f
plants, while from two others, equally early, having the same number of
plants in each instance, and raised in the same location (an island in
the ocean), with precisely the same treatment in every way, I got, in
each case, less than a tablespoonful of seed, though the heads of some
of them grew to the enormous size of sixteen inches in diameter.

A fine cauliflower is the pet achievement of the market gardener. The
great aim is not to produce size only, "but the fine, white, creamy
color, compactness, and what is technically called curdy appearance,
from its resemblance to the curd of milk in its preparation for cheese.
When the flower begins to open, or when it is of a warty or frost-like
appearance, it is less esteemed. It should not be cut in summer above a
day before it is used." The cauliflower is served with milk and butter,
or it may become a component of soups, or be used as a pickle.

The ~Broccoli~ are closely allied to the cauliflower, the white
varieties bearing so close a resemblance that one of them, the
Walcheren, is by some classed indiscriminately with each. The chief
distinction between the two is in hardiness, the broccoli being much the
hardier.

Of Broccoli over forty varieties are named in foreign catalogues, of
which WALCHEREN is one of the very best. KNIGHT'S PROTECTING is an
exceedingly hardy dwarf sort. As a rule, the white varieties are
preferred to the purple kinds. Plant and treat as cauliflower.

Of ~Brussels-Sprouts~ (or bud-bearing cabbage) there are but two
varieties, the dwarf and the tall; the tall kind produces more buds,
while the dwarf is the hardier. The "sprouts" form on the stalks, and
are miniature heads of cabbage from the size of a pea to that of a
pigeon's egg. They are raised to but a limited extent in this country,
but in Europe they are grown on a large scale. The sprouts may be
cooked and served like cabbage, though oftentimes they are treated more
as a delicacy and served with butter or some rich sauce. The FEATHER
STEM SAVOY and DALMENY SPROUTS are considered as hybrids,
the one between the brussels-sprouts and Savoy, the other between it and
Drumhead Savoy. The soil for brussels-sprouts should not be so rich as
for cabbage, as the object is to grow them small and solid. Give the
same distance apart as for early cabbage, and the same manner of
cultivation. Break off the leaves at the sides a few at a time when the
sprouts begin to form and when they are ready to