THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19390, 27 July 1926, Page 14

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

CULTURE OF CAULIFLOWER. The cauliflower is, perhaps, one of the most appreciated vegetables that are grown in the garden. It is a member of the cabbage family, and is given preference over cabbage by some. The part that is eaten is really the flower, although the leaves, when young, are also edible. The flower head of the cauliflower (for it is not one large flower, but a collection of many small flowers), is used as a vegetable when it is about half developed. The quicker this plant can' be grown the better is the head. For this reason itrequires a rich soil and plenty of manure. A loose loam, enriched with plenty of stable manure or green manure, is admirably suited for growing cauliflowers. They also do well on soil that has not been cropped previously, or cropped only very lightly, or on land that has , been given a spell, such as ground put down in grass for a while. The seed is best sown in summer or autumn, but may also bo sown in winter in sheltered positions. The seed should be sown in drills, Bin. apart in beds. Good varieties of general use are Early London and Walcheren, while a good variety for late sowing is Yeitch's Autunin Giant. One packet of seed should produce about 300 plants. Often, while vet in the seed bed, some of the young plants may-but--ton " or prematurely form small buttonlike heads. Such plants are useless,, as ■they are running to seed. When they have grown to a fair size and are sturdy with a good fibrous root system,- the plunts are put out in their permanent quarters.

The ground should to previously dug deeply and worked up. The plants. are put out in rows 27in. apart, with from 15in. to 18in. between the plants. A method of planting sometimes adopted when manure is scarce is to make trenches about a foot- wide and the same in depth. In the bottom of this is placed a good layer of manure or vegetable refuse. After compacting this, cover it with about Sin. of good, fine soil.. There should still be sin. or 6in. difference between the level of the trench and the surface level of the soil. This depression makes it easier for .watering in the hot weather. This method is not successful on heavy retentive soils as the trench would serve as a trough to hold the water in wet weather and so the plants would be swamped. The secret of successfully growing cauliflowers is to maintain a steady unchecked growth throughout. A check is very likely to cause the growing plants to produce stunted heads. In dry spells a generous supply of water should bo given at regular intervals while the "spell lasts, .When the plants are commencing to form flower-heads, application of liquid manure at frequent intervals will prove very beneficial in hastening growth. As it is desirable that the heads should be kept as white as possible, they should bo sheltered from the sun's rays. During the earlier stages of development the leaves provide the necessarv shelter, but it soon becomes necessary to take steps to provide the sheltering for the flower-head, .ihere are two methods by which this may be done. The first is to tie the leaves together over the flower with raffia or flax. The second method is to bend three or four leaves across thf) flow'er. I prefer this Becond- -method as it is performed -with greater ease. . Iho • canliflcivrer requires attention' to the soil also. During growth, keep the 60 ii w stirred between the plants and well weeded. l n some places it is customary to earth up this crop. For the purpose.;©* conserving paoistura during the & sfcraw mulch will be found