606 BRASSICACEOUS ESCULENTS, OR TEE CABBAGE TRIBE. 



airy situation, quite thin, and watered and shaded, if necessary. 

 The ground for the plantation being prepared by deep digging and 

 manuring, if it is not already rich, the early sorts, being small, are 

 planted out in rows fifteen inches or eighteen inches apart, and about 

 one foot distance in the row ; and the Scotch cabbage, which, however, 

 is but little cultivated in gardens, at three feet between the rows, and 

 two feet in the row. For the Scotch cabbage to attain the largest 

 size the seed should be sown in cold, stiff soil, about the middle of 

 August, and the plants transplanted in the May of the following year. 

 They will form immense heads by the middle of November. These 

 large cabbages are less grown than formerly, as Savoys are preferred 

 in winter. For a late summer and autumn crop, sow in the end of 

 February or beginning of March, and transplant in May, June, or 

 July. These two seasons of sowing and transplanting are enough for 

 the largest garden as well as the smallest. 



For a cottage garden the Early York, Battersea, Hill's Incomparable, 

 Atkins' Matchless, and Wheeler's Imperial are among the best. With 

 spring-planted crops in cottage gardens a Mazagan bean may be sown 

 alternately with every cabbage plant in the same row. 



The Couve Tronchuda, syn. large-ribbed cabbage (B. oleracea cos- 

 tata oblonga, Dec.) is a delicious vegetable, much more tender than 

 the common cabbage. The plants may be sown in the first week in 

 August, preserved through the winter in frames, and transplanted in 

 spring about the same time as the cauliflower ; or the seed may be 

 sown on heat early in spring. The ribs of the outer and larger leaves, 

 when divested of their green parts, and well boiled, make a good 

 dish, somewhat resembling sea-kale. The heart or middle part of the 

 plant is, however, the best for use ; it is peculiarly delicate, tender, 

 and agreeably flavoured, without any of the coarseness which often 

 belongs to the cabbage-tribe. There is a dwarf variety known in 

 Portugal by the name of Murciana, which is much earlier than the 

 other, and unlike it, throws out numerous suckers from the lower part 

 of the stem. This, when cooked, is much more delicate and tender 

 than the other taller and coarser-ribbed variety. 



Cabbage coleworts are cabbages used before they have formed 

 hearts or become cabbaged. The seeds of any early variety are sown 

 from the middle of June to the last week of July, and transplanted in 

 August, September, and October, as ground becomes vacant by the 

 removal of peas, beans, onions, &c. Cabbage coleworts are put in at 

 from six inches to eight inches apart every way, according to the size 

 which they are expected to attain before being gathered ; and they 

 are occasionally watered if the season is dry, so as to forward them as 

 much as possible before winter. They are gathered (or pulled up to 

 retain the sap in them if they are to be sent to a distance) as wanted, 

 late in autumn, and throughout the whole of the winter, and will be 

 found far superior to the cabbage sprouts which can be obtained at 

 these seasons. The Rosette colewort is one of the best for this pur- 

 pose. But cabbage coleworts are less grown now, as Mr. Melville, of 

 Dalmeny Park, has succeeded in crossing the cabbage with Brussels 



