Cauliflower, the Botrytis, 1. a variety of the Brassica oleracea, or sea-cabbage, a native of the Isle of Candia, but, of late years, has been so far improved in Britain, as to exceed, in ' size and flavour, those flowers which are produced •in most parts of Europe.

Cauliflowers are raised from seeds, which ought to be saved only from large, and white flowers'; as, without this precaution, they will not prosper. The seeds should be sown in March, in a rich, but not too dry soil, where the young plants, on their first sprouting out, may be sheltered from the evening frosts, which usually happen at that season.

About the middle of April, white in their first leaf, they should be transplanted into a nursery, five or six inches apart; where they must remain till the latter end of May, or the beginning of June, when it will be proper to remove them to those spots, in which they are intended to blossom. The best time for this purpose, is in wet weather, which will make them strike root quickly; but if the season be dry, holes should be dug in the ground, at about three feet distance, which must be well watered, previously to setting the cauliflowers. By these means, and also by watering them frequently, during warm weather, the plants will grow rapidly, and produce large flowers in autumn. It sometimes happens that, notwithstanding these precautions, they will not flower till after Michaelmas; in which case they must be dug out together with the earth at their roots, and set upright in a greenhouse, or other warm place, where the blossoms will increase in size, and be fit for use in winter. But, in order to have cauliflowers in the summer, a different mode of cultivation must be pursued. To effect, this, the seed should be sown in the beginning of August, on an old cucumber, or melon-bed, over which a little mould should be sifted, about a quarter of an inch thick; this should be shaded with mats, and occasionally watered, to prevent the sun from injuring the plants. About a month after sowing, they will be fit to " prick out, " When they should be set four or five inches apart, either under a south wall, to remain there. till spring, or in the places where they are destined to blossom, and covered with glass bells during the sev erity of winter. Thus, and especially by the latter method, the plants will, in the spring, become firmly rooted, and consequently produce larger blossoms than those which are set in that season.

The cauliflowers planted out at Michaelmas, will blow about three weeks sooner than those set in the spring; nevertheless, it is necessary to make plantations in both seasons, that there may be a constant succession of crops. Care should, at the same time, be taken to set them where they may not be exposed too much to the sun, and also to water them well, which will contribute greatly to their growth: M. Bechstein, a German writer, however, asserts, that they will thrive most luxuriantly in the open fields. - As soon as the blossoms begin to appear, it will be requisite to break off the large leaves, and lay over the flowers, in order to shelter them from the rain, and the scorching heat of the sun, which would otherwise cause them to turn yellow.

As cauliflowers are apt to be damaged by the wind, and sometimes to be blown up by the roots, particularly during the months of March and April, they require to be safely protected from its violence. For such plants, therefore, as blossom early, and hays large, close flowers, we would recommend the practice adopted in some parts of England, namely, of allowing some of the most forward ones to remain lor seed, and tying them carefully to stakes, to prevent their receiving any injury from the wind. As soon as the pods are full grown, and the seeds have arrived at maturity, the whole stalk must be cut off, and dried, previously to the seeds being rubbed out; as they are liable to be shed, if left upon the plants, till the seed-vessels are dry.

The proper method of dressing cauliflower for the table being sufficiently understood, we shall only add, that among the succu-lent plants produced in our climate, this doubtless is one of the most nourishing, and likewise the best adapted to tender organs of digestion, especially in valetudinarians and invalids: such persons, however, ought to eat it with the addition of some aromatic spice, such as pounded cardamoms, or caraway - or a small proportion of bread.

Cauliflower. - In this article we have omitted to insert the best method of preparing that culinary vegetable ; on the supposition that it was generally known. Hence we shall annex the following directions, for the benefit of inexperienced readers : - Let the cauliflowers first be parboiled : next, they must be immersed in cold, hard water, for some time, till they be nearly wanted for the table: thus, on being boiled for a few minutes, they will become more firm and crisp than if they had been cooked in the usual manner.