21 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  9,  1896. 
I  have  not  space  on  a  south  border  for  Cauliflowers,  hence 
one  with  an  exposure  to  the  west  has  to  be  prepared,  and  no  doubt 
because  of  this  some  days  are  lost  in  the  matter  of  earliness. 
They  require  a  soil  that  has  been  liberally  manured,  and  the  need 
for  high  cultivation  is  even  more  marked  in  the  case  of  summer 
varieties  than  in  that  of  the  stronger  growing  autumn  kinds.  In 
preparing  the  ground,  therefore,  a  heavy  dressing  of  sound  manure 
is  a  first  necessity.  It  does  not  require  to  be  dug  in  deeply,  for 
the  plants  receive  the  greatest  benefit  when  the  manure  is 
incorporated  throughout  the  top  spit.  By  digging  the  ground  a 
second  time  the  manure  is  intimately  mixed  with  the  soil,  and 
quite  fit  for  the  plants.  If  the  soil  is  tolerably  dry  at  the  time  the 
last  digging  takes  place,  a  practice  to  be  commended  is  that  of 
firming  the  ground  by  treading  it  moderately,  but  should  the  soil 
be  at  all  wet  this  may  be  left  over  till  after  the  plants  have 
become  established.  The  plants  are  ready  for  setting  out  towards 
the  end  of  March,  but  up  till  the  middle  of  April  will  be  found 
perfectly  suitable,  and  it  is  better  to  wait  for  good  weather,  even 
if  it  should  appear  a  little  late. 
A  not  unimportant  matter  is  the  protection  of  the  young  plants 
for  awhile  after  planting.  I  cover  each  with  an  inverted  flower  pot 
and  allow  it  to  remain  night  and  day  for  a  week.  After  that  the 
plants  are  covered  during  the  night  only,  or  on  any  exceptionally 
cold  stormy  day  in  late  spring.  When  the  plants  have  obtained  a 
good  grip  of  the  soil  a  little  sulphate  of  ammonia  is  sprinkled 
round  each  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  effect  of  this  is 
speedily  seen  in  the  rapid  growth  made  by  the  plants  early  in  May. 
An  occasional  supply  of  water  as  needed  must  be  provided,  the 
surface  of  the  ground  should  be  loosened  by  the  Dutch  hoe,  and  as 
the  plants  progress  a  little  soil  drawn  to  the  neck  of  each  is  dis¬ 
tinctly  advantageous.  When  the  plants  are  fully  grown  it  may 
occur  that  in  hot  sunshine  the  foliage  will  flag  and  droop.  This 
may  arise  either  from  dryness  at  root  or  from  the  attacks  of 
maggots,  or  because  the  soil  is  somewhat  loose.  If  from  the  last 
cause,  then  the  soil  must  be  well  firmed  round  each  plant ;  this 
proceeding  also  somewhat  lessens  the  mischief  produced  by 
maggots,  and  it  also  to  some  extent  does  away  with  the  need  of 
much  watering. 
In  cutting  the  crop  it  is  well  to  be  careful  not  to  do  this  too 
soon.  The  variety  under  discussion  never  produces  large  heads, 
but  by  allowing  them  time  to  grow  they  are  such  as  cannot  be 
called  small.  It  is  a  profitable  system  to  examine  the  crop  every 
second  day,  when  those  that  are  considered  sufficiently  large  are 
cut,  each  with  a  leaf  in  which  to  enclose  the  “  flower,”  and  those 
that  are  showing  the  white  are  at  the  same  time  protected  from  the 
light  by  means  of  a  large  leaf  pressed  over  each.  Exactly  the  same 
method  is  pursued  in  the  case  of  the  secondary  heads,  which  form 
at  the  base  of  the  central  one.  They  appear  very  small  at  first, 
but  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  develop  and  become  useful. 
The  cut  heads  keep  well  for  a  few  days  if  laid  out  in  a  perfectly 
cool  room  or  cellar. 
The  plants  to  succeed  these  are  sown  at  the  same  time, 
but  treated  differently.  Early  Erfurt  and  Pearl  are  reliable 
varieties.  Instead  of  potting  the  seedlings  and  growing  them  in 
a  cool  structure  they  are  transplanted  into  a  prepared  bed  in  a 
cold  frame,  in  which  progress  is  necessarily  slower.  In  selecting 
the  material  for  the  bed  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  fact  that 
Cauliflowers  do  not  as  a  rule  transplant  with  good  balls,  therefore 
a  compost  that  will  cause  a  network  of  roots  is  of  importance. 
Such  will  be  secured  by  selecting  loam  as  sound  as  possible, 
and  to  two  parts  of  that  add  one  of  old  Mushroom  bed  refuse. 
Place  on  this  a  layer  4  inches  in  depth  on  a  hard  bottom ,  and  set 
out  the  seedlings  3  inches  apart  each  way.  The  sashes  may  be 
kept  closed  for  some  time,  but  when  the  weather  becomes  warm  in 
the  daytime  then  allow  the  plants  all  the  ventilation  possible.  The 
soil  being  well  firmed  it  will  require  bat  little  water  ;  and  even 
when  watering  cannot  be  delayed  it  must  not  be  overdone.  It  is 
possible,  by  attention  to  this  operation,  to  induce  the  production  of 
a  great  number  of  roots  towards  the  surface  and  few  towards  the 
bottom  of  the  bed,  and  this  condition  is  exactly  what  is  required 
to  secure  plants  that  will  move  with  the  least  possible  check. 
