366 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mabch 19, 1861. 
not accomplished all at once may be easily guessed at, for after 
many generations of improvement there will now and then 
plants appear of that wild character bordering much on what 
we may believe the original to have been. But as such sports 
are far from common, they are of little consequence to the general 
cultivator, who, nevertheless, at all times takes care to select his 
seed only from such plants as exhibit the feature nearest to that 
standard of perfection which is so well known as to require no 
explanation here. Suffice it to say, Cauliflower seed of good 
quality can never be very plentiful. I once heard an eminent 
grower, and one who also grew his own seed, say that he could 
not grow his seed to sell at the price it was usually quoted in 
the market; and as his situation, soil, and other conveniences 
were all favourable to the production of seed, it follows that 
either the majority of seed in the trade is from indifferent 
varieties, or in some adulterated, to meet the low price that 
buyers will have it at, for they are equally culpable with the 
seller. Be this as it may, good Cauliflower Beed can never be 
produced in quantities sufficient to allow it to be sold at a low 
price, for the best kinds do not furnish much seed : its dearness, 
then, ought not to be grumbled at if it be good. Having made 
these general observations on the plant and its seed, a few 
remarks on its cultivation may follow, divided into the following 
heads:— 
Soil. —Like the whole of the family, this one seems to delight 
in good living, and in the fat of the land it seems to prosper 
more than anywhere else. A deep, rich, loamy soil rather in¬ 
clined to be stiff than light, unless the situation be a moist one, 
and then a light soil answers best. An obstinate untractable 
clay will hardly do ; but if the latter be pulverised with an 
admixture of lime, and exposure to frost, drying winds, or long- 
continued drought, the Cauliflower will thrive in such a soil; 
for it often thrives in a soil containing a goodly portion of lime. 
Nevertheless, the deep, rich, alluvial soils bordering such rivers 
as the Thames and Mersey, seem more adapted to it, and with 
the aid of liberal supplies of dung or other manure, this vege¬ 
table arrives at the greatest state of perfection. Although this 
is not precisely the soil to preserve plants through a long and 
hard winter; but for summer growth it stands pre-eminent in 
the generality of seasons, but such an imusual summer as the last 
has been, a drier situation even when much less rich in manorial 
matters seemed to answer better, for the latter produced a sort 
of gouty habit, which exhibited itself in deformed heads, 
blistered leaves, and the other features of an unhealthy state 
of things. Whereas in very dry seasons a moist situation answers 
best, as furnishing the plant with those juices its quick growth 
and succulent condition render so necessary to its welfare ; but 
in a general way the medium class of soil answers best. 
Sowing the Seed. —Strange to say, the practice of Abercrombie 
and others, recorded nearly a century ago, cannot well be im¬ 
proved on for the first crop, which was to sow on the 21st 
August for the crop that was to stand the winter, and come first 
into use the following season. Some growers still adhere to this, 
and with a fair share of success, while others wait a little later; 
and I believe Mr. Barnes, of Bicton, does not sow his first crop 
until the 1st of October, and then does it on a slight hotbed, 
hurrying on the plants to overtake those sown before in other 
places. Doubtless this plan is the best for such an early 
district as the one he practises it in, where a more advanced 
growth might result in the plant running prematurely to seed, 
or, in the language of the trade, buttoning. Be this as it may, 
a very good practice nearer London is to sow in a favoured spot 
about the 1st of September; and if the weather be very hot, to 
slightly shade and water the bed; or, if it be of the contrary 
description, to cover the bed with any spare lights. Care must 
also be taken to keep insects of all kinds at bay. Dustings with 
soot, wood ashes, and lime might be made about a week after 
the seed is sown ; and if any yellowness or holes in the seed-leaf 
appear, to be sure and trace out the cause—for a failure in this 
crop is very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a substitute 
for. Let the seed-bed, therefore, be duly attended to ; and the 
result will be a nice brood of healthy young plants, all of a size, 
and all ready to plant out at one time to their winter quarters, 
which will be described hereafter. 
