New 



York 



Quality Even in the Cabbage Tribe— By Effie M. Barron, 



WHY CABBAGE AS ORDINARILY GROWN AND COOKED IS A COARSE AND POOR FOOD — THE 

 REFINED MEMBERS OF THE GROUP AND HOW TO MAKE THEM DELICATE AND DIGESTIBLE 



[Note. — The last of a series of articles on quality vegetables for the Home Garden. Mrs. Barron was formerly teacher of cookery under the London School Board.] 



IF YOU believe that cabbage is coarse in 

 flavor and texture it is only because you 

 have never tried the Savoy type. You can 

 always tell this variety by its crinkled leaves. 

 It is, without doubt, the best variety for the 

 private gardener to grow, for any time of 

 planting, fall, summer, or winter. It is 

 specially suited for salads and using raw; 

 though the general idea is to use a white- 

 hearted, very solid cabbage and slice across 

 the grain. One of the best strains of the 

 Savoy cabbage is Perfection Drumhead. 



Unfortunately the Savoy cannot be had in 

 every market, because other varieties are 

 more profitable. It is a pity that the public 

 knows less about quality in vegetables than 

 in fruit. Consequently, the market gardeners 

 think only of technical points, such as 

 ability to ship a long distance and last a 

 long time in storage. The huge cabbages 

 we see everywhere in America would, in 

 England, be thought fit only for cattle. 

 There the best cabbages are small ones, say, 

 a fourth the size of ours, and the English 

 people like a rather green cabbage, not one 

 that is wholly blanched. 



The most delicate cabbage is undoubtedly 

 that which is most perfectly blanched. It 

 does not pay to grow any members of the 

 cabbage family in a small garden because 

 they take up a great deal of room, and some 

 of them require a long season. However, 

 in many places it is impossible to get them 

 fresh, and quality in the cabbage tribe 

 depends more on freshness and cooking 

 than on methods of cultivation. 



The earliest cabbages are all pointed, 

 and they have to sacrifice size and keeping 

 quality to earliness. They are sown in- 

 doors in February, and are ready to use by 

 midsummer, whereas the main crop is for 

 winter use, and this is sown in June or July. 



The second earlies and intermediate cab- 

 bages mature a little later, and are larger 

 than the earlies, but they are not generally 

 good keepers. However, it is not necessary 



for them to be so, as the late or winter cab- 

 bages are for that purpose. These are 

 principally derived from the Late Flat 

 Dutch type. They have very big, round, 

 firm heads. 



Red cabbages are grown the same as the 

 green ones in all respects but the color. 

 When boiled they look so unappetizing on 

 the table that they are seldom used this way. 

 The addition of salt or vinegar, however, 

 changes the color to a brilliant red, so that 

 red cabbages are popular for pickles. 



CULTIVATION OF CABBAGE 



In small gardens it is the general practice 

 to plant only once during the entire year — 

 in July or August. In large gardens it is 

 well to sow "for succession." Always start 

 the plants in the hotbed. 



The first planting should be the end of 

 January and early February, planting the 

 very early cabbages; transplant later, and 

 be very careful that the plants get no check, 

 as that spoils the quality of the vegetable. 







Kale, or borecole, anon-heading type very hardy. 

 The leaves are beautifully colored and curled 



The early cabbages have pointed heads and are 

 not so large as the late flat-headed type 



The second planting should be in the last 

 week of March — they will then be ready 

 for use from July to November. Plant 

 the early kinds and coleworts, which are 

 really delicious summer cabbage, fresh, 

 green, tender and succulent. 



The third planting takes place the first 

 half of May, and can be planted out when- 

 ever there is any space in the garden. They 

 will be useful till quite late in the year. For 

 this use the main crop varieties. 



The most important sowing is the fourth 

 and last. Sow seed for spring cabbage 

 about the middle of July to the end of 

 August. These can be planted out in the 

 place of peas, beans, and potatoes when 

 they are over. 



The whole secret of growing delicious 

 cabbage is comprised tersely in these three 

 rules: (i) Grow quickly, without a check 

 20 



at any time — transplanting included. (2) 

 Give them good, strong, soil made rich by 

 vegetable compost. (3) Do not allow them 

 to suffer from drought. 



STORING CABBAGES 



Cabbages with firm, solid, compact heads 

 are good keepers, and the only sort that are 

 any good for storage purposes. Heads that 

 are spotted, or show any signs of decay, or 

 have started to burst will only waste time 

 and space if stored — feed these to the 

 cattle. 



Two dangers must be carefully guarded 

 against if the storing is to be successful. If 

 the cabbages get too warm they will rot, 

 and if they are allowed to freeze too hard 

 they will be spoiled when the frost breaks 

 in the spring. 



Always do your storing in dry weather. 

 There is no fixed date to begin, but the usual 

 time is about the end of October. The ideal 

 way to store is to keep them where trees will 

 partially protect them. Stack them up- 

 side down, fitting them closely one into the 

 other, and cover the pile to the depth of 

 about six inches with leaves, putting brush 

 or branches over the latter to prevent them 

 from blowing away. 



If woods and orchards are out of the ques- 

 tion the open field will do, and the cabbages 

 can then be covered with stalks or straw. 

 In any case plow the ground well so that 

 the warm moisture from the bottom will 

 filter through the pile. 



Another way of storing is to fill barrels 

 with the ends knocked out and the earth 

 banked around them to the depth of two or 

 three inches. Then in the colder weather 

 salt hay must be put over to prevent freezing. 



Another excellent way is to dig a trench 

 about four feet wide and one foot deep. 

 Pack in the cabbages heads down, stalk 

 upward, fitting one layer into the other. 

 Wrap the outer leaves round the heads. 

 Cover two or three inches deep with straw, 



Jersey Wakefield, the early type, is a very popular 

 market variety, and is the favorite all-around cab- 

 bage for the amateur 