When  the  plants  grow  too  slowly  I  have  found  a  slight  dressing  of 
a  quick  acting  manure  cause  at  once  the  desired  progress  to  take 
place. 
Nothing  is  gained  by  transplanting  too  early.  A  weakly  plant 
will  become  a  strong  one  sooner  if  left  in  iis  protected  frame, 
and  it  will  become  established  none  the  less  certainly  and  rapidly 
on  account  of  a  little  delay.  The  same  preparation  of  the  soil  is 
required  for  this  and  succeeding  crops  as  has  already  been  pointed 
out,  in  the  case  of  the  early  one.  A  quick  vigorous  growth  is  to 
be  always  aimed  at  for  Cauliflowers,  hence  a  well-worked,  richly 
manured  soil  is  indispensable.  The  best  manure  is  undoubtedly  a 
mixture  of  horse  droppings  and  cow  manure  that  has  been  laid  in  a 
heap  for  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks,  turned  once  or  twice  during 
that  time,  and,  when  well  “  sweetened,”  wheeled  on  to  the  ground 
and  at  once  dug  in.  This  crop,  like  the  earliest,  should  also  be 
protected,  and  this  may  be  done  either  by  means  of  evergreen 
shoots  or  flower  pots. 
Later  crops  are  secured  from  plants  sown  in  the  open.  About 
the  middle  of  March  seeds  of  Magnum  Bonum,  King,  and  Autumn 
Giant  are  sown,  followed,  three  or  four  weeks  later,  with  other 
sowings  of  the  same  varieties.  I  have  also,  on  account  of  the 
losses  suffered  from  maggot  attacks  on  plants  of  the  March  sowing, 
occasionally  sown  seeds  where  the  plants  were  left  to  grow,  and 
this  has  proved  fairly  effective  as  a  preventive.  It  has,  moreover, 
had  an  effect  on  the  plants  that  was  not  thought  of  when  the 
first  experiment  was  made,  which  is  that  sown  at  the  same  time 
those  untransplanted  are  ready  to  use  first.  The  method  of 
procedure  is  to  sow  three  to  five  seeds  at  each  station  set  apart 
for  a  plant,  and  when  the  seedlings  are  well  up,  the  weaker  are 
drawn  out  and  the  strongest  left  to  grow.  There  need  be  no 
loss  of  ground  in  carrying  out  this  plan,  for  between  the  rows 
other  quick  growing  crops  such  as  Radishes,  Spinach,  and  Lettuces 
are  grown,  and  even  sowings  of  other  Cauliflowers,  Cabbages,  and 
Broccoli,  all  of  course  to  be  transplanted  when  ready. 
It  may  be  added  that  the  earliest  plants  are  set  at  21  inches 
apart,  others  at  2  feet  by  21  inches,  and  Autumn  Giant  at  3  feet 
by  2. — B.  _ _ 
WHEN  FLOWERS  ARE  VALUABLE. 
If  asked  to  state  when  flowers  are  in  most  demand  and  fetch 
the  best  prices,  I  would  unhesitatingly  decide  in  favour  of  the 
whole  of  the  month  of  January.  What  about  the  latter  part  of 
December  ?  some  will  ask.  Well,  that  too  is  a  busy  time,  and 
more  flowers  are  cut  for  the  Christmas  festivities  than  for  any 
other  short  period  in  the  year  ;  but,  then,  immense  quantities  are 
grown  for  that  particular  demand.  So  abundant  are  such  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  as  W.  H.  Lincoln,  yellow  ;  L.  Canning,  Lady  Lawrence, 
and  Princess  Blanche,  white,  that  it  is  doubtful  if  the  prices  will 
not  prove  disappointingly  low  to  the  growers.  It  is  during  the 
early  part  of  January,  or  through  the  month  in  fact,  when  most 
parties  are  given,  and  flowers  are  in  great  demand,  and  then  it  is 
the  turn  for  the  grower  to  get  good  prices.  The  experienced  ones 
among  them  contrive  to  have  the  four  Chrysanthemums  named, 
and  with  them  Princess  Victoria  and  Golden  Gem,  much  later  than 
Christmas,  the  buds  of  the  first-mentioned  not  being  “  taken  ”  till 
the  first  or  second  week  in  October,  or  some  time  after  housing. 
In  December  buyers  must  have  large  blooms  and  plenty  for  their 
money  ;  during  January  they  will  have  what  they  can  get,  and  pay 
a  good  price  whether  they  like  it  or  not.  Market  growers  not  yet 
experienced  in  the  matter  will  do  well  to  make  a  note  of  the 
foregoing. 
Chrysanthemums  are  by  no  means  the  only  flowers  available  in 
January.  Semi-double  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  notably  the  rich 
scarlet  Raspail,  are  also  in  good  demand  then,  this  colour  proving 
among  the  best  for  table  decoration.  It  is  the  well-grown  young 
plants  that  give  the  best  results,  and  those  who  depend  on  either 
old  plants  or  young  ones  in  a  low  temperature  will  not  make  them 
pay.  Nor  ought  the  cultivation  to  be  confined  to  market  gardens, 
but  in  every  garden  where  proper  facilities  are  available  at  least 
one  light  dry  staging  in  a  heated  house  should  be  devoted  to  semi¬ 
double  Zonal  Pelargoniums.  Give  them  a  light  position,  avoid 
