The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-27
SHORT CHAPTERS
On Vegetable Culture.
THE CAULIFLOWER.

THE CAILlELOWEh.
7. rs7,;ires the very incest management
i ,-o3uce q perfect cauliiower in our eli
-ate and on our interior uplands, and it is
& -srv rarely cultivated in our southern gar
a,s Regarded, as it really is as merely a
-sristv Of cabbage, it cannot endure the
II -+rsrles of heat and cold that the ordinary
image can Withstand, and the average
amateur gardener is likely to meet with
lite q number of mishaps before he &C
Il ,,,,rss the necessary information that will
liable him TO make a fairly satisfactory
or.p Of caulihOwers. Unsuitable almost
L. 10 moisture, extremely impa-
Il isrt of heat and coarse, unfermented ma
rpre. susceptible to frost and subjected to a
lumber of insect enemies, the caulifiower is
If the easiest thing in the world to grow
1ier our southern sun, and dozen fairly
s,fect" heads out of hundred plants is
rcess sufficient to make the heart of the
rarage amateur throb with pride and salts
,,ron at the evidences of his horticultural
5hty.
The essentials of success in growing cauli-
lowers are-good seed of a good variety,
rom which stocky, well developed plants
he grown in cold frames. and they to be
ready to transplant Just so soon as the severe
rod weather Is over; soil that is naturally
heb and inclined to be moist, deeply plowed
snd we'll pulverized just prior to setting
but; an abundant supply Of moisture; fire.
1uent shallow cultivatings, or in lieu of this
nulching: timely measures against insects.
Various seedsmen advertise their special
variety or strain of caulifower for which
5tbey claim superior qualities. Some fifty
odd named sorts appear in the catalogues
synonyms), but it is necessary 70
name only three or four sorts for practical
purposes.
The EARLY Snowfall, the Early Dwarf
Erfuth, the Best Early and the Ideal make
I'D a list ample for the needs of the home or
market garden, and this short list might as
well be narrowed down 80 as only to en-
brace the first two. A good strain of seed
of either of these procured from some
reputable grower who will guarantee its
quality will meet the first requirement. of
the case.
In Middle Georgia the seeds are carefully
las soon as the plants get their third leaf they
are taken up aud reset in another frame,
giving them about three inches each way.
They are allowed to grow and become
stocky until about Feb. 10, when they are
trsnsplanted to the open ground, the soil
having been in the meantime properly pre-
pared to receive them. The plants are
\ firmly pressed in the center of broad, shall
low furrow. If the cutworms are bad
A.. -. I'd 81,
stem of the plants as they are set out. If
the soil is too dry from having been plowed
since the last rain each plant is given pint
or half pint of water to firm the soil and
encourage the prompt throwing out of new
roots. BY frequent STRINGS Of the soil
early in the mornings every few days the
plants are pushed forward, and about a
month after setting out we have observed
the plan of mulching each plant thoroughly
with pine or other straw or leaves. The
mulch is put on to the depth of several
Inches of pressed straw, putting it on just
after saturating rain. The mulching is
not designed to cover the whole soil be-
tween the rows, but covers all the space be-
tween the plants in the plant row. Where
1.-The rows are three feet apart the mulch will
not interfere with the sweep furrow that
should be run through occasionally, the
sweep running as it were partially under
lub Dub uOG ~ OuJ Va pldC6.
IL the small home garden, where perhaps
not more.than fifty or 100 plants are desired,
twill prove a great advantage TO have the
'caulifiower plant in close proximity to the
well or other source of water. What with
mulching and an artificial supply
OF water to keep the plants con-
SANITY moist success will be more readily
attained than where there is no mulch and
where rain is the only dependence of moist
tod
rich soil and with stocky, robust plants Of
pure strain of Early Snowfall, will secure a
success that will be at variance with the
usual results. In setting out in dry
weather it will be found considerable help
TO grout or puddle the roots of the plants
before setting out. 1t causes the plants to
throw out new roots promptly. This grout
in composed of clay dust and COW manure
is equal parts and of a consistency that ena-
bles it to adhere to the roots when they are
dipped into it, In setting out press the soil
firmly about the roots of the plants, either
with the hand or foot. If the soil stands in
need of an application of fertilizer a top
dressing of it can be made advantageously
after the plants have started to growing. A
good mixture for the purpose is one part
each of nitrate of uda aud kainit, and two
parts of superphosphate; half handful
sprlnkled uniformly about the plant foot
IN every direction, but not in contact with
the stem. About all the fertilizer applied to
any of the cabbage family should be made
after this manner. The mixture recon-
mended presents the essential elements in a
highly soluble shape, and the influences of
cultivation and rain will carry the plant
food just where it is wanted. In applying
concentrated and highly soluble materials
care must be taken not to apply too much,
Tor an excess of food oftentimes act as a
poison with vegetable life as it does with the
animal. Where one is in doubt as to the
appropriate quantity to be supplied it is
safer to give in broken doses, and repeat the
application as the indications of need may
justify. Oae other caution in regard to
culture that is equally important-do not
disturb by deep cultivation the roots of the
caulltiower. If the soil is loamy and
properly prepared at planting time
proper cultivation of the crop consists in
merely breaking the crust from time to
tme IN order to keep down weeds and pro-
vide mulch in the slope of loose soil, which
prevents the soil underneath from becoming
100 compact, but in loamy soils under hot
sun 1t is quite easy to make the soil too open
Tor the good of the plant. On soils stiff
rom the presence of more or less clay, and
mat runs together" promptly after good
ram there is little danger Of getting 1t too
open IN the early growth or crop, but this
danger Is readily incurred on all light, sandy
SOL. The writer has seen many crops OF
various kinds greatly curtailed from having
the soil deeply stirred and roots pruned at
the beginning of droughty weather, when the