The Cauliflower Part 11

THORBURN'S WONDERFUL.--At the New York experiment station in 1883 this variety matured with Veitch's Autumn Giant and Walcheren, and was larger than either of those. At the same station in 1885 a variety called Wonderful, probably the same, was the latest of 30 sorts, being sown March 30th, set out May 4th, and gathered Oct. 27th.

VAUGHN'S EARLIEST DWARF ERFURT.--In his catalogue for 1891, Vaughn says that this is the highest priced and finest strain of the Earliest Dwarf Erfurt, imported from Erfurt Germany. This strain has been imported by him for several years. He remarks that many strains of Dwarf Erfurt are given special names by other seedsmen.

VEITCH'S AUTUMN GIANT (_Autumn Giant_, _Giant Naples_, _Frankfort Giant_).--No other new variety of cauliflower has attracted so much attention as this. It was introduced into England about 1869, since when it has become very popular there for a late crop and for summer. It is rather too late for the ordinary fall crop in this country, though a favorite with some growers on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

It was described by Vilmorin in 1883, as follows, under the name Giant Naples, but is now sold by him as Autumn Giant: "Plant large and vigorous, stem rather tall, leaves abundant, somewhat undulated, of a deep green. The interior leaves turn in well over the head, which is very large, solid, and white. It is a late variety of the same period as Walcheren, but less hardy. At the north it can be employed for the latest crop in open air culture by being sown in April or May."

In 1884 Vincent Berthault gave the following account of this variety in the _Revue Horticole_: "This variety is still rare and little known in France. I planted it last year for trial and obtained results which were the admiration of all who saw them. It was from my small crop that I took the four which I had the honor to present to the Central Horticultural Society of France at its meeting on August 25, 1883. Some of these cauliflowers were 35 to 38 centimeters [more than a foot] in diameter, and weighed, including stem and leaves, 12 to 13 kilograms [nearly 30 pounds] which is extraordinary for this time of the year, when it is difficult to obtain cauliflowers of even ordinary size. At one time I feared that their size was to the detriment of their quality, but it has proved otherwise, and in all respects they are excellent, and as good as beautiful. In fact they are perfect.

"The general characters of the Autumn Giant differ materially from those of other varieties.

"The young seedlings become at once very tall and upright, and even after being set out and planted as deep as the first leaves they quickly a.s.sume their usual stellate appearance, and for about six weeks they are simply furnished with eight or ten long narrow leaves borne on a long stem. So up to this time the plants are not very promising, and one is tempted to pull them up; but after this the plants rapidly change in appearance; a dozen new leaves are quickly developed, and the plants take on a half-upright form which recalls that of the Half Early Paris variety. As to the head, it is more conical than flat. The leaves sometimes attain a length of 90 centimeters [nearly three feet], by 40 centimeters broad. It is then that extra care should be given. The waterings ought to be copious and frequent, especially at the time of the formation of the heads, when I apply about 10 to 15 litres of water to each head every other day. This, which certainly contributed to the good result, is how I grew my plants. I chose good soil, which I prepared during the winter, placing in the bottom of the furrow a good thickness of manure, and a month before planting, or even at the time of doing so, I spread on the surface a covering of decomposed manure, which I incorporated with the soil by means of ordinary tillage. I visited the plantation every day, not only to destroy the caterpillars, but to cover the heads with leaves, which it was necessary to look after at least every other day in order to preserve the whiteness of the heads. These attentions are indispensable if one would secure a product of first quality, free from insects. As to sowing the seed, it may be begun about the 15th of September, and the plants wintered over under hand-gla.s.ses, or in frames, to be set out in March, when heads will be obtained in July. The plants of this sowing may also be set in hot-beds in January and February, but this only in default of other varieties, for they will be too tall and spreading.

"It is in February, on a bed with mild heat and under gla.s.s, that I make my sowing to obtain plants which are to head in August and September, and which give my best returns. A final sowing may be made at the end of March or beginning of April; it matures its crop in October and November.

