VEGETABLES — DESCRIPTION AND CULTURE. 189 



all winter. Propagated by seeds or parting the roots. 

 Sow in autumn or early in spring, in drills eight inches 

 apart, and thin to six inches in the drill. Make new 

 plantations once in three years by dividing the roots. 

 Seldom cultivated. 



CABBAGE. — {Brassica oleracea, var. capCtata.) 



This is a Cruciferous biennial plant, quite hardy, found 

 wild on the coasts of England, France, and many other 

 parts of Europe. The wild variety is known as Sea Cole- 

 wort, bears but a few leaves, and is far from palatable, 

 unless boiled in two waters to remove its saltness. The cul- 

 tivated variety was probably introduced into England by 

 the Romans, and the common name doubtless comes from 

 the Latin Caput, or head. This is one of the most useful 

 crops in cultivation. Cabbages 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. They can be planted be- 

 tween beds and rows of anything and everything 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 superabun- 

 dance above the wants of the family, nothing is better 

 for the cow and the pig. For early cabbage it is neces- 

 sary to rely upon English seed, as the seed of the early 

 varieties saved in this country grow later by our cul- 

 ture, soil, and climate. For late cabbage, the American 

 seeds are superior to the imported, and produce 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 hot climates, without proper care, are prone 

 to run into coleworts or " collards." 



