378 



ELEMENTARY STUDIES IN BOTANY 



onions/' which mean the bulblets that appear in the flower- 

 clusters; (2) " multipliers " or " potato onions/' which mean 

 the separate parts or cores in which a bulb often develops ; 

 and (3) ordinary bulbs arrested in growth, sometimes called 

 11 stunts." The top onions quickly produce young bulbs, 

 and these are the " young onions " that appear in market. 

 The stunted bulbs are produced from seeds, by sowing very 

 thickly in rather poor soil. In such conditions the bulbs 

 soon reach their limit of growth and are harvested, kept over 

 winter, and planted in more favorable conditions the next 

 spring. 



Leaves 



86. Cabbage. This plant has been very long in cultiva- 

 tion, and grows wild on the sea-cliffs of western and southern 

 Europe (Fig. 53). From this wild plant, such different- 

 looking forms, as the various 

 cabbages, cauliflower, Brussels 

 sprouts, etc., have been derived 

 (Figs. 54-60). It belongs to the 

 mustard family (Crucifera?), and 

 its well-known associates are 

 enumerated in the account of 

 the radish (p. 372). 



Cabbages can grow in almost 

 any kind of soil, but they must 

 have plenty of food and water, 

 though not an oversupply of the 

 latter. Hot and dry air does not 

 prevent growth, but it does pre- 

 vent the formation of "heads," 

 which are merely large buds. For this reason, heads do not 

 form well in the summer weather of the United States, and 

 hence in the north seed-sowing is timed to avoid "heading" 

 in hot weather, while in the south the plants are grown during 

 the winter and spring months. 



FIG. 53. The wild cabbage growing 

 on a cliff. After BAILEY. 



