Crops Grown for Their Leaves 249 
and is more hardy. It often fails from lack of water or 
from excessive heat. In the North, when grown as a 
fall crop, the small heads of leaves or “‘ buttons,” pro- 
duced in the axils of the leaves, are gathered as desired 
until some time after cold weather arrives ; or in sections 
with severe winters, the plants may be dug and stored 
as recommended ina later chapter (20). If one suc- 
ceeds in the growing of cabbage, then it is safe to try 
the growing of Brussels sprouts as an autumn crop. 
Kale and collard. These plants belong to the cabbage 
group, but they have separate leaves instead of a head as 
the cabbage has. Kale, which is the most hardy of the 
cabbage group, is an excellent winter crop in the South 
and alate autumn crop in the North, where it may be left 
without protection even in rather severe winter weather. 
Dwarf-curled, Siberian, and Tali Scotch are standard 
varieties of kale. 
The collard withstands summer heat better than kale 
and hence is better suited for culture in the southern 
planting zones. The variety known as Georgia is most 
generally grown. 
Both kale and collard are often grown from seeds 
sown directly in the garden in rows about 2 or 3 
feet apart, and later thinned so that the plants stand 
about 12 inches from one another in the row. The 
plants are left standing where grown until light freezing 
makes the leaves of the loose heads tender. 
Pe-tsai or Chinese cabbage. Chinese cabbage is a 
leafy vegetable that deserves a trial in the home vege- 
table garden. It is generally grown as an autumn crop, 
but even in the northern planting zones it can be grown as 
