230 



CRUCIFERjE. LXXXIII. BRASSICA. 



Sow the last fortnight in March, and April, and in the beginning 

 of May and in August. The first week in April for a principal 

 crop of German kale, and the first week in August for the 

 crop of Buda kale, and which will be ready to transplant in 

 September. 



Subsequent culture. When the plants have leaves one or two 

 inches broad, take out some from the seed-bed, and prick them 

 into other open beds six inches apart, giving water, in which let 

 them have four or five weeks' growth. Those left in the seed- 

 bed, as well as these will have all acquired proper strength for 

 transplanting finally in May, or thence till August. Plant them 

 in an open spot in rows two feet and a half asunder for the first 

 forward planting in summer, the other two feet, allotting the 

 whole similar distances in the rows, taking advantage of moist 

 weather, but give occasional watering if the weather is dry until 

 they have struck root. In their advancing growth hoe once or 

 twice to cut down the weeds, and to draw earth about the bottom 

 of their stems to encourage their growth, in the production of 

 large full heads in proper season in September, October, &c. 

 At the approach of winter the stems should be earthed up, espe- 

 cially the taller sorts. When the distances between the plants 

 are such as have been recommended, the hills round each plant 

 will be of such a size and breadth as to cherish the roots of the 

 dwarf varieties, and serve as a protection to the tall sorts in 

 stormy weather. 



Gathering. The heart is to be gathered of all tall sorts, after 

 which, with the exception of the German kale, and the Cliou de 

 Milan, the stalks should be pulled up and taken to the compost 

 heap ; but the stems of the two sorts excepted are to be left for 

 the sake of their side shoots or sprouts. Of the dwarf sorts the 

 heart may either be cut off, for which the Buda kale and Colc- 

 morts are well suited, or the leaves gathered when the plant 

 begins to grow, which corresponds with the habits of the Egyp- 

 tian and Jerusalem ItaTe. 



To save. Plant a few plants about twice the distance from 

 each other, as they stood formerly, in an open space in the spring. 

 The seeds will be ready to gather in autumn, when they may 

 be threshed out, and the seed, after being dried, may be put 

 up into bags. This cannot be done with more than one sort in 

 the same garden, on account of promiscuous impregnation by 

 bees, the wind, &c. &c. 



3. Savoys. Chou pomme f rise, Chou de Savoie, Chou calm 

 /rise. Chou Pancalier, Chou de Holland, Chou de Milan, fyc. 

 (Brdssica oleracea, C. bullata, D. C. I. c.) These plants are 

 easily known by the leaves being blistered, and growing into 

 headSjpr cabbages. 



The savoy is in use as a table vegetable from November till 

 spring, unless destroyed by frost, in which case it is succeeded 

 by ihe borecoles or winter greens. These two tribes usually 

 supply the table from November till May. 



The following are the varieties of Savoy : 



1 The Green Savoy ; Milan vert. (Fr.) B. oler. bull, viridis.) 



2 The Dwarf Savoy ; Milan nain. (Fr. B. oler. bull, humilis, 

 D. C. I. c.) 



3 The Yellow Savoy ; Milan jaune. (Fr.) (B.oler. bull, lutea.) 



4 The Small Early Savoy ; Milan hatif, petit Milan. (Fr.) 

 (.B. oler. bull. t. prcecox, D. C. I. c.) 



5 The Eared Savoy ; Milan dore. (Fr.) (B. oler. bull, aurita. 

 D. C. I. c.) 



6 The Drumhead or Great Savoy ; Chou gros d'/lmbervil- 

 liers, Pomme /rise d'Allemagne. (Fr.) (B. oler. bull. var. y, 

 major, D. C. I. c.) 



7 The Oblong Savoy. (B. oler. bull. var. ft, oblonga, D. C.I. c.) 



8 Tourraine Savoy ; Pancalier de Touraine. (Fr.) (B. oler. 

 bull. vulg. Turionensis). 



