1887] History of Garden Vegetables. 439 
of the Brocoli and the Cauliflower are very slight; in the less 
changed form they become great. Hence two races can be de- 
fined, the sprouting brocolis and the cauliflower brocolis. The 
growth of the Brocoli is far more prolonged than that of the 
cauliflower, and in the European countries it is grown as a 
hyemial plant, bearing its heads in the year following that in 
which it is sown. It is this circumstance that leads us to sus- 
pect that the Romans knew the plant and described it under 
the name of cyma, “(Cyma a prima sectione præstat proximo 
vere,” “Ex omnibus brassice generibus suavissima est cyma,” 
says Pliny.* He also uses the word cyma for the seedstalk 
which rises from the heading cabbage. These excerpts indicate 
the sprouting brocoli, and the same additional use of the word 
cyma then as exists in Italy now with the word Jdrocoli, which, 
for a secondary meaning, is used for the tender shoots which at 
the close of winter are emitted by various kinds of cabbages and 
turnips preparing to flower.? 
It is certainly very curious that the early botanists did not 
describe or figure the brocoli. The omission is only explainable 
under the supposition that it was confounded with the cauliflower, 
just as Linnzus brought the cauliflower and the brocoli into one 
botanical variety. The first notice of the éroco/i that I find is 
quoted from Miller’s Dictionary, edition of 1724, in which he 
says it was a stranger in England until within these five years, 
and was called sprout colli-flower, or Italian Asparagus.3 In 
1729, Switzer* says there are then several kinds that he has had 
growing in his garden near London these two years, viz.: “that 
with small, whitish yellow flowers like the cauliflower; others 
like the common sprouts and flowers of a colewort; a third with 
purple flowers; all of which come mixed together, none of them 
being as yet (at least that I know of) ever sav'd separate.” In 
1778, Mawe’ names the Early Purple, Late Purple, White or 
Cauliflower-brocoli, and the Black. In 1806, McMahon® men- 
tions the Roman or purple, the Neapolitan or white, the green, 
and the black. In 1821, Thorburn’? names the Cape, the White, 
and the Purple, and in 1828, in his seed list, mentions the Early 
* Pliny, lib. xix. c. 41; lib. xx. c. 35. * Vilmorin, The Veg. Gard., 1885, 95. 
3 Miller’s Dict., 1807, preface, p. I. 
4 Switzer, A Comp. Method for Raising Italian Brocoli, etc., 1729, 2. 
5 Mawe, Gard., 1778. é McMahon, Am. Gard. Kal., 1806, 
? Thorburn’s Calendar, 1821. 