"My opinion of the Autumn Giant is that it is destined to play an important part in the market-gardening of the country when, probably in the near future, there shall have been produced dwarf varieties a.n.a.logous to those which we already possess from other sorts."

VEITCH'S EARLY FORCING.--This variety "has small compact hearts, very close and white. The habit of the plant is dwarf and st.u.r.dy, and it is well adapted for forcing."--(_Gardening Ill.u.s.trated_, 1885, p. 427). It is favorably mentioned by several writers in the _Gardener's Chronicle_ for 1884 and 1885. In the _Garden_ for 1882 Veitch's Early is said to be two weeks earlier than Early London.

VEITCH'S PEARL, see _Pearl_.

VEITCH'S SELF-PROTECTING.--Said by the _Gardener's Chronicle_, in 1874, to be a new variety, just tested by Mr. Veitch, much later than Autumn Giant, hardy, and very self-protecting.

VICK'S IDEAL.--James Vick says in 1890: "We introduced the 'Ideal' to public notice in 1886, and claimed for it superiority to any other variety in the following points: Reliability of heading, size and solidity of heads, earliness, and protective habit of inner leaves."

Further tests by himself and others he says substantiate these claims.

The plants are said to be very dwarf, with erect outer leaves. At the New York experiment station, in 1889, it was a few days later than the three other varieties on trial. At the Ohio station the same year it was considered one of the best strains of Early [Extra Early] Erfurt.

VIENNA CHILD.--Catalogued by Wolfner and Weisz, of Vienna, in 1888, at the highest price, as a fine new market-garden sort.

VIENNA EARLY DWARF, see _Early Dwarf Vienna_.

WAITE'S ALMA, see _Alma_.

WALCHEREN.--This old German variety is intermediate in character between the true cauliflowers and the broccolis, and it has, from the first, been frequently called Walcheren Broccoli. There seems to have originally been two varieties, Early and Late. The earliest appearance of the name Walcheren that I have seen is in an advertis.e.m.e.nt of Walcheren cauliflower seed in the _Gardener's Chronicle_ for 1844.

Since that time it has remained one of the most reliable and popular varieties with English growers.

McIntosh, in his "Book of the Garden," in 1855, said that it was hard to get pure seed: "The true Walcheren is distinguished from all others by its bluntly rounded and broad leaves, and the closeness and almost snowy whiteness of its heads, even when grown to a large size." Others, before this, state that it was sold on the Continent under the name of Early Leyden.

Burr, in 1866, records it as synonymous with both Early Leyden, and Legge's Walcheren broccoli or cauliflower. He describes it as resisting both cold and drouth better than other varieties, "stem short, leaves broad, less pointed and more undulated than those of the cauliflower usually are."

Vilmorin described it in 1883 as synonymous with Walcheren Broccoli, known in Holland as Late Walcheren. He said: "The latest and most hardy of the cauliflowers, and therefore intermediate between the cauliflowers and the broccolis, with which latter it is often cla.s.sed. Stem high and strong, leaves elongated, rather stiff and upright, abundant, and of a slightly grayish green. The head forms very late, and is fine, large, and very white, of fine close grain. The seed requires to be sown at Walcheren, [an island on the coast of Holland] in April, in order to be certain of heading before frost. If sown later it often pa.s.ses the winter and heads early in the spring."

Sibley, in 1887, sold this variety under the name of Early Walcheren, though giving it the usual characters and season of the ordinary late sort. Buist, in 1890, mentions it as a favorite, very hardy, late variety. It is sold by most of our seedsmen, but is less popular in this country than in England. Sutton, the English seedsman, describes it in his latest catalogue as an "excellent mid-season cauliflower." It is less liable to b.u.t.ton in dry weather than most other varieties, but sometimes forms imperfect heads.