. There are several sub-varieties of the above with round, ob- 



long, conical, or sugar-loaf heads, all of them are excellent 

 autumnal greens. The Green Savoy should be first used, as it 

 is less hardy than the Yellow, and the Dwarf is said to be the 

 hardiest of them all. Any of them will, however, stand ordinary 

 frosts, by which the delicacy of their flavour is much improved. 

 The Savoy is always raised from seed, and for a seed-bed 4 feet 

 and a half by 8 feet, half an ounce of seed will be sufficient. 

 This esculent answers on a light rich soil, poor or exhausted 

 ground should be manured according to the defects of it. Allot 

 an open compartment in the full air, that the seedlings and ad- 

 vancing plants may grow stocky, and not draw up weak and long- 

 stemmed, as they are liable to do in close situations or narrow 

 borders under walls. As to the time of sowing the seeds a 

 sufficient succession is obtained by three or at most four sowings. 

 The first about the middle or latter end of February, these will 

 be ready in August or September, and they will be finely cab- 

 baged by October, and continue in good perfection all November, 

 December, and perhaps January. The second about the middle 

 or latter end of March ; these will be ready to serve from about 

 Michaelmas to Christmas. The third both at the beginning and 

 end of March, full crops should now be sown for the first con- 

 siderable autumn and winter crop. The fourth in May. For 

 the culture of the Savoy the ground should be previously 

 trenched to a good depth. Four feet is a convenient width for 

 the seed-beds. Sow broad-cast, and rake it in a quarter of an 

 inch deep. As soon as the plants have two or three leaves, an 

 inch or two in width, if they stand too crowded, thin the seed- 

 beds by drawing out a quantity regularly, and prick them into 

 other beds 4 inches asunder ; and should the weather be dry, 

 water those left as well as those removed. Permit both divi- 

 sions to remain three, four or five weeks to gain a good stocking 

 size for final transplanting. When the plants are advanced with 

 several leaves 2 or 3 inches broad or more, transplant them 

 finally into the most open quarters of ground, where they will 

 be less annoyed by caterpillars, that they may cabbage with 

 large full heads, planting them at different times as ground 

 becomes vacant. Remove the most forward in May or June 

 for early autumn heading in August or September. But plant 

 the principal crops in June or July, and from the beginning to 

 the middle of August, taking all possible advantage of showery 

 weather ; in drawing the plants observe if any are clubbed or 

 knotty at the root, cut off the protuberances close. Plant those 

 removed in May, June, or July in rows about two feet asunder, 

 and by the same distance in the rows, others late planted 

 in August or September two feet by eighteen inches. In scarcity 

 of vacant ground, some Savoys may be occasionally planted 

 between wide rows of previous standing crops, such as Beans, 

 Cauliflowers, and early Cabbage, that are sufficiently forward to 

 be gathered off by the time the Savoys will want the entire 

 ground. Before and after planting in dry weather watering 

 would be of essential service. As the plants of the different 

 successions advance, keep them free from weeds by occasional 

 draw-hoeing. At the same time loosen the surface of the earth, 

 and draw some about the stems of the plants, let this be done 

 twice or oftener, to forward them in a free enlarging growth. 

 They will gradually heart, fully cabbaging in September, Octo- 

 ber, November, and December, &c. as they are the crops of the 

 forward or the later sowings ; they may be cut for use accord- 

 ingly, and during the winter. The Savoys left standing will 

 continue good till the middle or end of February, when, or in 

 the course of March they open and send up seed-stalks. 



* Brussels sprouts. Chou a jets, Chou a jets et rejets, Chou 

 de Bruxelles, Chou a mille teles, Chou vert a petites pommes le 

 long du pied. (Fr.) (Brdssica oleracea, C. bullata $, gemmi- 

 fera, D. C. I. c.) 



The Brussels sprouts is only considered a sub-variety of the 



