240 



BRASSICACEOUS PLANTS. 



BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 



Thousand-headed Cabbage. Brassica oleracea var. 

 In its general character this vegetable is not unlike some 

 of the varieties of Kale or Borecole. Its stem is from a foot 

 to four feet in height, and from an inch and a half to upwards 



of two inches in diame- 

 ter. It is remarkable for 

 the production of numer- 

 ous small axillary heads, 

 or sprouts, which are ar- 

 ranged somewhat in a 

 spiral manner, and which 

 are often so closely set 

 together as entirely to 

 cover the sides of the 

 stem. " These small 

 heads are firm and com- 

 pact like little cabbages, 

 or rather like hearted 

 Savoys in miniature. A 

 small head, resembling 

 an open Savoy, sur- 

 mounts the stem of the 

 plant, and maintains a circulation of sap to the extremity. 

 Most of the original side-leaves drop off as these small buds, 

 or heads, enlarge." Thomp. 



Culture. The plant is always raised from seeds, which, 

 in size, form, or color, are scarcely distinguishable from the 

 seeds of the Common Cabbage. These should be sown at 

 the time and in the manner of the Cabbage, either in hot- 

 beds in March or April, or in the open ground in April or 

 May. When three or four inches high, transplant two feet 

 apart in each direction, and cultivate as directed for cabbages 



Brussels Sprouts. 



