36 THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



winter, but very severe frosts will affect and some- 

 times kill them, as was the case in the extraordinary 

 winter of 1838. 



The chief sorts and varieties in general cultiva- 

 tion are as follow : 



1. Early Purple Sprouting. This sort grows to 

 a moderate height, and produces smallish purple 

 heads, and comes a fortnight or more earlier than 

 the others. It is proper for the first crop, which, 

 if sown the latter end of March or beginning oi 

 April, and again in May, and planted out in June 

 and July, comes in for use from Michaelmas till 

 Christmas. 



2. Large Late Purple is a robust and growing sort, 

 and produces a large purplish head like a cluster of 

 buds, and is very delicate eating ; but as it grows 

 tall, and is more likely to be injured by the frost, it 

 is now generally superseded by the 



3. Dwarf Late Purple, which seldom rises above 

 a foot in height, and is an excellent late and hardy 

 variety, being in perfection throughout April and the 

 greatest part of May. When the heads of the above 

 three varieties are gathered, the stalks produce 

 plenty of fine sprouts terminated by small heads, 

 which are as sweet and tender to the taste as the 

 principal ones. 



4. Early Cape is a very useful variety. It pro- 

 duces rather large heads with many shades of 

 colour, but principally a reddish brown. As this 

 sort comes very early, it is an acquisition ; the 

 heads, if genuine, are close, firm, and compact, but 

 in general they are not of first-rate quality, though a 

 considerable improvement has been made in them 



