The Use of the Cabbage Family 59 



nial plant, quite hardy, enduring, if properly trans- 

 planted, a temperature of 5° Fahr. if hardened by 

 a gradual lowering of temperature. It is found growing 

 wild on the coasts of England and many parts of 

 Europe, but has been vastly improved, under cultiva- 

 tion, from the wild type, which produces no head. It 

 was cultivated by the Romans and probably introduced 

 into England by them. Bailey, in his "Cyclopedia of 

 American Horticulture," says: "From the one original 

 stock has sprung all the forms of cabbages, cauliflower, 

 Brussels sprouts and kales." Cabbages are edible in 

 all stages of growth, from the time they leave the seed- 

 bed until they form hard heads. Many prefer the green 

 leaves as a boiled salad to the blanched heads. While 

 the cabbage will endure a low temperature, it is intol- 

 erant of very high degree of heat, especially after the 

 heads are formed. For this reason our best crops are 

 grown in the South in late winter and early spring, and 

 in the late fall and early winter. Only the coarse types, 

 such as our southern collards, will survive our sum- 

 mers, and these reach their best condition for use after 

 they have been subjected to severe frosts. The crop is 

 less subject to fungous diseases and insect pests in early 

 spring and late fall. The spring crop should be trans- 

 planted in February and matured and removed from the 

 garden by the first of July, and nothing of the cabbage 

 family should be allowed in the garden during July and 

 August. During these months we have better and more 

 delicate vegetables in abundance and the cabbage is not 

 needed. If allowed in the garden during these months, 

 those that have headed are destroyed by fungous growths, 



