176 VARIETIES OF CABBAGE. 



Cabbages are sown one year, produce seed the next, and die the 

 next. The roots, stems and leaves are dressed and eaten in numerous 

 ways. 4 or 5 varieties only are cultivated. One of the best of tiiese 

 is the Early York, brought from Flanders. The cabbage is easily 

 cultivated, and produces all the year. Being sown in spring, summer 

 and autumn, a constant supply is afforded. 



The Cow Cabbage (var. arborenscensj has lately come into use, and 

 is the best in use for cattle. 60 plants are said to afford food sufficient 

 for a cow for 3 or 4 years without fresh planting. Thus a square of 

 60 feet will contain 256 plants, 4 feet apart, and furnishes food more 

 than sufficient for 4 cows. It is cultivated in England. The leaves 

 of the head, by their own compression, are effectually blanched, and 

 the green color is more completely destroyed than the red. The more 

 blue or purple the leaves, the more sweet and crisp they are. The 

 various modes of cooking are well known. After stripping off the out- 

 side leaves they are usually boiled in salted water, taking care to skim 

 the water and not to confine the steam within the boiling vessel. In 

 France they are boiled from 10 to 20 minutes, or until the fork enters 

 the stem, easily ; then drained, cut up and bathed with gravy. 



An oz. of seed will produce 4000 plants. The soil should be light, 

 moist, not very rich, and rather clayey. When sown in autumn, say 

 loth Sept., they are transplanted in Oct., or in Spring. They are 

 picked out of the bed in which they are sown, when they have one or 

 two leaves, one or two inches broad, and afterwards transplanted into 

 rich or manured soil. They are hoed when two or three inches high. 

 Battersea is a fine oval headed cabbage, but the Nonpariel, a recent va- 

 riety, is probably the best cultivated, coming in early and heading 

 quickly ; it is delicate and good sized. Brompton, early Salsbury, late 

 Savoy, early l)warf, flat and red Dutch are also valuable varieties. 

 The white and red are the usual distinctions here. The dwarf, Savoy, 

 Cauliflower, and Dutch are also sorts well known. 



The large Scotch is said to be the best field plant. Plants should 

 be 2 feet apart, or greater in the field, and planted early in May. 

 When the sun is very hot, 2 shingles on the north and south side are 

 made to shelter them. A worm often travels from plant to plant 

 during the night, eating off the stems and burying itself in the 

 ground at day break. Lime or rockweed scattered around the 

 plant is useful, or the worm may be found at the root of the stem last 

 destroyed. Brine, soap-suds, saltwater, or smoke of sulphur, tobacco, 

 or straw is used for the lice found on the plant. A belt of hemp seed 

 sown around the ground keeps away the caterpillar. The top and 

 stem, dipped in muddy water, is good against drought. 



The under leaves of the cabbage, may be stripped off without in- 

 jury and given to cattle, for which they are very good, but not for 

 milch cows. The plant is much fed to cattle in winter, in England 





