22 CABBAGE. 



Dutch, Early York and Red Dutch, the two latter 

 almost wholly from imported seed. The farmers 

 that had been growing the Flat Dutch for the past 

 100 or more years were in the habit of saving their 

 own seed, quite as much from economic reasons as 

 for the improvement of type. In every town there 

 was usually to be found a farmer who had an eye 

 to business, lie began to save seed for others than 

 himself, and always selecting for this purpose the 

 best heads. By this means, after a few years, he 

 established a local reputation as a seed grower, which 

 proved quite remunerative. 



As before stated, on Long Island there is a great 

 variety of soil, varying from a light sandy to a 

 heavy loam, the north side, in its entire length, being 

 the heavier, the south light, while the center is inter- 

 mediate in character. Of course there are small 

 patches of light soil to be found with the heavy, and 

 the reverse ; but the rule is as stated. Now on these 

 different soils, the local specialists have developed 

 three distinct types of the Flat Dutch cabbage : Early, 

 intermediate, and late, and from these most of the 

 popular varieties have been obtained. 



We must here say that most of these growers 

 selected for head only, which is very natural, as 

 heads are what are wanted for sale; and how they 

 would look as a type in the field, whether all the 

 heads were very deep, or very flat, was of no conse- 

 quence, providing each plant would make a solid 

 head, fit for market. Some of these specialists, 

 however, were more observing; they admired uni- 

 formity of shape, and they saw, too, that while a 

 perfect head was desirable, a healthy and vigorous 

 growth was essential for the preservation of the type. 



