186 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



BORECOLE. (Brassica oleracea, var. acephela.) 



This plant, known also as Kale and German Greens, is 

 the easiest cultivated, and one of the most valuable of the 

 cabbage tribe. It has large curled or wrinkled leaves, 

 forming an open head, and such a hardy constitution that 

 it resists the severest frosts, which serve only to improve 

 it. It remains green and eatable all winter without the 

 least protection at the South, and in the Northern States 

 requires only a slight covering. The best varieties are : 



Dwarf Green Curled, very popular in northern cli- 

 mates, because from its small size it is completely protect- 

 ed by winter snows, and gives a good crop in a small space. 



Buda Kale, with purplish leaves, somewhat glaucous, 

 cut and fringed ; very hardy ; may be blanched like Sea 

 Kale ; taller than the preceding. 



Turner's Cottager's Kale is a new kind, very popular 

 in England, and promises well here ; it stood the winter 

 of 1859-60 at Philadelphia ; grows two and a half feet 

 high ; leaves green, not so much curled as the Dwarf. 



Culture. Raised from seed, like the rest of the cabbage 

 tribe, which may be sown in April with the winter cab- 

 bages and treated in the same manner. Transplant, if the 

 Dwarf Green Curled, into rows eighteen inches apart and 

 twelve inches in the row. Give it a good soil. The other 

 sorts require about the same space as winter cabbages. 

 Borecole may be sown as late as the middle of August in 

 the place where it is to remain, and managed like the Ruta- 

 baga turnip. Like the cabbage, it is visited by the Aphis 

 or Cabbage-louse, and caterpillar, for which see Cabbage. 



Seed. Manage some of the best plants as cabbage. 



Use. The outside leaves can be cut off for use when 

 from 7 to 9 inches long, but they will be coarse and rank 

 until mellowed by frost. The better way is after frost to 

 cut off the hearts, not square across, but with a sloping 

 cut, in order to threw off the rain, and the stem which is 



