130 THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



the garden or (on the individual-plot system) the plot may be re- 

 garded as divided into three approximately equal portions. On the 

 first we should grow leguminous plants, such as Broad Beans, Dwarf 

 Beans, Scarlet Runners, and Peas ; on the second, Parsnips, Carrots, 

 and Beet ; and on the third portion, Onions, Cabbages, Potatoes, 

 and Turnips. In the following year the positions of these three 

 portions would be interchanged. A small portion of ground 

 must be reserved for salad plants, such as Mustard and Cress, 

 Radishes and Lettuces, while a few flowers may be planted along 

 the border. A small common nursery bed will be required for 

 Cabbages or other crops requiring transplanting. It is highly 

 important, if strong healthy plants are desired, that seeds should 

 always be thinly sown, whether in drills or in beds, and for the same 

 reason thinning must be carried out at an early stage, and trans- 

 planting, where required, should be done as soon as the plants 

 are big enough to handle, that is to say, when they are, roughly 

 speaking, a couple of inches high. 



THE CABBAGE AND ITS VARIETIES 



The Cabbage, Savoy, Brussels Sprout, Borecole, Brocoli, and 

 Cauliflower are all derived from a common parent, the Wild 

 Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), which may be found growing in the 

 south of England, in Denmark, and elsewhere in North-West 

 Europe. The wild form most closely resembles the cultivated 

 variety, Kohlrabi. The differences in form between the various 

 varieties above mentioned depend upon differences in the develop- 

 ment, either of the stem, the inflorescence, or the axillary buds. 

 In the case of White and Red Cabbage and of the Savoy Cabbage, 

 the internodes of the stem are short, and the terminal bud becomes 

 greatly enlarged, giving rise to a closely packed head of large 

 leaves. The Savoy differs from the White Cabbage only in the 

 fact of the leaves being wrinkled. The internodes of the stem 

 of the Brussels Sprout are well developed, and the axillary buds 

 remain small and compact, like miniature Cabbages. In Borecole, 

 these buds branch into elongated leaves. Brocoli and Cauli- 

 flowers differ only in the fact of the latter being rather less hardy. 

 In both the "head" is an inflorescence, produced in the first 



