THE CABBAGE FAMILY 75 



Seeds may be sown either in spring or late summer ; but the 

 spring sowing often proves abortive, owing to the habit of 

 quickly running to seed. The best time to sow is the end of 

 July or beginning of August. This ensures an early and mid- 

 winter crop. Sow in moist drills, and thin out the seedlings 

 well. 



Pe-Tsai is not nearly so hardy a subject, and seeds must be 

 sown in early autumn and winter. This is really a salad Cab- 

 bage, as it is eaten raw as well as boiled. In appearance it 

 favours the Cos Lettuce. The heads are, moreover, very com- 

 pact and firm, and the pale green leaves are prettily crimped 

 and wrinkled. The whole plant makes a good salad ingredient, 

 and when boiled, and seasoned with butter, etc., it is one of 

 the most excellent salad-vegetables it is possible to obtain. 



Both Cabbages are of most easy culture, and are very quick 

 growers. Anyone giving them a trial will discover serious 

 rivals to the English Cabbages, Lettuces, or Spinach ; for these 

 Eastern plants really combine the characteristics of the three 

 Western vegetables. I notice that Messrs. Ryder, of St. Alban's, 

 offer seeds of Pe-Tsai, but I do not know whether seeds can be 

 obtained from any other English firm ; they are usually stocked 

 by Parisian seedsmen (the vegetables are used a good deal in 

 Paris), and probably by many other Continental firms also. 



CHOU DE BURGHLEY. A most interesting little vegetable 

 is this cross between a Cabbage and a Broccoli ! It first forms 

 a Cabbage head, and subsequently a small " flower " appears 

 therein ; its use either in the Cabbage or Broccoli state becomes 

 possible, although the latter is the best. The seeds are sown 

 outdoors in May ; or, if an early supply is needed, a sowing 

 under glass in March becomes necessary. This plant is valuable 

 as an early spring vegetable, this resulting from the May sowing ; 

 while if an autumn supply is desired the seeds sown in March 

 in warmer quarters will provide it. The culture, otherwise, 

 resembles that given to ordinary Cabbages or Broccoli. 



BORECOLE or KALE (Brassica oleracea accphala]. Excellent 

 winter vegetables are the Kales, with an ornamental value of 

 high merit attached, which trait has been beautifully developed 

 in late years. There are many varieties, with foliage of many 

 hues and forms. Some of them, if compared with other Cab- 

 bages, >are rather coarse and indifferently flavoured ; but a 

 wise choice of good varieties will provide greens of excellent 



