CHAPTER VI. 



THE CULTUEE OF GREEN CROPS. 



Cabbage Family. 

 Natural Order: Cruciferce. 



THE many varieties of cultivated cabbage, along with 

 the savoy, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, 

 and curled greens belong to one species of the Cruci- 

 feras, namely Brassica oleracea, and have been ob- 

 tained entirely by selection. The wild plant from 

 which they have been derived is indigenous to Europe 

 and Western Asia, and may still be found on the 

 coasts of England and France, and along the shores 

 of the Mediterranean. 



Cabbage (Brassica oleracea capitata). The cab- 

 bage has been in cultivation from time immemorial, 

 and was held in high esteem by the ancients. It is 

 uncertain at what time its cultivation began in this 

 country. 



Soil and Manures. The cabbage is not partial 

 in regard to soil, and will succeed anywhere so long 

 as the soil is rich or well manured. It, however, 

 gives the best results, generally, in a good loam of a 

 fairly close texture. Loose sandy soils require to be 



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