Hail the Stately Cauliflower!

I was poking around in the 19th century looking for first hand accounts of husking bees when the Giant Autumn Cauliflower caught my eye.  No clue why, I don't eat it usually, preferring green things.  However, Veitch's Giant Autumn Cauliflower had some allure. It's a mystery...but I found a book that sang its praises in Arthur Alger Crozier's, The Cauliflower, 1891.

This book is the last word in 19th century cauliflower!  

The copy online at Google Books is from Michigan.

From The Cauliflower:
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 abundaot, 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 assume 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 1 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-glasses, 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 glass, 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 analogous to those which we already possess from other sorts."

...and then I saw Tillinghast's Early Padilla!!!!!

I am in love. 

Are there Late Padillas?

This following piece is included for the highlighted phrase.

"AS a general rule cauliflower growing in the open air in Pennsylvania is not a success, especially in the early summer. Occasionally nice crops of the late varieties may be seen. I have had very satisfactory returns by planting on the north side of tall growing crops like corn or Lima beans, which gave them protection from the mid-day sun. Make deep holes 2 feet apart from row to row and 18 inches in the row, put in each a shovelful of old cow manure. cover with 4 inches of soil; see that the earth around the stem for 6 inches is a couple of inches below the surrounding level so that the plants get the full benefit of the water, which it will be necessary to give them in dry weather. Give the plants a good start by having them well hardened off and giving plenty of water until they are established in their new quarters. Keep the soil constantly stirred and when the weather gets warm and dry put a coating of a few inches in depth, of fresh cow manure around the plants for a circumference of 10 inches.

Sometimes people lose heart if the cauliflower begins to head while the plants are but partly grown. On observing this if they are attended to with liquid waterings or top dressings of bone manure with plenty of water and constant cultivation it is surprising what beautiful heads these miserable little “ buttons" will develop into. If it is convenient to sprinkle the foliage in the morning and evening with a hose or watering pot it will greatly help the growth of the plants. When they begin to head some of the leaves should be loosely tied over the flower to have them white and compact.

For early summer Eclipse and Dwarf Erfurt are good varieties; Algiers and Veitch’s Autumn Giant for late crops. With the aid of cold frames and plenty of water on the north side of a building I have been able to keep up a good supply of cauliflower to the middle of July; of course the use of the sash was discontinued when danger of frost was past." (2)