ON SOME COMMON GARDEN PLANTS 



kale consists of expanded but tender leaves. 

 Brussels sprouts are thickened buds developed in 

 the axis of the leaves. The cabbage is merely a 

 single monstrous bud, with its leaves unexpanded. 

 And in the kohl-rabi — perhaps the most recently 

 developed of all the garden vegetables — it is the 

 short and few-leaved stems that become thick, 

 bulbous, and edible. 



Here, then, is a plant in the different races of 

 which, the stem, the leaves, and the flowers 

 respectively have been modified until they are 

 edible monstrosities. Few other plants show such 

 versatility; so the familiar colloquialism that dubs 

 a dunce a "cabbage head" is obviously lacking in 

 fitness of application. 



If the cabbage tribe were to develop a member 

 having an edible root, its versatility would be 

 universal; and, indeed, a very near relative belong- 

 ing to the same genus makes up the deficiency in 

 this regard : for the turnip has about as much root 

 in proportion to its size as a plant can possibly 

 produce. 



As might be expected, considering their origin, 

 the different cruciflers vary greatly. The various 

 cabbages and cauliflowers and Brussels sprouts 

 may be hybridized with one another or with the 

 strap-leaved turnips without difficulty. 



But the result is usually a rather curious lot of 



[63] 



