BRA 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



BRA 



191 



up and carried out to feed the cattle, or the cattle may be 

 turned in to feed upon them as they stand ; but the former 

 method is to be preferred, because there will be little waste : 

 whereas, when the cattle are turned in amongst the plants, 

 they will tread down and destroy more than they eat, espe- 

 cially if they are not fenced off by hurdles. The perennial 

 Colewort is' also little cultivated in the gardens near London 

 at present : this is very hardy, and may be cultivated in the 

 same manner as the former sort ; this will continue two years 

 before it runs up to seed, and will afterwards produce many 

 side-shoots, and in poor land will continue three or four years, 

 but in rich soils it will not last so long. This may be used 

 as the former sort, to feed cattle, for it is not so good for the 

 table (unless in very severe frost) as the plants which are 

 now cultivated for that purpose. The early and sugar-loaf 

 Cabbages, are commonly sown for summer use, and are called 

 by the gardeners about London, Michaelmas Cabbages : the 

 season for sowing these, is about the end of ; July, or begin- 

 ning of August, in an open spot of ground ; and when the 

 plants have got eight leaves, you must prick them into beds 

 at about three inches' distance every way, that they may grow 

 strong, and short-shanked : and in the middle of October, 

 you should plant them out for good ; the distance that these 

 require, is three feet from row to row, and two feet and a 

 half asunder in the rows ; the gardeners near London com- 

 monly plant these Cabbages upon the same spot of ground 

 where their winter Spinach is sown, so that when the Spinach 

 is cleared off in the spring, the ground will have a crop of 

 Cabbages upon it ; you must therefore clear off the Spinach 

 just round each plant early in the spring, that with a hoe 

 you may draw the earth up to the stem, and when all your 

 Spinach is cleared off, which is commonly in the beginning 

 of April, you must hoe down all the weeds, and draw up the 

 earth again about your Cabbage plants. In May, if your 

 plants were of the early kind, they will turn in their leaves 

 for cabbaging, at which time the gardeners near London, in 

 order to obtain them a little sooner, tie in their leaves close, 

 with a slender ozier twig, to blanch their middle ; by which 

 means they have them at least a fortnight sooner than they 

 could have if they were left united. Fewest of the early 

 kind should be planted, for they will not supply the kitchen 

 long, generally cabbaging apace when they begin, and soon 

 grow hard and burst open ; but the sugar-loaf kind is longer 

 before it comes, and is as slow in its cabbaging, and being 

 of a hollow kind, will continue good for a long time. It 

 has been known, that a large quarter of ground, which 

 was planted with this sort of Cabbage for market use, has 

 afforded a supply for nearly three months together. It may 

 be planted out in February, and will succeed as well if planted 

 earlier, with this difference only, that the plants will be later 

 before they cabbage. Some plants of the early sort should 

 also be reserved in some well-sheltered spot, as a supply in 

 case of failure ; for in mild winters many of the plants run to 

 seed, especially when sown too early, and in severe winters 

 they are often destroyed. The Russian Cabbage must be 

 sown late in the spring, and managed as above directed ; with 

 this difference only, that it must be finally planted out sooner, 

 must have an open clear spot of ground, and requires much 

 less room, being a very small hard cabbage; it will be fit for 

 use in July or August, but will not continue long before it 

 breaks and runs up to seed : the way to have this sort good, 

 is to procure fresh seeds every year from abroad, for it soon 

 'degenerates in England. The common-white, red, flat, and 

 long-sided Cabbages, are chiefly cultivated for winter use : 

 the seeds of these sorts must be sown at the end of March, 

 or beginning of April, in beds of good fresh earth ; and in 



May, when the young plants will have about eight leaves, 

 they should be pricked out into shady borders, about three 

 inches square, that they may acquire strength, and to prevent 

 their growing long-shanked ; about the beginning of June, 

 you must transplant them out where -they are altogether to 

 remain, which, in the kitchen-gardens near London, is com- 

 monly between Cauliflowers or Artichokes, at about two feet 

 and a half distance in the rows ; but if they are planted for 

 a full crop in a clear spot of ground, the distance from row 

 to row should be three feet and a half, and in the rows two 

 feet and a half asunder ; if the season should prove dry 

 when they are transplanted out, they must be watered 

 every other evening, until they have taken fresh root ; and 

 afterwards, as the plants advance in height, the earth should 

 be drawa about their stems with a hoe, which will keep 

 the earth ' moist about their roots, and greatly strengthen the 

 plants. Weeds, if suffered to grow among them, will draw 

 them up tall, and often spoil them. Some of these Cabbages 

 will be fit for use soon after Michaelmas, and will continue 

 until the end of February, if they are not destroyed by bad 

 weather ; to prevent which, the gardeners near London pull 

 up their Cabbages in November, and trench their ground 

 up in ridges, laying their Cabbages as closely as possible 

 against one side of their ridges, burying their stems in the 

 ground : in this manner they let them remain till after Christ- 

 mas, when they cut them for the market ; and, although the 

 outer part of the Cabbage be decayed, yet, if the Cabbages 

 were large and hard when laid, the inside will remain 

 sound. The Savoy Cabbage is also cultivated for winter 

 use, being best when pinched by frost : it must be sown 

 about the middle of April, and treated as the common White 

 Cabbage, except that it may be planted closer, two feet and a 

 half square being sufficient. This sort should have an open 

 situation, clear of trees and hedges ; for in close places it 

 is very subject to be eaten by caterpillars and other vermin, 

 especially if the autumn prove dry. If early Savoys are de- 

 sired, some seed must be sown sooner, as in March, February, 

 or autumn. The autumn-raised plants will be very large, 

 and in order for the table from the end of August, through 

 September and October. The Musk Cabbage may be culti- 

 vated in the same manner as the common Cabbage, and the 

 plants set out at the same distance; it is in use from the be- 

 ginning of October until Christmas, and is apt to suffer in 



very severe winters. With respect to the field culture of 



Cabbages, the sorts most commonly cultivated for feeding 

 cattle, are, the Scotch, the drum-head, and the American. 

 The first, if it be the true flat-topped firm sort, is never 

 affected by frost, a few of the outside leaves excepted. The 

 true drum-head is said to be hardy, and the heaviest of any 

 for the size ; it may be planted closer than the large Ame- 

 rican : it is called the tallow-loaf in some places, and being 

 too tender to bear very sharp frost, a mixed stock has been 

 procured by planting this and the common Red Cabbage 

 together, and when the seed-pods were formed, cutting down 

 the red, and leaving the other for seed ; this mongrel is of a 

 deep-green colour, with purple veins, retains the size of the 

 drum-head, and has acquired the hardness of the red Cab- 

 bage. The American comes to a great size, and lasts good 

 very late in the spring: there are many varieties, as, the flat, 

 Dutch, Yorkshire, &c. and the same variety is known under 

 several names in different parts of the country. The Cab- 

 bage culture is best adapted to strong land, and comes pecu- 

 liarly in aid to the farmer, who cannot to much purpose avail 

 himself of Turnips. It succeeds admirably on a rich, moist, 

 friable loam. The tillage for Cabbages differs very little 

 from that which is given for Turnips ; they are commonly 



