164 On the different Varieties of Broccoli. 



deep purple colour ; if it is true, it is close-headed at first ; 

 afterwards it branches, but it is apt to come green and too 

 much branched, especially in rich ground. When sown in 

 April, it begins to produce in November, and continues 

 bearing heads and sprouts throughout the winter, in mild 

 seasons ; if sown in June it produces abundance of sprouts 

 in March and April. Its height is from two to three feet, 

 growing strong and tall ; the leaves are much indented, of 

 a purplish green colour, they spread out wide, but not long, 

 though the stalks are so ; the head is quite open from the 

 leaves : small leaves are sometimes intermixed with the 

 head ; the plants produce sprouts of flowers from the alae of 

 the leaves. It should be planted three feet apart, in rich 

 ground. 



6th. Early White Broccoli The heads of this sort are of 

 a close texture, and of a pure white colour. To obtain them 

 fine and early, the seed should be sown in February, or 

 beginning of March, on a slight hot bed; the plants, when, 

 about three or four inches high, must be transplanted into 

 beds of light rich earth, three or four inches apart, and de- 

 fended from the frost and cold nights by a mat covering ; 

 they will be strong enough to plant out at two or three feet 

 distance, by the end of April : under this treatment, they 

 will produce beautiful heads in November, and continue to 

 do so until Christmas, if the weather is tolerably mild. This 

 sort, as well as several others, is sometimes cut in consider- 

 able quantities by the market gardeners, previous to an ex- 

 pected frost, and kept in sheds or cellars, for the supply of 

 the market. It grows to about three feet in height ; with 

 erect, concave, light green, and nearly entire, leaves. 