WEBB'S EARLY MAMMOTH.--A variety advertised as follows by Webb & Sons of Wordsley, Stourbridge, England, in _The Garden_, Feb. 9, 1878: "An excellent compact variety; stands the drought remarkably well; heads large, firm, and beautifully white. The best of all for the main crop."

WELLINGTON.--Introduced about 1860. Henderson & Co. describe it as the finest kind in cultivation; pure white; size of head over two feet in circ.u.mference, and as large as thirteen inches diameter; very dwarf, the stem not more than two or three inches from the soil, but with ample foliage; one of the hardiest varieties known, and said to withstand well the variable climate of the United States. C. G. Anderson & Sons of England, in 1880, claimed it to be earlier, white, and closer than Early London.

A writer in the _New England Farmer_, in 1871, speaks of it as larger than either Early Erfurt or Early Paris.

WONDERFUL, see _Thorburn's Wonderful_.

ORDER OF EARLINESS.

The following varieties cover the season, and are arranged in the order of earliness, as near as can be determined. Many well known kinds are omitted, and some little known sorts inserted, the only attempt being to form a scale of maturity:

Early Dwarf Erfurt.

Extra Early Paris.

Early London.

Asiatic.

Early Erfurt.

Early Paris.

Lenormand Short-Stem.

Late Paris.

St. Brieuc.

Algiers.

Veitch's Autumn Giant.

Giant Naples.

Veitch's Self-Protecting.

Late Italian Giant.

Walcheren.

VARIETY TESTS.

NEW YORK EXPERIMENT STATION (_Geneva_).--In 1883 the following twenty-two varieties were sown April 16, and eleven plants of each variety set out May 15. One variety, however, Rice's Giant s...o...b..ll, was sown May 13, and set out June 20. Treatment was the same as for cabbage.

--------------------------+---------+----------+---------+------------ Diameter First of largest VARIETY. head in No. of No. of head in days. plants. heads. inches.

--------------------------+---------+----------+---------+------------ Algiers 159 6 5 9 Algerian Late 142 9 1 6 Berlin Dwarf 124 8 2 5 Carter's Defiance 124 7 6 -- Carter's Dwarf Mammoth 124 6 2 9 Earliest Dwarf Erfurt 124 10 4 7 Erfurt Early Dwarf 131 6 3 5 Early Dutch 142 7 3 6 Early London 129 6 4 9 Extra Early Paris 142 3 2 9 Gerry Island 133 3 3 6 Imperial 119 8 7 10 Italian Giant White 175 6 1 10 Large Late London 128 6 5 7 Large White French 105 8 8 6 Lenormand's Short-Stemm'd 128 5 5 8 Rice's Giant s...o...b..ll 152 7 1 4 s...o...b..ll 128 5 4 6 Stadtholder 128 6 5 9 Thorburn's Wonderful 128 4 4 6 Veitch's Autumn Giant 128 6 3 6 Walcheren 128 3 3 6 --------------------------+---------+----------+---------+------------

In 1884, the following twenty varieties were grown. The seeds were sown in a green-house March 5 and 6, and the plants set out May 2. It appears from the table that some of the varieties called "late," formed heads earlier than others called "early." The Lenormand Extra Large was the earliest, forming its first head in 149 days, the Lackawanna heading a day later. None of the heads were extra large:

------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------- First VARIETY. head in Plants Number of days. survived. heads.

