148 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



kale for "greens," which means the same thing, 

 exactly. 



Another name for this palm-tree cabbage is 

 Borecole. In Europe, large kinds are grown to 

 feed to cattle. In our southern states a kale is 

 grown that bunches its upper leaves in a loose 

 rosette at the top, while the rest are distributed 

 about the elongated stem. These lower ones are 

 cut for greens as they reach good size, but are 

 still tender. At the end of a summer the plants 

 stand as bare stalks, each crowned by the small 

 rosette around the growing point. This is the 

 Georgia collard, the only cabbage that thrives in a 

 warm climate. 



The Chinese cabbage, or Pe-tsai, is a distinct 

 species, no closer to the wild cabbage of Europe 

 than the plum is to the cherry. Its curly leaves 

 have white, fleshy stalks, that do not form a close 

 head. They are more like Swiss chard in appear- 

 ance, but the flowers prove it a cabbage. Pak- 

 choi, another variety, is taller, with whiter stalks. 

 Both are tender and of delicate flavor if cut when 

 young and boiled like kale. The ribs alone may 

 be served like asparagus. In American gardens, 

 these Old- World vegetables are a delightful sur- 

 prise, easily raised, and a valuable addition to our 

 list of food plants. 



