288. For the early supply of the London market, very great quantities of cauliflower are fostered under hand glasses during winter and the first part of spring ; and to behold some acres overspread with such glasses, gives a stranger a forcible idea of the riches and luxury of the capital. Two, three, or even four plants arc, at first, plac ed under each glass ; in fine weather, the cover is tilted in order to admit air. When the plants are somewhat ad vanced, in the end of February or beginning of March, the spare'plants are removed with a scoop-trowel, and planted out separately, leaving one, or at most two, under the glass. The plants thus left under the covers are ready for market in the end of April or beginning of May, and fetch a high price. A method of producing cauliflower pretty early, and with great certainty, is this :—The plants are set in small pots in the winter season, and kept in any convenient part of the floor of a vinery, or other glazed house. In the beginning of March they are taken out of the pots, with the ball of earth attached, and planted in the open ground. If they be here protected against severe frosts with bell glass covers, they come into head in the course of April, it the weather prove favourable.
It may be mentioned, that in some places it is not an un common practice to sow a little radish seed on the cauli flower ground, a fortnight before planting out the cauli flowers. It is found that the flies, or larva:, which infest the young plants, prefer the tender leaves of the radish to those of the cauliflower, and that the latter thus escape. Market gardeners often mix spinach seed with the radish, but from a different motive ; they thus procure a useful crop soon after the cauliflower is removed. More frequent ly, however, these gardeners employ the cauliflower ground in producing a late crop of cucumbers for pick ling.
When seed for, some of the best early plants are selected, and left to flower, plenty of earth being drawn up to their roots. The seed ripens in September, but at various times, on the different branchlcts of the same head, so that it is proper to gather it at successive times, as it appears ripe.
Broccoli.
289. Broccoli is generally considered as merely a variety of cauliflower. It is indeed nearly allied, and the useful part consists, as in cauliflower, of the clustered unexp3nded flower buds ; but the broccoli plant is distinguished by its cut leaves, its larger growth, and greater degree of hardiness. There are several varieties of broccoli, two of them parti cularly distinct, the purple and the white. No culinary plant is so liable to sport as broccoli ; so that new kinds, slightly different, are continually coming into notice or favour, and as speedily sinking into neglect.
Of the purple, there are several sub-varieties, the early, dwarf, branching, and Cape broccoli, the last but lately in troduced. What are called the brown and the black broc
boll are likewise slight variations of the purple. They are more hardy, and better suited for exposed situations ; but they do not form heads so completely as some other kinds ; the tender stems and hearts of the plants, with the small heads on the lateral branches, being the parts chiefly used. The dwarf sulphur-coloured is much esteemed, and culti vated to great perfection near Edinburgh. By many, the sort called green broccoli is accounted the best. The white, Neapolitan, or cauliflower-broccoli plant, is rather more tender thou the others, but the flower is at the same time more palatable ; it forms a close curdly head of considerable size in the spring months, and the plants do not branch, as most of the purple kinds do. A hardy variety of the white would therefore prove a great ac quisition.
290. Broccoli seed is sown in April for an autumn crop, to be planted out in the beginning of June ; and, for a spring crop in the following year, the seed is sown late in INlay, or even in June. The seedlings are afterwards placed in nursery beds, where they remain till the middle or end of July, when they are finally transplanted. A light, but deep and rich soil, in an open situation, is preferred. To those situated near the sea, it may be interesting to know, that sea-weed forms an excellent manure for broccoli. In the second volume of Scottish Horticultural Memoirs, p. 266, Mr William Wood, one of the most successful culti vators of broccoli near Edinburgh, gives an account of his remarkable success with this sort of manure. When drift ware abounds on the shore, he bestows on the quarter next intended for broccoli a very liberal supply, immediately digging it in roughly. The ground is afterwards slightly delved over before planting. From the soil thus treated, very large and fine heads are produced. It may be added, that grubs will not infest the roots, as they are very apt to do when stable manure is used. The broccoli plants are set in lines, two feet asunder, and a foot and a half apart in the lines. Water is given when thought necessary, accord ing to the state of the weather. They are hoed and earth ed up like cauliflower plants. Nicol recommends, that, in the end of October, the most forward crops, especially of the tall growing kinds, should be raised and laid over on their sides pretty closely together, placing the heads just clear of one another. If this be done in a dry soil and free situation, the plants are seldom injured by the frost of the severest winters. The heads of winter broccoli generally begin to appear early in January, and they continue till April.