164 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



shaded from the mid-day sun, it is an advantage, but it 

 must not be by trees. In the shade of trees and other 

 confined situations, they are much more subject to be 

 infested with caterpillars, and to grow weak and spindling 

 In planting out, any of which the roots are knotted and 

 clumped should be rejected. 



Brassica Ohracea — abb ace. 



This vegetable has been long in cultivation. Pliny 

 mentions the headed varieties, and it was then held in 

 high esteem, not only as an esculent, but for its supposed 

 medicinal properties ; it is a sea-shore plant, indigenous in 

 various parts of Europe and in England; the wild variety 

 is known as sea colewort, bearing but a few leaves, and 

 those far from palatable, unless boiled in two waters to 

 remove its saltness. The cultivated variety was probably 

 introduced into England by the E-omans, and the common 

 name doubtless comes from the Latin Caput or head. 

 This is one of the most useful crops in cultivation. Cab- 

 bages are eatable almost from the time they leave the seed 

 bed until they have acquired a hard close head ; it is a 

 crop that can be put on every bit of otherwise idle ground. 

 It can be planted between beds and rows of any and every- 

 thing else to be eaten as greens when young, or left to 

 head on the coming off of other crops, and if there should 

 be a superabundance above the wants of the family and 

 servants, nothing is better for the cow and the pig. For 

 early cabbage it is necessary to rely upon English seed, as 

 the seed of the early varieties, saved in this country grow 

 later by our culture, soil and climate. For late cabbage, 

 the American seeds are superior to the imported, and pro- 

 duce finer and larger heads. No seed for late cabbage is 

 better than our own, if saved from fine large heads. But 

 all the late cabbages in this hot climate without proper 



