324 CULINARY PLANTS. Chap. IX. 



do they diner, being a little longer and narrower than usual. I made a 

 collection of the seeds of twenty-eight different kinds, and most of them 

 were undistinguishable ; when there was any difference it was excessively 

 slight; thus, the seeds of various broccolis and cauliflowers, when seen 

 in mass, are a little redder; those of the early green Ulm savoy are 

 rather smaller ; and those of the Breda kail slightly larger than usual, but 

 not larger than the seeds of the wild cabbage from the coast of Wales. 

 What a contrast in the amount of difference is presented if, on the one 

 hand, we compare the leaves and stems of the various kinds of cabbage 

 with their flowers, pods, and seeds, and on the other hand the corre- 

 sponding parts in the varieties of maize and wheat! The explanation is 

 obvious; the seeds alone are valued in our cereals, and their variations 

 have been selected ; whereas the seeds, seed-pods, and flowers have been 

 utterly neglected in the cabbage, whilst many useful variations in their 

 leaves and stems have been noticed and preserved from an extremely 

 remote period, for cabbages were cultivated by the old Celts. 64 



It would be useless to give a classified description 65 of the numerous 

 races, sub-races, and varieties of the cabbage ; but it may be mentioned 

 that Dr. Lindley has lately proposed 66 a system founded on the state of 

 development of the terminal and lateral leaf-buds, and of the flower-buds. 

 Thus, I. All the leaf-buds active and open, as in the wild-cabbage, kail, &c. 

 II. All the leaf-buds active, but forming heads, as in Brussel-sprouts, 

 &c. III. Terminal leaf-bud alone active, forming a head as in common 

 cabbages, savoys, &c. IV. Terminal leaf-bud alone active and open, with 

 most of the flowers abortive and succulent, as in the cauliflower and broccoli. 

 Y. All the leaf-buds active and open, with most of the flowers abortive and 

 succulent, as in the sprouting-broccoli. This latter variety is a new one, 

 and bears the same relation to common broccoli, as Brussel-sprouts do to 

 common cabbages; it suddenly appeared in a bed of common broccoli, 

 and was found faithfully to transmit its newly-acquired and remarkable 

 characters. 



The principal kinds of cabbage existed at least as early as the sixteenth 

 century, 6 ? so that numerous modifications of structure have been inherited 

 for a long period. This fact is the more remarkable as great care must 

 be taken to prevent the crossing of the different kinds. To give one 

 proof of this : I raised 233 seedlings from cabbages of different kinds, which 

 had purposely been planted near each other, and of the seedlings no less 

 than 155 were plainly deteriorated and mongrelized ; nor were the remaining 

 78 all perfectly true. It may be doubted whether many permanent varieties 

 have been formed by intentional or accidental crosses; for such crossed 

 plants are found to be very inconstant. One kind, however, called " Cottager's 

 Kale," has lately been produced by crossing common kale and Brussel- 

 sprouts, recrossed with purple broccoli, 68 and is said to be true, but plants 



64 Regnier, ' De l'Economie Publique «6 'Gardener's Chronicle,' 1859, p.992. 

 des Celtes,' 1818, p. 438. e 7 Alph- De Candolle, ' Geograph. 



65 See the elder De Candolle, in Bot.' pp. 842 and 989. 



'Transact, of Hort. Soc.,' vol. v.; and es 'Gardener's Chron.,' Feb. 1858, p. 



Metzger ' Kohlarten,' &c. 128. 