Now, though the above may form an example of the manner 
in which the seed-beds of Cauliflower ought to be treated, it 
is not by any means the only one; neither is the time above 
mentioned the only one adopted. A small patch of seed may be 
sown about the 20th or 24th of August; and some of these 
plants may be mixed with the later ones to plant in the hand¬ 
glasses that stand the winter, and produce the first batch of 
Cauliflower on the spot they stand the winter on. But too 
much dependance must not be made of this sowing, as the 
plants are not unlikely to button in spring. But it is always 
advisable to try a few, and, if they do not succeed, the loss is 
not much; if they do, they come in sooner than the general 
crop, and a few days are of great importance with this as well as 
with many other vegetables. 
The next sowing to follow the above may be made in Feb¬ 
ruary, and, if possible, on a slight hotbed. Usually one is 
made for Celery and such things ; and if a corner of this could 
be spared for a small quantity of Cauliflower, the plants come in 
handy, and are sure to be acceptable, a spare light or two for 
a short time until the plants be fairly up, and then any other 
covering at nights will do until the plants will bear pricking out, 
which ought also to be done on a nice, warm border, or, still 
better, in a frame and glass. This, however, is not always 
obtainable at this season, and consequently recourse must be 
had to the means that are disposable. 
As these may be treated of hereafter, it is right here to 
say that, in conjunction with the sowing just made in a hot¬ 
bed in February, let there also be one under a south wall at 
the same time, or as soon after as the state of the weather 
admits; and another sowing on a larger scale may be made 
in March on a suitable bed in the kitchen garden, which is 
to be followed with other sowings at intervals of a fortnight 
apart up to the end of June. After which until the 20th of 
August it is hardly necessary to make any; for although it 
sometimes happens that those sown the first week in July 
may come into use that autumn, it is seldom they do so, and 
the preceding sowing is quite late enough. Sowings in hot 
weather may be shaded during bright sunshine and watered at 
the same time, care being taken at all times to keep insects and 
birds away ; and in dry weather the covering for the seeds had 
better be sifted leaf mould, which does not cake and harden 
with the water, and will also allow of being laid on a little thicker 
than the ordinary mould of the bed.—J. Robson. 
(To he continued .) 
FUMIGATING- WITH TOBACCO SMOKE 
BEDDED-OUT PLANTS. 
As the time is at hand for planting our Pansies, Verbenas, &c., 
from the store-pots, I offer a few observations on the planting in 
the garden borders. 
In whatever shape they are intended to be, provision should 
be made for keeping the plants clean by hoeing, &c.; but the 
most difficult point is the destruction of green fly, which, once 
established, not only spoils the flowers, but is most injurious 
and often fatal to the plants themselves. 
I have tried most of the nostrums prepared from time to time, 
but long since came to the conclusion that for this purpose 
nothing equals the smoke of tobacco—indeed, I may say for all 
purposes, in-doors and out, when it is possible to apply it, on 
account of its cleanliness, conveniences, and searching character; 
for smoke insinuates itself into every part, while washes and 
powders do not, and involve time and trouble, without com¬ 
pletely effecting the object after all. 
Many are quite aware of this, and adopt the fumigating pro¬ 
cess for houses and frames ; but they are ignorant of any means 
of fumigating plants in the ground. I accomplish it completely, 
without trouble or failure, as follows :—I have a deal box (it is 
an old packing-case) 3 feet long, 2 feet broad, and 18 inches 
deep, and when my beds are raked down, I place this (having 
removed the lid) upon the border, and mark out the beds, 
leaving about 9 inches or afoot between each division, so that the 
box may cover without disturbing the plants. 
I have a hole in the outer end, with a plug. When I fumi¬ 
gate, I turn the box over the plants, press down the edges, and 
insert the fumigator (I use that called “Brown’s patent”); a 
very small quantity of tobacco suffices, and a few turns of the 
handle of the fumigator fill the box—not a particle of smoke 
escaping. I generally do this at night, and remove the box in 
the morning, stirring the mould and watering, and I always find 
the fly destroyed. 
Two or three of these boxes can be filled with smoke with 
half an ounce of tabacco ; and I know nothing cheaper. 
If the tobacco is not grown, but purchased, I recommend 
that used by sailors called Cavendish. It is the strongest, and 
