CRUCIFER.E. LXXXIII. BRASSICA. 



231 



Savoy. It produces an elongated stem, often four feet high, 

 beset with numerous green heads like Savoys in miniature, the 

 whole ranged spirally along the stem, the main leaves of which 

 drop off early. The top of the plant resembles that of a Savoy 

 planted late in the season ; it is small, with a green heart of little 

 value. Van Mons says, Hort. trans, vol. 3. " If this vegetable be 

 compared with any other that occupies as little space, lasts as long, 

 and grows as well in situations generally considered unfavour- 

 able, such as between rows of potatoes, scarlet-runners or among 

 young trees, it must be considered superior in utility to most 

 others." Nicol considers it deserving more general culture in 

 Scotland ; and Morgan, Hort. trans, vol. 2. says it is an excellent 

 sort of green for the winter, but not sufficiently hardy to last 

 through the winter in England. The sprouts are used as winter 

 greens, and at Brussels they are sometimes served at table with 

 a sauce, composed of vinegar, butter, and nutmeg, poured upon 

 them hot after they have been boiled. The top, Van Mons says, 

 is very delicate when dressed, and quite different in flavour from 

 the sprouts. The plants are raised from seed, of which an ounce 

 may be requisite for a seed-bed 4 feet by 10. The first sowing 

 of a full crop should be in April. The second in May. Van 

 Mons, in a paper already referred to, says, " The seed is sown 

 in spring under a frame, so as to bring the plants forward ; they 

 are then transplanted into an open border with a good aspect. 

 By thus beginning early, and sowing successively till late in the 

 season," he says, " we contrive to supply ourselves in Belgium 

 with this delicious vegetable full ten months in the year, that is, 

 from the end of July till the end of May. The plants need not 

 be placed at more than 1 8 inches asunder, as the head never 

 spreads wide, and the side leaves soon drop off. In this and 

 every other respect, the cultivation is the same as the Borecole." 

 As to gathering the crop, Morgan says, the sprouts must have 

 some frost before they are feathered, but this, Van Mons says, 

 is an erroneous opinion. In Belgium the small cabbages are not 

 esteemed if of more than half an inch in diameter. It is usual 

 to cut the tops off ten or fifteen days before gathering the sprouts 

 from the stem. In spring, when the sprouts are disposed to run 

 to flower, their growth is checked, by taking up the plants and 

 laying them in the ground in a shaded spot. As to the saving 

 of seeds, Van Mons says it is usual to save indiscriminately 

 from topped or untopped plants, but that he intends to save 

 them from the topped plants only, hoping thereby to improve 

 the progeny. In order to procure genuine seed of the Brussels 

 sprouts, it is necessary to have them sent direct from Brussels. 



* * Chou de Milan is considered as a variety of the Brussels 

 sprouts, and it grows with an elongated stem something like it 

 as well as in general habit, except that the side shoots, instead of 

 forming little close cabbages, are open like Borecoles. The prin- 

 cipal leaves of this plant are not very large ; they are wrinkled 

 like the Savoy, and form a small crown on the top of the plant, 

 which remains open and does not cabbage, the top may be cut 

 off and used in February. Even if not wanted for use, the head 

 should be taken off at that period to forward the growth of the 

 sprouts, which come into full use early in March, when those of 

 the German kale are too far advanced. When dressed they are 

 particularly rich and delicate. Abercrombie says this plant, to 

 admit of its full growth, requires a yard square, but that it con- 

 tinues the longest in spring of any of the tall greens without 

 running to seed. The cultivation, in every other respect, is the 

 same as the Borecoles or Brussels sprouts. 



To save seed. The grand object is to place the plants where 

 they will be in no danger of being impregnated with the farina 

 of any other of the Brassica tribe. A few good plants should 

 be selected and planted in an open spot by themselves in the 

 spring, where the seeds will ripen in August. No more than 

 one sort can be safely grown in the same garden, Sec. 



1 



4 Cabbage. Chou pomme, or Cabus, Chou en tete, Chou 

 pomme afeuilles lisses, Brassica Oleracea, D. capitata, D. C. 

 1. c. Kopfkohl, (Ger.) Cavolo, Cqpuccia. (ftal.) 



* WHITE CABBAGE. 



The varieties of the White Cabbage are too well known, and 

 their uses too universal, to require any description here. They 

 produce firm compact heads, glaucous green, or greenish-yellow 

 leaves externally, but blanched within ; and varying in different 

 sorts from 3 to 12 or 15 inches in diameter, and from 2 to 15 

 or twenty pounds weight. The varieties are numerous, but the 

 sorts chiefly cultivated are as follow : 



* Heads oblong, or elliptical. 



1 . Small early dwarf 



2. Early dwarf, York 



3. Large early York 



4. Large oblong hollow 



5. Long-sided hollow 



* * 



Brassica oleracea, D. Capi- 

 , tata, S. elliptica D. C. 1. c. 

 f Chou a tete on ale, Chou d'York, 



' 



Brassica oleracea, D. Capi- 

 tata, E. conica, D. C. 1. c. 

 Chou pain de sucre, Chou 



chicon, Chou d'Ambervilliers, 

 Chou de Battersea, 8(c., (Fr.) 



Heads conical. 



Early dwarf sugar-loaf 

 Large sugar-loaf 

 East Ham 

 West Ham 



5. Early Battersea 



6. Late Battersea 



7. Early Imperial 



8. Wellington 

 Antwerp 

 Russian 



Early London hollow 



Large hollow sugar-loaf 



Emperor 



Early heart-shaped 



Paington 



Flaw's early Depiford 



This last variety is excellent, both for early and late crops. 



* * * Heads large round. 



1 . Large round winter white } Er&ss{ca olera D . C ;_ 

 * Great round Scotch or^ B . spha'ricaalba. 



White Strasbourg!), from which \ chm , commun> Chou 

 the German sour krout 1S chiefly I ^ commun> $. c . ( Fr .) 



Heads rvithflat tops. 



Brassica oleracea, D. Capi- 

 \tata, adepressa. 



9. 

 10. 

 1 1 . 

 12. 

 13. 

 14. 

 15. 

 16. 



made. 



1. Great drum-head flat- 



topped 



2. Bainbrige's flat Dutch 



Chou pomme a tete aplatie. 

 Audib. 



***** Heads obovate. 



1 . Obovate headed Cabbage, or~\ 



Pentonville. This is a large obo- J Brassica oleracea, D. Capi- 

 vate-headed kind ; leaves white I tata, y obovata D. C. 1. c. 

 and fleshy, wrinkled like the I Chou a tete obovale Audib. 

 savoy. Very delicate and fine, / It appears from the descrip- 

 in perfection during the latter i tion that the Pentonville Cab- 

 summer months, when other cab- I bage is a variety of Savoy. 

 bages are of strong flavour. J 



The first seven or eight sorts are suitable for the earliest and 

 secondary crops ; and the middle-sized and large kinds for the 

 principal summer, autumn, and winter supplies. 1. For the 

 earliest crops allot some of the small kinds, such as the Early 

 dwarf York, East and West Ham, Early Imperial, Early Bat- 

 tersea, Wellington, Early London hollow, Early dwarf sugar-loaf, 

 Flaw's early Deptford, &c., for cabbaging in April, May, and 

 June. 2. Raise more considerable quantities of the middle-sized 



