CABBAGE Biusiica oleiiicea, Lmn , is a crucifer 

 ous pUnt which fjrows wild on the bea cliffs of i 

 and southern Europe Fies 293 and 294 from 



, Cabbage i 



chHs of the English Channt 



show the common form as it grows on the chalk cliffs of 

 the English Channel. It is a perennial plant, or per- 

 haps sometimes a biennial, with a very tough and woody 

 root, a diffuse habit, and large, thick. deep-Iohed leares 

 in various shades of green and rf-Mi^li, :hmI Tn'tv <>r 

 less glaucous. The leaves of tin- liiimi \mi. |.i .h;ii,K 

 eaten by the barbarous or half-i-i\ I ; 

 history begins, the plant had hi • ■■ . i ; i , 



vated grounds and had begun to ]ir'Miii, , il^ n^. i.i-riti ^ 

 or heads of leaves. It appears to have biin in general 

 use before the Aryan migrations to the westward. There 

 were several distinct types or races of the Cabbage in 

 cultivation in Pliny's time. 



From til lijii.il -''h1. I, ;u ,. sprung all the forms 



ofCalil' _ I ' ■ ]: , .. 1- S|ir,,uts and Kales. 



Fortlu-iii : I :- iIm- 10 nirlLsh language 



has no -, i.. I ,, i I,. ; I . ,, li iiiriu.l,. themall under 



the term c'/i-k. ui.a il.c i.. i;,.uii . treat thura under A'oA?. 

 These various tribes may be c-lassifled as follows (cf. 

 De CandoUe, Trans. Hort. Soc. London, 5, 1-I.S ; Prodr. 

 1.213): 



Var. ac6phala, DC. The various headless Cabbages. 

 It comprises the Kales, in many types and varieties, as 

 the tall or tree Kales, Curled or Scotch Kales, and Col- 

 lards. The Georgia CoUards, grown in the south and 

 "to northern markets, is shown in Fig. 295. Its 

 i may be found wild on the cliffs of the south- 

 coast of England to-day. A Curled Kale is 

 shown in Fig. 290. The thick, tender leaves of the Kales 

 are used as "greens." See CoUards and Kale. 



Var. gemmifeTa, Hort. The bud-bearing Cabbage, or 

 Brussels Sprouts (see Fig. 273). In this group, the main 

 stem or axis is tall and erect, and the axillary buds are 

 developed into little heads. 



Var. capitita, DC Tin- luad bearing, or true Cab- 

 bages. In this tiil.r. til.' main axis is short and thick, 

 'Iv |.;ukfd into a gigantic bud or 

 Thi- varieties of Cabbage are 

 ions. A serviceable classification 



this 

 and the leaves ar.- .|.ii-.-l 

 head (Figs. L':i7. L'!iM . 

 very numerous and varioi 

 of them might follow thi: 



I oblate or flattened (Fig. 299), including 

 Lvs. blistered or puckered. The Savoy Cabbages, Fig. 



300 



olerdcea, var. bulldta, DC). 



be further di- 



Var. botrjtis, DC. Cauliflower and Broccoli, in which 

 the head is formed of the condensed and thickened 

 flower-cluster. See Cauliflower. 



The Chinese Cabbage is a wholly different species 

 from the common Cabbages (see Srassica). It does not 

 form a eomi'aft and rounded head, but a more or less 

 o,„.n and -oit ma-- o| Laves, after the manner of Cos 

 L.ttm-r. It i-ot i.,-> .ulture, but must be grown in the 

 rool si.a-on, tor it run, .piickly to seed in hot and dry 

 wratlur. L H. B. 



Culture of Cabbaue. — The Cabbage is agross feeder. 

 It endures much abuse. We may cover its leaves with 

 dust, dose it with all sorts of substances, mutilate its 

 leaves or roots as we choose, plant it in heavy clay, 

 black muck or pure sand, and it will do fairly well in 

 spite of all conditions if we but supply an abundance of 

 easily secured food and the right quantity of water to 

 enable the ppant to take it in and make it available. 

 Next to plenty of food, its great requisite is a proper 

 supply of water, and, though its native home seems to 

 be near the ocean, it is by no means an aquatic, and suf- 

 fers as much from an over-supply of water as from any 

 untoward condition. Cabbages cannot endure hot sun- 

 shine and dry air, and do best at all stages of growth in 

 a cool, moist atmosphere, and while young plants do 

 fairly well in a higher one, provided there is plenty of 

 light and air, the older ones cannot be made to form per- 

 fect heads in such weather as prevails in most parts of 

 the United States during the sunmier months. They are 

 quite hardy, and will endure a too low temperature bet- 

 ter than one which is to... lii-h. their hardiness in this re- 



cooler 



seed-s 

 plants 

 bages can be grown without protection 



\ 





order 



294. Wild Cabbage plant in seed. 



wherever a minimum temperature of about 1.5° above 

 zero is the coldest that may be expected, and at the 

 north well-grown and hardened plants for early crop 

 may be set out as soon as danger of a temperature below 

 about 20° above zero is passed. The earliest maturing 



