THE CABBAGE TRIBE. II3 



It is very hardy, but inferior to Brussels sprouts. We have grown 

 at various times many kinds : the Cottagers' kale, the Asparagus 

 kale, and other varieties ; but all are inferior to Brussels sprouts. 

 There is one variety, the Variegated kale, which, if the seed can be 

 bought from a good stock, is a most beautiful vegetal for garnishing 

 in early spring, the leaves showing all the colours of the rainbow. 

 We sow the seed in March, and plant out as soon as we can obtain 

 ground in July, in rows two feet apart and eighteen inches from plant 

 to plant. In Scotland, the cottagers pride themselves on the beauty 

 of the leaf of their kale, which they obtain excessively curled. 



We have generally Cauliflowers (Brassica oleracea} from June to 

 Christmas, sometimes even later. Our early crop is sown in the third 

 week of August. The young plants are transplanted in November to one 

 of our cold pits, where they are kept more dry than moist, and are 

 fully exposed to the air every fine day. In very severe winters many 

 plants perish, but in very warm ones they grow too freely. The plants 

 are transplanted out of doors in rich ground in February and March, 

 and give produce in June. The second crop is sown in the orchard- 

 house in January. A third crop is sown in the second week in March, 

 and for late autumn and early winter use we sow again in the third week 

 in May. In November all the plants are taken up, and placed in one of 

 our cold frames to protect them from frost, when they give produce till 

 Christmas or later. There are not many varieties of cauliflowers. For 

 sowing in August we use the Early London (fig. 159); for the other 

 sowings we generally grow the Walcheren. Near Naples they attain 

 such prodigious dimensions that three constitute a comfortable load 

 for a mule. With us, in favourable winters, young cauliflower plants 

 will stand under a wall without protection ; it is a common practice to 

 winter them under hand lights, though we prefer the cold frame. 

 Veitch's late cauliflower is a fine variety, which, if sown in August, 

 comes in later than the Early London. 



Broccoli (Brassica oleraccd] is a good vegetal in April and May, 

 before cauliflowers come in, when a favourable season enables us to 

 get it, but a crop cannot be relied upon in bad winters, and it 



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