232 



CRUCIFERjE. LXXXIII. BRASSICA. 



sorts ; particularly Large early York, Large hollow su : ^ar-loaf, 

 Early Battersea, Flaw s early Deptford, Penton, Early Imperial, 

 Antwerp, Russian, Emperor, Wellington, Large oblong hollow, 

 &c , for general summer crops. 3. Choose the larger later sorts, 

 for succession, summer, and general autumn cabbages. The 

 Large hollow sugar-loaf, Large oblong hollow, Long-sided hol- 

 low, Large round winter (white), Late Battersea, Large sugar- 

 loaf, &c., are excellent for late cabbaging in August, September, 

 or October, till Christmas ; or any of the middle-sized varieties 

 may be eligibly sown for latter succession-crops in summer and 

 autumn, to cut in light young growth ; also to cultivate for cab- 

 bage-colewort, either with small hearts, or as open greens for 

 family and market supply, in autumn, winter, spring, and re- 

 turning summer. 4. Large round winter cabbage, Great round 

 Scotch, Great drum-head, Baimbridge's flat Dutch, and Ame- 

 rican kinds, all reaching a very expanded bulk in autumn and 

 winter, are not usually so well fitted for family consumption as 

 the foregoing, being more commonly adopted for field culture, to 

 feed cattle in winter. 



Propagation, All the kinds are raised from seed annually, of 

 which, according to Abercrombie's seed- estimate, for a seed-bed 

 to raise the Early York and similar varieties, 4 feet wide, by 20 

 in length, 2 ounces will be required. For a seed-bed to raise the 

 Large sugar-loaf, and other luxuriant growers, 4 feet by 36 in 

 length, 2 ounces. But according to Mac-Kintosh, one ounce of 

 seed of the early sorts will sow a seed-bed of 40 feet sqviare ; 

 and for the more luxuriant sorts, 1 ounce will sow a seed-bed of 

 60 feet square. Sow at four different seasons, covering the seed 

 from an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick; that is, 1. In 

 February, for use in July, August, or September ; but if the 

 winter has destroyed many of the plants which were sown the 

 preceding August, it will be proper to sow some of the seed of 

 the earlier sorts as the weather will permit ; and if a few be 

 forwarded by sowing them in a slight hot-bed, it will be a great 

 advantage. 2, In April. Prefer for this sowing the Battersea, 

 Antwerp, and Pentonville. 3. May. Sow the Sugar-loaf and 

 any close quick hearting kinds for summer and autumn, colewort, 

 and young autumn cabbages. 4. In August, in the first and 

 second week, this time being most conducive to ultimate success. 

 Some sow in the end of July, to have the plants stronger before 

 the approach of winter ; but of a crop so forward, many of 

 them, and often all, run to seed. For this sowing prefer the 

 Dwarf York, East Ham, Early Emperor, and Sugar-loaf, for 

 the first crops ; Large York, Large Sugar-loaf, Battersea, Penton, 

 Imperial, Antwerp, Russian, &c. for the secondary spring crops. 

 Stil and situation. The soil for seedlings should be light, 

 and, excepting for early sowing, not rich. Where market Gar- 

 deners raise great quantities of seedling cabbages, to stand the 

 winter, and to be sold for transplanting in spring, they choose, in 

 general, the poorest and stifFest piece of land they have got, 

 more especially in Scotland, where large autumnal sowings of 

 Winter drum-head and round Scotch are annually made, and 

 where the stiffness of the soil gives a peculiar firmness of tex- 

 ture and hardness of constitution to the plants, and prevents 

 their being thrown out of the soil during the thaws. Trans- 

 planted cabbages require a rich soil, rather clayey than sandy, 

 and, as Mr. Neill and Mr. Nichol observe, it can scarcely be 

 too much manured, as they are an exhausting crop. Autumnal 

 plantations, intended to stand the winter, should have a dry 

 soil, well dug and manured, and of a favorable aspect. The 

 cabbage tribe, whether in the seed-bed or final plantation, ever 

 require an open situation ; for under the drip of trees, or in the 

 shade, seedlings are drawn up weak, and grown crops are meagre, 

 worm-eaten, and ill-flavoured. 



