Chap. III.] Cabbages. 117 



good cabbage seed is of high price, I should suppose, 

 that the seed did not cost me a quarter of a dollar. 

 Suppose, hoMever, it had cost ten quarters of a dollar ; 

 what would that have been, compared to the Morth of 

 the crop ? For, what is the worth of ten tons of green, 

 or moist food, in the month of March or April ! 



175. The Swedish Turnip is, indeed, still more con^ 

 veniently preserved, and is a richer food ; but, there are 

 some reasons for making part of the year's provision to 

 consist of cabbages. As far as a thing may depend on 

 chance, two chances are better than one. In the summer 

 and fall, cabbages get ripe, and, as I have observed, in 

 Parti. Paragraph 143, the Ruta Baga (which we will call 

 Siccdish Turnip for the future) is not so good 'till it be 

 ripe ; and is a great deal better when kept 'till February, 

 than when used in December. This matter of ripeness 

 is worthy of attention. Let any one eat a piece oi' tchite 

 cabbage ; and then eat a piece of the same sort of cab- 

 bage young and green. The first he will find sweet, the 

 latter bitter. It is the same with Turnips, and with all 

 roots. There are some apples, wholly uneatable 'till 

 kept a while, and then delicious. This is the case with 

 the Swedish Turnip. Hogs will, indeed, always cat it, 

 young or old ; but, it is not nearly so good early, as it is 

 when kept 'till February. However, in default of other 

 things, I would feed with it even in November. 



176. For these reasons I would have my due pro- 

 portion of cabbages, and 1 would always, if possible, 

 have some Green Savoys ; for it is, with cabbages, too, 

 not only quantity which we ought to think of The 

 Drum-head, and some others, are called cattle-cabbage ; 

 and hence, in England, there is an idea, that the more 

 delicate kinds of cabbage are not so good for cattle. 

 But, the fact is, that they are a.s much better for cattle, 

 than the coarse cabbages are, as they are better for us. 

 It would be strange indeed, that reversing the principle 

 of our general conduct, we should give cabbage of the 

 best quality to cattle, and keep that of the worst quality 

 for ourselves. In London, where taxation has kept the 

 streets as clear of bits of meat left on bones as the hogs 

 endeavour to keep the streets of New York, there are 

 peoplQ \yho go about selling " dog's mfat." This con- 



