88 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 6. 
would press the soil too much and unequally. After 
the bed is regularly and equally pressed down, then 
j press the soil close to the neck of each plant, and be- 
i tween them, with the hand. When this is completed, 
| proceed to water the bed with a rather coarse-rosed 
i watering pot; give it freely and liberally, and to do this 
right well, go over the whole bed with a heavy shower, 
and as soon as that has sunk in and disappeared, com¬ 
mence again, and repeat the shower. In most cases, 
this will be amply sufficient for a week’s consumption. 
If the weather still continues dry, at the end of the 
week repeat the operation, and continue to do so until 
heavy natural showers take place. It is probable that 
tho soil will, with such heavy waterings, in time become 
baked on the surface, and will crack into fissures; when¬ 
ever that is observed, let the surface be loosened, and 
stirred up with a small three-pronged fork, breaking 
into the smallest possible bits the pieces of hal'd soil. 
Care must be taken that the roots are not disturbed, 
nor the foliage injured, by this operation. A gentle 
shower from the watering-pot should be given, imme¬ 
diately after the forking is done. This will cleanse off 
any soil that may have fallen upon the foliage, and also 
settle the soil into an even, compact surface again. 
Continue this abundant supply of water whenever the 
weather is dry, up to the point of the bloom beginning 
to open, and then discontinue it, as we may then fairly 
suppose that the bloom is secure, and more especially 
il the plants are shaded during the time the sun has its 
greatest power. 
Shading. —Having, as we trust, by such treatment, 
viz., choosing a right situation, using proper soil, pro¬ 
perly planting and diligently watering, brought the plants 
into luxuriant health, and into a fair promise of bloom, 
by the appearance of numerous fiower-buds in fine con¬ 
dition ; the next point to attend to, is to have ready a 
protecting shade, to shelter the blooms from the sun’s 
rays. This shade should be applied at the time the 
flowers begin to expand, and not before. If expense is 
no object, a shelter from the sun, formed like the one 
we lately described for the Tulip, would be the best, 
inasmuch as it would allow the blooms to be constantly 
seen, and would protect them from heavy rains and 
dews, which would tarnish very soon the bright colours, 
almost as much and as soon as the scorching rays of a 
June sun. It is, however, rather expensive at first to 
put up such a shelter, and, therefore, for such as may 
not choose, or have not the means, to erect such, an 
otherwise desirable summer shelter, of hoops and long 
rods, covered with sheets of canvass, may be adopted, to 
be taken off when the sun does not shine brightly, and 
in fair weather; with which shade the bloom will be 
jrrolonged much longer. The hoops may be made of 
hazel rods, bent over a long stout rail, nailed to upright 
posts at each end of the bed, with a sufficient number 
placed in the bed itself; or hoops of the right length 
may be procured from a cooper’s yard, or, what is the 
best of ail, they may be of iron rod, cut the right length. 
Whichever they are, they will require short stalks placed 
at the side of the bed, at such a distance from each 
other as will support two long rods, either of wood or 
iron, on each side. These rods must be fastened firmly 
to each hoop, and then they will support the canvass 
cover perfectly, so that it will not touch the flowers. 
T. Appleby. 
To be continued. 
THE KITCHEN-GAIIDEN. 
Cauliflower Plants—their Protection in Winter. 
—As we last week made a few remarks on the various 
kinds, and general treatment of Lettuce intended for 
winter use, wo now enter on that of a vegetable not less 
useful, though in a different way, and as its welfare 
during the winter months is of great importance, it 
being, in fact, one of the most useful vegetables we have , 
during the early summer months, we make no apology for ! 
making a few remarks on the treatment necessary to en¬ 
sure its well-being. In the first place, we will commence 
with that very important subject, shelter, it being gene¬ 
rally known that the delicate habits of the Cauliflower re¬ 
quire some such protection during the inclement months 
of winter, for, although it may, on some occasions, have 
stood in an exposed seed-bed, uninjured, yet such cases 
are exceptions rather than the rule, and hard frosts and 
frequent changes, so common in those winters called 
hard ones, so much reduce the plants in leaves as well 
as in numbers, that when planting time arrives, there is 
nothing left to plant out. Now, though we invariably 
leave a considerable portion of ours to their fate in such 
a place, and have often derived much good from plants 
so inured to the cold, yet we always preserve a quantity J 
under glass, sufficient (and something more) for the first I 
crop. Our mode is this:—we procure seed of the best ! 
kind of Cauliflower that can be had, which are close 
even heads, free from branching, or other coarseness. 
The first sowing we make some time between the 15th 
and 25th of August, and the second, on which we prin¬ 
cipally depend, the first week of September. Occasion¬ 
ally we sow a little seed as late as the middle of that 
month, but then we find it necessary to cover with glass 
immediately. The former sowing, being made in some 
open place, very often on a south border, if the weather 
be very dry, which it often is at that time, the beds will 
require water, and, what is equally necessary, shading. 
We have sometimes used a very simple process in so 
doing—a few pea-stakes laid over the bed, and over that, 
a little of the haulm, very thinly spread, never sufficient 
to prevent the sun’s rays entirely from shining on the 
beds, but sufficient to check its doing so too much ; 
under such a covering as this, the bed does not get so 
hardened at top from watering, as if there was nothing 
over it, while, at the same time, it derives benefit from 
the all-reviving rays of the sun; and if all other things 
be favourable, the seeds quickly vegetate :—the shading 
material must then be gradually removed, and a close 
w r atch kept against the slug and other enemies :—we 
now presume the plants to be progressing on:—if the 
weather be warm and showery, their growth will be the 
quicker, but we do not like them any the better for that, 
what we want is a sturdy habit, and for that purpose do 
not sow too thickly. If all goes on well, the first sown 
ones will be ready to plant out about the 20th of 
October. Our plan, as recorded last week, is to plant 
those intended for earliest use on some well-sheltered 
border, facing the south, and under hand-glasses at 
once, where they are to remain. We usually plant nine 
plants under such glasses, and they are placed so far 
apart as to allow standing room for their tops when 
taken off, as well as to walk between, and examine 
them;—we usually plant a few plants under each light 
of the earliest sown, and the remainder of the second or 
principal supply; the former are sometimes liable to 
button, and consequently are useless, so that it would not 
be safe to trust entirely to them, but when they do not 
do so, their greater forwardness is advantageous in the 
spring. After planting, we usually put the tops of the 
glasses on close, for a day or two, until the plants have 
taken hold of the ground, when they may be removed, 
and the plants be inured as much as possible to the cold, 
up to a late period of the season. Besides those planted 
as above, we plant a quantity under a box frame or 
some temporary imitation of one, to which any spare 
lights can be applied in bad weather; these should be 
filled with earth as near to the top as possible, and as the 
plants are expected all to be drawn and planted out in 
March and April, they may be planted tolerably thick, 
