BRA 



BRA 



tiotifd liv all die f'.icceeding Greek and Latin aiitliors who 

 h.ivt Wfitten on the natural hiilory of plants, or on fubjcds 

 of rural economy; but, like all other culti\ateJ plants, it 

 lias graduiliy undergone fo many chana;es, and aifumcd fo 

 «iany permanent varieties, that it is not cafy to form a 

 dcfcriptioii which w'll apply to the whole. We may, 

 tiowever, oblerve in the jreneral, fays Diichtfnc, who has 

 written a particular treatifeon it, that it has always a flL-lhy, 

 ■cyiindric, afcending caudex ; a branched, fmcoth, and Icafv 

 proper caulis or ftcm ; alternate, Imooth leaves more or k-fs 

 green, or tinftured with red or violet ; the lower ones 

 petioled, runcinatc at their bafe, and more or kfs finuate ; 

 the upper ones fimple, fniallcr, and often embracing the 

 ■ftem ; and flowers rather lare;e, yellow or nearly white, in 

 ■uprii^ht, loofe, a;id terminating racemes, fiicceedtd by nearly 

 cyiindric fillques. 



The numerous varieties are divided by Mr. Miller into 

 three grand families, i. Thofe which grow in a natural 

 way, without formi'ig the leaves or rtalks into a head, com- 

 prehending the wild colcwort, the green colewort, the bore- 

 coles, and the turnip cabbage 2. Thofe which form t'neir 

 leaves into a head, and to which the Englidi gardeners ex- 

 clnfivcly apply the term cabbage. 3. Thofe which form 

 their ilalks into a head, as the cauliflowerj and the diflerent 

 kinds of broccoli. 



Duchefne throws them into fix divifions. i. The wild 

 colewort, unaltered by cultivation. 2. The improved kinds, 

 which do not form a head, or undergo any remarkable 

 change in the ftalk or root. 3. The proper cabbages. 

 4. The cauliflower. 5. The turnip-cabbage. 6. The 

 turnip rooted cabbage. 



1. The wild colewort unaltered by cidtivation. 

 Our F.nglifli botanills agree in confidering the fea cab- 

 bage, the maritima arhorea feu procerwr ramoj'a mar'it'ima of 

 Morifon and Ray's Synopfis, as the parent Hock. But 

 Duchefne places this plant under his fecond divifion ; though 

 furely with little propriety, for he allows, at the fame time, 

 that it *ro\vs wild on the coafts of England and France. 

 Notwithftanding this inconiiitency, tiie arrangement is im- 

 plicitly adopted by La Marrk and Bole. Ray aifertF that 

 the fea cabbage is perennial, and fuppofcs (Hi!t. Plant.) 

 that the brajfica lulra i'ri!^-aiis of John Bauhin is only a 

 land variety of it. Hudfon, Robfon, Witheri..j, (ift edit.) 

 and even Dr. Smith make it biennial. Miller, who, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Martyu, leetns to confound it with the napo-braf- 

 fica or turnip-cabbage, fays, that it grows naturally on the 

 fea-fhore near Dover; that it has a perenniid blanching 

 ftalk, in which it differs from all the others ; that the leaves 

 are inclining to a purple colour, and are placed alternately 

 on the branches, (exae'tly agreeing in this refpcfl with the 

 dcfcription given by J. BauhinV He infills that it is a 

 diftinft fpecies, having always found the feeds to produce 

 the fame plant, with this difference only, that in good 

 ground the Italks will be much flronger than in poor ; and 

 adds, that the young Ikoots, after they are much frozen, are 

 very fweet and good, but at other times are ilrong and 

 firingy. He obferves. afterwards, that the perennial cole- 

 wort IS little cultivated in the gardens near London, as not 

 being fo good for the table, unlefs in very hard froft ; though 

 it is very hardy, will grow two years before it runs up to 

 feed, and will afterwards produce many fide fiioots, con- 

 tinuing in poor land three or four years, but in rich toil 

 not fo lung. La Marck and Bofc, adopting the dcfcription 

 of Ducliefne, confirm the opinion of Ray and Miller. In 

 France feveral other kinds have been grafted on this ftock ; 

 and though the produce has not been of long duration, it 

 kas always been very remarkable. Upon the whole, it fecnas 



probable, that the perennial coliwort of Miller is the only 

 improved v.iriely of the fta-cabbage, and that the French 

 botanilis are right in feikiiig for anotiicr origin of our 

 conimon cultivated biennial kinds. 



