1887] History of Garden Vegetables. 441° 
grown from time immemorial about Brussels, in Belgium, but, if 
this be so, it is strange that they escaped the notice of the early 
botanists, who would have certainly noticed a common plant of 
such striking appearance and have given a figure. Bauhin," in- 
deed, in 1623 gives the name Bras. ex capitibus pluribus conglobata, 
and adds that some plants bear fifty heads the size of an egg, but 
his reference to Dalechampius as a synonyme would lead us to 
infer that the plant known to him was of the same character as: 
that figured by Dalechampius, above noted. Lobel? again in 
1655 refers to a cabbage like a Brassica polycephalos, but as he 
had not seen it he says he will affirm nothing. Ray? again ‘in 
1686 refers to a like cabbage. 
A. P. Decandolle*+ in 1821 describes the Brussels Sprouts as 
commonly cultivated in Belgium, and implies its general use in 
French gardens, but BoothS says it is only since about 1854 that 
it has been generally known in England. A correspondent® of 
the Gardeners’ Chronicle in 1850, however, refers to the Tad sorts 
as generally preferred over the Dwarf by the market gardeners 
about London. In American gardens it is mentioned in 1806, 
and this implies its general use in Europe. ' 
But two classes are known, the Tall and the Dwarf, and but a 
few minor variations in these classes. The tall is quite distinct 
in habit and leaf from the dwarf, the former having less crowded: 
“sprouts” and a-more open character of plant, with leaves 
scarcely blistered or puckered. As, however, there is considera- 
ble variation to be noted in seedlings, furnishing connecting’ 
links, the two forms may legitimately be considered as one, the 
differences being no greater than would be explained by the ob- 
served power of selection and of the influences for modification 
which might arise from the influence of cabbage pollen. This: 
fact of their being but of one type, even if with several variables, 
would seem to indicate a probability that the origin is to be 
sought for in a sport, and that our present forms have been de- 
rived from the propagation of and selections from the seedlings 
derived from a suddenly observed variable of the Savoy cabbagé 
type, and, as the lack of early mention and the recent nature of 
* Bauhin, Pinax, 1623, iii. * Lobel, Stirp. Illust., 1655, 82. 
3 Ray, Hist., 1686, 794. 
4 Mem. upon the Cult, Brassica. Hort. Soc. Trans., p. 14. 
5 Booth, Treas. of Bot. 6 Gard. Chron., 1850, 116.. 
7 McMahon, Am. Gard. Ka!., 1806, 580. : 
VOL, XXI.—NO. 5. 30 
