168 KITCHEN GARDEN; 



waving its foliage in its native habitat, could possibly anti- 

 cipate that it would ever appear in our gardens, disguised 

 as the ponderous drumhead or sugar-loaf cabbage, or on our 

 tables as the delicate cauliflower and broccoli. The culti- 

 vated varieties are numerous ; but the following are the 

 most important. 



Common White CABBAGE ; the leaves gathering into a 

 close head. The economical uses of this vegetable are well 

 known. Its principal subvarieties are the following : 



Early Dwarf or Battersea, Large Sugar Loaf, 



Early York, Drumhead, 



Large York, Pomeranian. 



The first two are well adapted for early crops ; the others 

 for use in the autumn and winter. There is a dwarfish 

 variety of the Tronchuda, sometimes called the Portugal 

 Cabbage, the leaf-stalk and midribs of the leaves of which 

 are succulent, crisp, and white, and equal in flavor to sea- 

 kale. 



The Cabbage is propagated from seed, which may be 

 sown in beds four feet wide, and covered over with a thin 

 layer of earth. The proper seasons in England for this 

 operation are the middle of August, the beginning of 

 March, and midsummer. By observing these times, and 

 employing different sorts, the succession may be kept up 

 throughout the year, For the early spring crops, the late- 

 sown plants are in October transferred from the seed-bed 

 to some open and well manured ground, where they are 

 arranged in rows two feet asunder. The principal supply 

 may be put out in February, affording the larger sorts 

 more width between the rows. The crops sown in spring 

 are planted out in May and June. For subsequent cul- 

 ture, all that is necessary is to keep the ground clear of 



