uliflower 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
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 [near