Autumnal sown crop, or those sown in August. Sow each 

 sort separately ; give occasional watering if the weather is dry 



or hot, or sometimes shade with mats in hot sunny days, till the 

 plants come up fully ; after which continue necessary moderate 

 watering, if a dry season, to forward and strengthen the crop. 

 When the plants have two or three leaves, an inch or two broad, 

 in September, or the beginning of October, lift some consider- 

 able portion from the seed-beds, and prick into beds of good 

 earth, about 4 inches apart, giving water. All these are to 

 remain in the intermediate beds during winter, to gain strength 

 for transplanting in the spring. Those left in the seed-beds will 

 thus have more room to advance equally for transplanting, the 

 most forward of the early sorts in the same year, towards the 

 end of October, or in November or December ; and the princi- 

 pal in the spring, the last fortnight of February, or in March or 

 April. 



February, March, or April sown crop. It is requisite to sow 

 in the spring, to raise plants to succeed the August-sown crop, 

 for use the same year, partly as young summer cabbages, and 

 partly for heading in the autumn and winter. For this purpose 

 sow at the close of February or in March, or the beginning of 

 April. A few for early summer use may be sown on a slight 

 hot-bed, or on a warm border under glass. Sow the different 

 kinds separately, and treat them in the same manner as recom- 

 mended for the last sowing. When the plants are of sufficient 

 size for final transplanting, in May, June, or July, taking advan- 

 tage of moist weather if it occurs, plant them out in rows, from 

 one to two feet asunder for the dwarf and middle-sized kinds, 

 and for the large kinds from two feet and a half to a yard dis- 

 tant. Give water at planting, if the weather be dry. In their 

 subsequent growth draw-hoe them occasionally, to kill weeds, 

 and to draw earth round the stems. 



May to July-somn crops. For late young summer and autumn 

 cabbages, and winter plants, sow small portions at any time 

 from May to July, principally of the quick-hearting kinds. 

 Plant them out finally in summer and autumn, to produce young 

 heads and small cabbage-hearted coleworts in August, Septem- 

 ber, October, and thence till midwinter. The large, late, family 

 cabbages, which make returns for autumn, winter, and early 

 spring ; also the largest kinds usually adopted for field-culture, 

 are to be excluded from this sowing, as they are properly raised 

 as part of the principal crops sown in August, and early in 

 spring. Abercrombie. 



Kinds proper for Colen'orts. The original variety of cabbage 

 called colewort, is, or seems to be, lost ; and is now succeeded 

 by what are called cabbage-coleworts. These, Abercrombie 

 says, are valuable family plants, useful in three stages ; as young 

 open greens, as greens with closing hearts, and as greens form- 

 ing a cabbage growth. Procure seeds of some "middle-sized 

 early kind, quick-hearting, and of close growth, such as the 

 early and large York, East Ham, Sugar-loaf, and Wellington. 

 Occasionally for larger coleworts, you may adopt some Batter- 

 sea, Imperial, Antwerp, and Early London hollow ; but avoid 

 the larger late kinds, which, in a colewort state, are too spread- 

 ing and open ; the others are close, stocky, and full of heart, 

 and boil most tender and sweet for the table. 



Times of sowing Cabbage for Co'.eworts. To have a good 

 supply of coleworts for autumn, winter, or spring and returning 

 summer, it is proper to make three or four sowings in summer 

 and autumn ; that is, one sowing towards the middle of June, a 

 second at the same time in July, and the third in the last week 

 of the same month. These crops are for transplanting in August, 

 September, and October, and will amount to a continued provi- 

 sion for autumn, winter, and early spring coleworts, from Sep- 

 tember till March or April. At this time the plants of these 

 sowings will start for flowering. To succeed these a consider- 

 able sowing should be made in the beginning, from the 3d to 

 6th of August. Having been transplanted in autumn, the for- 