------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------- Dwarf Erfurt 182 4 4 Early Dutch or Early London 180 5 4 Early Dwarf Surprise 175 6 6 Eclipse 162 7 6 Half-Early Large White French 190 9 6 Half-Early Paris 197 8 7 Imperial 160 8 8 Lackawanna 150 9 8 Large Algiers 189 6 3 Large Late Asiatic 156 4 4 Large Late Stadtholder -- 8 3 Late Giant Italian 154 8 8 Late Paris 170 4 3 Lenormand's Extra Large 149 7 6 Lenormand's Short-Stemmed 161 8 6 Paris Extra Early 154 6 6 Sea Foam 182 3 2 Veitch's Autumn Giant 182 6 3 Very Dwarf Alleaume 189 8 6 Walcheren 182 6 4 ------------------------------+---------+-----------+-----------

In 1885 the following varieties were planted in the green-house March 30, and sixteen plants of each, with a few exceptions, transplanted to the garden May 4. The plants of Algiers and Le Maitre Pied Court were transplanted May 20, and those of the Wonderful May 21. The plants were set in rows three and one-half feet apart, and eighteen inches apart in the rows. Many were destroyed by various causes, and though the places were twice reset there were many vacancies.

As will be seen, Henderson's Early s...o...b..ll (from Henderson in 1885) was the earliest, forming the first head July 8, or ninety-seven days from sowing the seed. The heads also were rather above the average in size.

Extra selected Dwarf Erfurt was the second in earliness and every plant headed.

A notable fact brought out by this table is the effect of the early planting on the late and half-early varieties. It might be supposed, as these varieties require a long season, that this early planting would give the best results, enabling them to attain their full development.

But it appears that it caused many of the plants to head prematurely when small, while it greatly prolonged the season of the variety.

---------------------------------+----------+---------+--------+---------- Average VARIETY. First No. of No. of diameter head. plants. heads. of head.

---------------------------------+----------+---------+--------+---------- Algiers Aug. 14 22 19 7- Alleaume Sept. 24 5 4 7 Autumn Giant " 24 17 17 7 D'Alger " 15 14 12 7- Demi dur de St. Brieuc " 15 11 11 7 Early Dutch (dur d' Holland) Aug. 25 12 8 5 Early Dwarf Erfurt (Thorburn) July 13 11 11 5- Early Dwarf Erfurt (Vilmorin) " 13 5 4 5- Early London Aug. 25 16 12 7- Early Paris July 25 11 6 5- Early Picpus Aug. 5 12 10 8 Early s...o...b..ll July 31 17 15 7 Extra E. Dw'f Erfurt (Hend'son) Sept. 27 18 8 6 Extra E'ly Dw'f Erfurt (Thorb'n) July 13 12 11 5- Extra Earliest Paris (Vilmorin) Aug. 10 7 6 7- Extra Early Paris July 25 13 6 6- Extra Selected E'ly Dwarf Erfurt " 21 13 13 5 Half Early Dwarf French " 25 12 7 7- Half Early Paris (Thorburn) Aug. 24 12 11 6- Half Early Paris (Vilmorin) Sept. 15 11 11 7 Henderson's Early s...o...b..ll July 8 12 9 7- Imperial Aug. 10 10 8 6- Landreth's First July 13 6 5 5- Large Early London Oct. 27 14 4 6 Large Late Asiatic Aug. 25 11 7 8 Late Giant Naples Oct. 17 5 3 4 Late Paris Aug. 12 10 7 7- Late Stadtholder Oct. 7 11 6 5- Le Maitre Pied Court Aug. 14 15 13 7 Lenormand Sept. 15 12 10 6- Len'm'd Short-stem'd (Hend'son) Aug. 14 20 11 6 Len'm'd Short-stem'd (Vilmorin) July 25 12 7 7 Purple Cape (Noir de Sicilie) Aug. 10 12 8 6- Thorburn's Nonpareil " 14 7 6 8- Veitch's Autumn Giant Sept. 24 13 11 7- Walcheren (Henderson) " 1 4 4 7- Walcheren (Vilmorin) Aug. 5 6 6 7 Wonderful Oct. 27 7 6 6 ---------------------------------+----------+---------+--------+---------

The following early varieties were tested in 1888. The seeds were all sown May 10, and the plants set out June 23, two by three and one-half feet. All the varieties headed well, except one called "Early," from the English Specialty and Novelty Seed Co., which formed no heads.