumulate in a most destructive degree, 
are destroyod; and, in addition, the earnest cultivator is 
enabled to can-y out improvements connected with the 
I staple of the soil without loss of time in regard of crop¬ 
ping. To the latter point we would dii-ect especial attention. 
Wo never saw a plot of ground yet but that something 
might be done for it still in the dormant season—sometliing 
to increase its value and efficiency; and as long as we have 
the pleasure of conducting outdoor operations of this kind, 
we siiall aim at no lower a standard than annually making 
the land worth more, than it was in the preceding year. 
This may seem a bold standard to assume, but wo are per¬ 
suaded that in the majority of cases it is attainable. 
.Vmongst the most solid and lasting improvements, drain¬ 
ing may be pointed to; without this, all other appliances 
aro but a waste of property. By it, where soils arc sour, 
botli organic and inorganic matters arc brought into play 
that would otherwise remain inactive ; the cultivator is 
