82 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



den cole : " the Savoie cole is," he says, " num- 

 bered amongst the headed coleworts or cab- 

 bages." He , notices the curled Savoy, but says, 

 "the swollen colewort of all others is the 

 strongest," and which he received from Master 

 Nicholas Lete, who brought the seed out of 

 France. The same author says, " Rape cole is 

 another variety ; they were called in Latin 

 caulo-rapum and rapo-caulis — participating of 

 two plants, the coleworts and turnips, from 

 whence they derive their name. They grow in 

 Italy and Spain, and some places in Germanie, 

 from whence I have received seeds for my 

 garden. ' They must,' he says, ' be carefully set 

 and sown, as musk melons and cucumbers.' 

 This variety has now become one of our hardiest 

 field plants." — Phillips. 



There is scarcely an instance in the whole 

 vegetable kingdom of a plant that has produced 

 so great a number of varieties, differing so much 

 in appearance and qualities, as the Brassica 

 oleracea : few would suppose that the wild cab- 

 bage found on our sea-shore is the parent of 

 such a progeny. In its natural state, with its 

 green wavy leaves, without the appearance of a 

 head, and, to superficial observers, scarcely dis- 

 tinguished from the wild mustard or charlock, 

 it is as dissimilar to one of its own offspring, the 

 drumhead cabbage, as it is to a Tarragonian 

 grown cauliflower, which is said often to attain 

 the weight of 40 lb. 



Use. — In a variety of forms this esculent 

 is in almost universal use throughout the whole 

 civilised world. The Greeks and Romans used 

 it in a raw state, to counteract the intoxicating 

 effects of wine. One modern physician, at least, 

 has recommended it for a like purpose. The 

 Romans threw trefoil and nitre into the pot 

 along with the cabbage, believing that such 

 would cause them to boil green — a department 

 in cookery in which many good housewives 

 plume themselves not a little at this day. All 

 vegetables, if fresh gathered, may be boiled 

 without the least change in colour, if put into 

 boiling water with a handful of salt, and allowed 

 to boil in plenty of water, leaving the vessel un- 

 covered. The uses to which it was applied by 

 the ancients are given by Phillips, in his " His- 

 tory of Cultivated Vegetables," vol. ii. p. 99, 

 summing up the whole with the observation 

 that they believed it " light of digestion, and 

 that it clarified the senses when moderately 

 eaten." 



The large drumhead cabbage is used exten- 

 sively in Germany, and throughout the north of 

 Europe, for making saur-kraut. The heads are 

 cut into small shreds with a knife or plane 

 made for the purpose, are packed in barrels or 

 tubs along with vinegar, to which salt and 

 cloves are sometimes added, and in this state 

 they are preserved in excellent condition till 

 late in spring : when used, it is stewed over a 

 slow fire, and served up with most kinds of 

 meat. In England they are pickled, and used 

 for the same purposes as the red cabbage, 

 which latter is grown principally in Britain for 

 pickling. On the Continent it is much esteemed 

 when slowly stewed in an earthen pan, along 

 with a few slices of onion, and a larger propor- 



tion of apples, in which state it appears at most 

 tables during winter, and is both excellent and 

 wholesome. In all cases the cabbage is most 

 wholesome when eaten young ; and hence the 

 English, and the Scotch now following their ex- 

 ample, prefer them in the form of collards, cab- 

 bage-plants, or cabbage-sprouts, and like to see 

 them brought to the table quite green and tender. 

 In country places in England, and in most of 

 our Scotch green-markets, they are only to be 

 found when of a large size, thoroughly hearted, 

 blanched white within ; in which case they are, 

 particularly when long cut, exceedingly un- 

 wholesome, often tough, and in general flatu- 

 lent and indigestible. 



Propagation. — All the varieties of Bras- 

 sicse are raised from seed annually, but 

 they may all be also propagated by cut- 

 tings — a method employed to preserve 

 any particular variety from changing its 

 character, which all are exceedingly liable 

 to do when propagated by seed, on ac- 

 count of the natural disposition of the 

 plants to shoot into hybrids. Hence our 

 seed-lists are so crowded with names, 

 and hence also the difficulty we often 

 experience in getting seed which will 

 produce plants identical with their pa- 

 rent. 



Almost all the Brassicse produce sprouts 

 — the cauliflower and broccoli less freely 

 than the others. By means of these, any 

 choice kind can be increased by cuttings, 

 and thus perpetuate the identical variety 

 without the chances of its becoming de- 

 teriorated by rearing them from seed. 

 However carefully seed of this- family is 

 saved, we are never certain in the results, 

 and what we may have genuine and pure 

 one year may become, by intercourse be- 

 tween neighbouring plants of the same 

 family, next to useless another. The 

 idea of propagating them by extension — 

 that is, by cuttings — did not, however, 

 arise from this alone. It was introduced 

 into England about thirty years ago from 

 the Brazils, where the climate is too hot 

 for the cabbage to perfect its seeds. 

 The manner of proceeding is this : — The 

 sprouts, when from 4 to 5 inches long, 

 are taken from the stem of the plant, and, 

 according to their state of succulency, are 

 exposed to the atmosphere to cauterise 

 the wounded part. In summer, a day 

 and a night is in general sufficient ; while 

 in winter two or three days may be re- 

 quisite. The cut end of the sprout is 

 dipped in caustic lime or dry wood-ashes, 

 to dry up the moisture. They are then 



