to twenty-four inches is usually enough, because if they are rather close they protect one another.  But with strong sorts in strong soils and kind climates, two feet and a half every way is none too much even for safe wintering.  Plant firmly, water if needful, and do not stint it; but, if possible, plant in showery weather, and give no water at all.  Watering may save the crop, but the finest pieces of Broccoli are those that are secured without any watering whatever.

==Autumn Broccoli.==—­To grow Autumn Broccoli profitably, sow in February, March, and April, the early sowings in a frame to insure vigorous growth, and the later sowings in the open ground.  Plant out as soon as possible in fresh land that has been deeply tilled.  If the soil is poor, draw deep drills, fill them with fat manure, and plant by hand, taking care to press round each root crumbs from the surface soil.  This will give them a good start, and they will take care of themselves afterwards.  When they show signs of heading in, run in shallow drills of Prickly Spinach between them, and as this comes up the Broccoli will be drawn, leaving the Spinach a fair chance of making a good stolen crop, needing no special preparation whatever.  Another sowing of Broccoli may be made in May, but the early sowings, if a little nursed in the first instance, will pay best, because early heads are scarce, whereas late Broccoli are plentiful.

==Winter Broccoli== should not be sown before the end of March and thence to the end of April.  As a rule, the April sowing will make the best crop, although much depends on season, soil, and climate.  Begin to plant out early, and continue planting until a sufficient breadth of ground is covered.  Within reasonable limits it will be found that the time of planting does not much affect the date when the heads turn in, and only in a moderate degree influences the size of them.

==Spring Broccoli== are capricious, no matter what the world may say.  It will occasionally happen that sorts planted for cutting late in spring will turn in earlier than they are wanted, and the sun rather than the seedsman must be blamed for their precocity.  In average seasons the late sorts turn in late; but the Broccoli is a sensitive plant, and unseasonable warmth results in premature development.  Sow the Spring Broccoli in April and May, the April sowing being the more important.  It will not do, however, to follow a strict rule save to this effect, that early and late sowings are the least likely to succeed, while mid-season sowings—­say from the middle of April to the middle of May—­will, as a rule, make the best crops.  Where there is a constant demand for Broccoli in the early months of the year, two or three small sowings will be better than one large sowing.