CHAPTER VI. 



THE ESCULENT VEGETABLES. 



I. THE CABBAGE TRIBE. 



This natural tribe of plants are distinguished botanically by their tetradynanious 

 flowers, and chemically by containing a large amount of nitrogen, which, during their 

 decomposition, is manifested by exhaling an odor closely resembling decaying animal 

 matters. Medicinally they possess what is called antiscorbutic and stimulant qualities. 

 So strongly stimulant are some of these plants, or parts of them, that unless this character 

 is obtunded by mucilage, they become useless as food for man. In the cabbage, turnip, 

 cress and radish, this stimulating principle is shielded by mucilage. The seeds are re- 

 markable, too, for the great amount of sulphur which they contain, amounting in some 

 cases to nearly 30 per centum. Oil is one of their most valuable products : that of the 

 rape is well known, and is in general use, both as a manure, and for feeding cattle. 



The analyses which have been made in the laboratory for the Survey, have been con- 

 fined to the cabbage mostly : they were undertaken by Mr. Salisbury, and have been 

 carefully executed. A statement of these analyses has been given in the American Jour- 

 nal of Agriculture and Science, and it is from this source that the following determina- 

 tions are compiled. For a full account, the reader may consult the work just referred to. 



ANALYSES AND EXAMINATION OF FIVE VARIETIES OF CABBAGE. 



1. The Scotch, Strasburgh or Drum-head cabbage. 

 Head compact, yellowish-green without and blanched within. Furnished by Mr. J. B. HuTsoir of Albany. 



PBOPOBTIONI. 



100 "00 parts gave 



Water 88-665 



Dry matter -.-■.--. 11-335 



Ash 0-790 



Ash calculated dry 6-969 



