74 



KITCHEN-GARDEN PLANTS. 



[chap. 



altogether. Now^ as to the manner of sowing the seed, as to the 

 manner of treating the plants after they are up, as to the man- 

 ner of transplanting them where they are to stand to produce, and 

 as to the cultivation while they are going on towards a state of 

 producing, these are all the same as directed in the case of 

 the Cabbage, under which head I shall give full and minute 

 instructions relative to all these operations. But there is this 

 difference between the cabbage and the broccoli, that the lat- 

 ter, being a much larger plant than any of the garden cabbages, 

 must have a greater space to grow in. The rows ought to be 

 three feet apart, and the plants at two and a half feet apart, 

 in the rows. The broccoli plants have long stems ; and, there- 

 fore, the earth should be, at different times, during their 

 growth, drawn up to them, not only for the purpose of keep- 

 ing them upright, but for the purpose of nourishment also ; 

 for roots will start out of the sides of the stem and commu- 

 nicate great vigour to the plants. The same ought to be done, 

 indeed, in the case of cabbages ; but with more care in the case 

 of the broccoli. 



128. BRUSSELS SPROUTS.— The plant that has generally 

 had this name given to it in England is a thing quite different from 

 the real Brussels sprouts. This plant rises up with a very long 

 stem, which has a spreading open head at the top, but which 

 sends out from its sides great numbers of little cabbages, round and 

 solid, each being of the bulk of a large walnut, and each being a 

 perfect cabbage-head in itself. This little cabbage comes out just 

 above the leaf which starts from the main stem, and it is in fact 

 lodged in the socket of that leaf- and, as the leaves are numerous, 

 there are frequently from thirty to fifty cabbages coming out of 

 each stem. The large leaves are broken down in the month of 

 August in order to give the little cabbages room to grow : and in 

 November these begin to be in perfection, and continue to be an 

 excellent vegetable all the winter. The time of sowing the seed is 

 the fore-part of April. The treatment of the plants, until planted 

 out, the same as that of the cabbage ; and the distances at which 

 the plants ought to stand the same as those mentioned for the 

 broccoli, these being also tall things, and requiring much room. 

 ]Much care is necessary in the saving of the seed of this plant, which, 

 as I have observed before, has an open spreading crown at the top. 

 If you mean to save seed, you must cut off this crown, and let the 



