April 7. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
11 
WINTER BROCOLI. 
Amongst the many tilings on which a hard winter 
brings destruction, there are few of more importance, in 
a culinary point of view, than Brocoli; and nothing is 
more lamented than to find that a plot of what promised 
I to form useful heads in succession, are either entirely 
killed, or so much injured that only a part of them will 
| live, and these only produce heads less than half the 
i size they ought to have done. That a system of pro¬ 
tection capable of preserving large quantities of these 
i out door vegetables may be established in the gardens of 
the wealthy we have no reason to doubt, since we are 
told of a garden where hot-water pipes are employed to 
heat large tracts of ground cropped with Asparagus and, 
probably, other things; but as most of the class of 
readers to whom this publication is intended have not 
the means to furnish such an expensive apparatus, we 
hope to give them some hints about the vegetables 
which form the subject of the present chapter, which 
may enable them to meet a hard winter with less dan¬ 
ger than they would if quite unprepared for it. 
It is well known that the injuries which severe or oft- 
repeated frosts do to plants of this section is such as 
often leaves those previously healthy and vigorous with¬ 
out a single leaf unmutilated. In this, as well as many 
i other instances, it is not the youngest that suffer most, 
for the older leaves seem still more affected, so that at 
the last, when mild weather sets in, the foliage presents 
a fringe of dead or dying matter all around its margin, 
which too often increases, so as, eventually, the whole 
will die, leaving perhaps only a very small tuft of small 
leaves at top to maintain the plant in a state of wretched 
existence, and to bring forward and protect the embrvo- 
bud, which we, in common phrase, call “ the head.” In 
many instances this latter duty is too much for the 
crippled energies of the plant, and it falls a victim to the 
season which has been too severe for it. We must 
endeavour to forearm our readers against this. 
Where large breadths of Broeolis are grown, to serve 
the daily wants of a large family, a sufficient number of 
kinds ought to be planted to keep up a regular supply 
the whole winter, beginning at a time when the Cauli¬ 
flower “ goes out,” and continuing till it “ comes in ” 
again. This important object is, however, more difficult 
to attain than the “seedsmens’” labels to their seeds 
I would lead us to expect, though some go to the length 
I of pointing out a certain week in which each kind will 
come into use; and from much the same authority some 
calendars report the exact day that each plant blossoms 
at, but as the season has an important effect on the 
growing crop, as well as on the germination of seeds, it 
is easily to perceive that a variety intended to come into 
profit in the middle of April cannot by any means do 
so when the preceding month, or more, has been so 
severe as to check and retard, if not absolutely kill, 
many of the plants intended for use at that period ; so 
that, unless some other means have been adopted, it is 
not unlikely but a blank appears, which it would be 
difficult to make up by any other substitute equally j 
popular at table ; every means, therefore, calculated to 
improve the varieties we have, or rather to increase their j 
hardihood, must be regarded as a boon, and with that ' 
object in view we throw out the following hints. 
Severe as a winter sometimes is, still there often 
happens “a something” to escape its ravages: these 
survivors, therefore, show, in unmistakeablc language, 
that they possess the power to withstand the cold and 
other vicissitudes of the season in a remarkable degree, 
while their fellows, with the same advantages, were 
killed outright, or irreparably injured. It is, therefore, 
to such plants as escape that we urge the improver of 
our garden produce to look for securing seed from ; for 
though it may not happen that the whole progeny from i 
such parents may possess their extraordinary hardihood 
and other good properties, yet it is likely a considerable 
portion will do so ; while the remainder are most likely 
better than the produce of seed collected indiscriminately. 
Now, though the above remarks are more especially 
directed to the selection of good Brocoli plants for seed 
after a hard winter like the past, yet they hold good in 
regard to other good qualities that individual plants 
may occasionally possess. It is no unusual tiling for 
gardeners,on lookingover their stock of Brocoli in April, 
to notice (amongst a number all coming into use at one 
time) certain heads of a superior description, which they 
at once determine to save for seed. This is all very 
well, because it is probable the produce will be good also ; 
but we ask them, il a really good kind coming into 
profit in February is not more wanted than spring kinds? 
When, therefore, a good, firm, useful head shows itself at 
the latter period, forming, perhaps an isolated one, that 
is the one to save as the parent of a useful family. It 
is true, we cannot expect, under ordinary circumstances, 
such fine “heads” in February as at the end of April, 
yet, such as they are, they are more really useful, and, 
consequently, deserving more attention in the shape of 
improvement. As might be expected, the kinds most in 
repute at table are not the best to endure hard weather, 
but we hope to see the system of hybridizing carried out 
so far as to give to the delicate Walcheren all the hardi¬ 
hood of the Dwarf Danish, and similar kinds; retaining 
its own useful property of coming into use throughout 
the winter. This cannot be all accomplished at once, 
and, doubtless, some well-intended experiments that way 
may end in disappointment; but the subject is assuredly 
as deserving attention as that of hybridizing flowering 
plants, with the almost certainty of returning to the 
same point again ; whereas, in this case, the ideal “ point 
of perfection ” lies so remote, that much improvement 
may take place before any check need be put on the 
score that further advancement is impossible; and, as 
the past severe weather has thinned the ranks of many 
of our most promising winter and spring vegetables, 
there seems a good opportunity of benefiting by those 
that are left. To our younger friends we, therefore, say, 
look-out for anything very good; and more especially 
so, if the majority are sufferers, as there is, in that 
case, more merit with the survivors. 
Sundries. —There are few things which may not now 
be sown with a fair prospect of success; and, under 
ordinary circumstances, the ground is expected to be in 
a condition fit to receive any such crops, while the ger¬ 
mination of the seeds is, perhaps, more certain now than 
at any other period, the droughts so common at a later 
period making this less certain than now. Experience 
has taught, that certain crops, to come into use at a time 
when their utility will remain unimpaired for a con¬ 
siderable lapse of time, a certain season must be chosen 
in which the seed may be sown with a certainty 
(barring accidents) of its doing this. For instance, 
the useful Coleworts or Cabbages, so plentiful in a 
general way at this season, must have been sown with 
a judgment balanced to a nicety, for if the sowing had 
been too early the young brood will run to seed in 
March; and to delay it longer than the proper period, 
a proportionate lateness in the produce will be the 
result. Now, though wo cannot well sow Brussels 
sprouts, Curled and plain Greens, and the whole family of 
that class, too soon in the spring, yet, in very cold bleak 
districts in the north of the kingdom, this is done some 
times in the August of the year before, without their 
running to seed during the summer, which they would 
be sure to do were that process repeated in more favoured 
latitudes; but, as we have said, the ground being now in 
a condition fit to receive anything and everything that 
may be committed to it, we advise that all work delayed 
by unavoidable circumstances be forthwith done; and 
