246 



HORTICULTURE. 



Kitchen 

 Ganlcn. 



Squash. 



Calabash. 



the same attention and expence as the common melon ; 

 the hot-beds and glass frames, indeed, would need to 

 be even of a larger size. In a few places only, two or 

 three plants of the water-melon are occasionally cultiva- 

 ted with such attention as to procure the ripe fruit. 



The Squash and the {Varied gourd, the fruits of the 

 Cicurbita melopepo and C. verrucosa, though common- 

 ly cultivated as esculents in North America, are consi- 

 dered in this country only as curiosities. In the same 

 way are viewed the Bottle-gourd or false Calabash, C. la- 

 genaria; and the Orange-gourd, C. aurantia, lately intro- 

 duced, which last is really ornamental, when trained 

 spirally round a pole, or against a wall, and loaded 

 with its yellow fruit. 



The Succada, or Vegetable Marrow, is a kind of 

 small green gourd lately introduced. It is raised un- 

 der a hand-glass, and afterwards transplanted into a 

 good aspect, and trained to a trellis. When the fruit 

 is of the size of a hen's egg, it is dressed in salt and 

 water, squeezed, and served up in slices on a toast. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



ITCHXW 271. THE order in which culinary plants are ar- 

 ABDEN. ran g e( j or treated of, is not a matter of much import- 

 ance. They may be divided into the cabbage tribe ; le- 

 guminous plants ; esculent roots, either tuberous or fusi- 

 form ; the alliaceous tribe ; spinach plants ; boiling sa- 

 lads, including those plants the stems and leaves of 

 which are generally blanched ; fresh salads ; plants 

 for soups, and for garnishings ; with the various sweet 

 herbs, those used for preserves, and as medicines. 

 The mushroom stands alone, being the only one of the 

 fungi which is cultivated. 



.Several of the plants may no doubt be considered as 

 belonging to more than one of these divisions ; but they 

 shall be treated of under that title to which they seem 

 chiefly allied, and only named under the others. In 

 treating of each article, nearly the same method shall 

 be pursued as has been adopted in speaking of fructi- 

 ferous plants. The botanical name shall always be 

 given, as the want of this has been found by experi- 

 ence to create considerable embarrassment and uncer- 

 tainty, in consulting the popular treatises on horticul- 

 lure published in France and Germany. The class 

 and order of Linnaeus or Willdenow, and the natural 

 order of Jussieu, to which the plant belongs, shall also 

 be mentioned; and the French, German, or Italian names 

 shall be-set down, wherever it may seem of any import- 

 ance to mention them. The country to which the plant 

 is indigenous shall be noticed ; with the date of its in- 

 troduction into Britain if an exotic, or of its being used 

 as food if a native. Where different varieties are cultiva- 

 ted, as of peas, onions, lettuce, or others, the principal 

 varieties shall be enumerated and described. The 

 mode of culture shall then be detailed. The means of 

 keeping or preserving esculent roots and other culinary 

 articles through the winter shall not be omitted ; and 

 the way in which each plant is used in the kitchen it 

 may be proper generally to mention. 



Cabbage Tribe. 



272. Of all the classes of cultivated culinary vegetables, 

 the cabbage tribe is the most ancient as well as the most 



extensive. The Brassica oleracea of Linnxus (belonging Kitche 

 to the class Tetradynamia, order Siliquosa, and to the na- Garden, 

 tural order Cruciferae of Jussieu) being extremely liable 

 to sport or run into varieties and monstrosities, has in the 

 course of time become the parent of a numerous race of 

 pot-herbs, so very various in their habit and appear- 

 ance, that to many it may appear not a little extravagant 

 to refer them to the same origin. Besides the different 

 sorts of white and red cabbage, and savoys, which form 

 the leaves into a head ; there are various sorts of bore- 

 coles, coleworts, and kale, which grow with their leaves 

 loose in the natural way ; and there are several kinds 

 of cauliflower and broccoli, which form their stalks or 

 flower-buds into a head. All of these, with the turnip, 

 rooted cabbage, and the Brussels-sprouts, claim a com- 

 mon origin from the single species of Brassica above 

 mentioned. This original cabbage-plant grows naturally 

 on the sea-shores in different parts of England, but it has 

 not been observed in Scotland. It is figured in English 

 Botany, t. 637. It is a biennial plant ; the stem leaves 

 are much waved, and variously indented ; the colour is 

 sea-green, with occasionally a tinge of purple. Early 

 in the spring the wild cabbage or .colewort from the 

 sea-coast is said to be excellent, but it must be boiled 

 in two waters to remove the saltness. 



Close Cabbages. 



273. Common while cabbage, (Brassica oleracea ca- White cab* 

 pitala alba, L.) Some sort of cabbage, as remark- ba o e 



ed by Mr White in his History of Selborne, must 

 have been used by our Saxon predecessors, for they 

 named the month of February sprout-kale. Cabbage 

 was a favourite vegetable with the Romans ; and their 

 Italian kind would doubtless be introduced during the 

 long period of their sway in the south of Britain. To 

 the inhabitants of the north of Scotland cabbages were 

 first made known by the soldiers of the enterprising 

 Cromwell. 



274. Of the common white cabbages there are ma- 

 ny subvarieties, some of which are preferable for a sum- 

 mer crop ; others for an autumn crop ; and a third set, 

 for winter supply. The Small early dwarf, Large ear- 

 ly Yorkshire, Early dwarf Yorkshire, Early Battersea, 

 and Early sugar-loaf, are generally preferred for sum- 

 mer use, and are ready from May to July,; in some 

 early situations, even in April. The Imperial, Large 

 sugar-loaf, Hollow sugar-loaf, and Long-sided, are ex- 

 cellent for autumn use, and also, in private gardens, 

 for the winter crop. The Large drum, the Scots, and 

 the American cabbage, resist the severity of winter, 

 and grow to a large size ; but they are better suited 

 to field culture and the feeding of cattle. 



275. Very few remarks on the kinds of close cab- 

 bages seem requisite. The Long-sided is also called 

 Large-sided; it is an excellent sort, but rather ten- 

 der, so that it should not be sown till May, nor plant- 

 ed out till July. The Scots cabbage is much cultiva- 

 ted in cottage gardens in Scotland ; it grows to a large 

 size, and is seldom affected by the severest frost. The 

 Drum is named from its flatness at top, resembling the 

 head of a drum : it is also called White Strasburgh, 

 and of it chiefly the Germans make their sour-krout. 

 The American also grows to a large size, and lasts 

 good till a late period in the spring. The Musk or 

 perfumed cabbage is almost lost, being preserved only 

 in a few private gardens. A small firm cabbage called 

 the Russian has also become, rare, being very apt to 

 degenerate in this country : it is the least and most 