Tne plant which Duclieine thinks tlic parent of the 

 common garden colewort, the borecoles, true cabbages, $;c. 

 IS what he calls brajficn nleiacea ai-^ienfis, which lie dcfcnbcs 

 as growing from a fmall, fibroui taproot, about j 5 or 18 

 inches high when wild, but rifinj to iht height of fuuj or 

 five feet whtji cultivated, and liiivirg a bandied ftcm, with 

 fmall finuate d leaves inure or KI3 deeply dividtd ; the lov.'er 

 ones lyrcduped, tiie ftem ones heart-ftiaped, elongated anj 

 fcflile. It is much cultivated in the Netherlands, and ef- 

 pecially about Lifle, for the ufe of cattle, and for the fake 

 of an excellent oil comprefFed from its fetds, which mull not 

 be confounded with the oil of the navcw, or rape oil of 

 England. It is fown in Jidy, (luiuld be traiifplanted about 

 the middle x)f September, and ripens its feeds about the 

 middle of the July following. If dedgncd for cattle, it 

 (hould be fown in June, and the kavci may be plucked iu 

 November ; but as it is hardy, it is better to prelerve it till 

 other kinds of green forage begin to fail. Afier winter, if 

 its ftem be cut fomc inches above the ground, it will pro- 

 duce a fecoiid crop of leaves for ipring ufe. 



II. Of the cultivated improved kirds which do not 

 form a head, or undergo any remurkable change, either ia 

 the ftalk or ro^t, the principMl arc the common gretn cole- 

 wort, or Dorfetfliire kale of the Engliili gardeners ; and the 

 borecoles or curled coleworts. Tfie common green cole- 

 wort is cultivated in Fiance, and in fome parts of England, 

 to feed milch cattle and (keep, but is not ufed in the 

 kitchen till it is tendered by froft. It is nearly fuperfeded 

 in the gardens about London by the fugar-loaf cabbage 

 plants, whicli, from December to Aprilj_ are the fweeteli 

 greens yet known. The borecoles are more clle'emtd thaa 

 the common colewort, as being more delicate and equally 

 hardy : but like it they are tough and bittei', till they have 

 been expofed to froft. (See the next arliii:. ) 



III. The proper cabbages, whofe leaves form a head. 

 The effeft of cultivation upon this variety is confined to 

 the lower leaves, which arc large, rouiidilh, and nearly 

 entire ; and are ftt fo clofe together, that they \\i upon each 

 otFier like the fcales of a bulb ; and increafing in compaClntfj 

 as they incrcafe in fize, preveiit, for fome time the de-'c- 

 lopement of the flowering ftem, and its branches. (Sec tha 

 next article.) 



Cabbages were a favourite efculent vegetable with the 

 Romans ; and as the late excellent Mr. White has obfervcd, 

 muft have been known, iu fome of their varieties, to our 

 Saxon anceftors, fince the month of February was called 

 by them fproutcale. They are ftiil in univerfal ufe, but are 

 often productive of flatulence and indigeflion. The winter 

 cabbages are moft wholefome, etpecially when they have 

 been tendered with froft. They are faid to be improved ia 

 this refpeft at an earlier feafon, by being kept fome time 

 after they are gathered, and fuffered to wither a little before 

 they arc dreffed. An agreeable pickle is fomctimes made 

 of them, by cutting them into fin or eight pieces, accordin^j 

 to their fize, putting them for a few moments into boihng 

 water, and then plunging them in vinegar, which, efpecially 

 at firft, fhould be occafionaily changed, throwing in a little 

 fait each time. In this form they are an excellent antlfcor- 

 butic, and are found a valuable fca-llore. The German'* 

 and other northern nations have a llill more falutary and 

 pleafant preparation, which they call four-crout. With an 

 inftrument made for the purpole, they cut the head of a 

 large variety (braffica capital* ma&iina) iuto Imall Hircds 



