88 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



too rich or too deeply wrought, and the 

 latter can hardly be applied in too large 

 a quantity. The whole tribe are gross 

 feeders. The plant in its original state, 

 as we have already shown, is a native of 

 the sea-shore and of calcareous soils ; it 

 is consistent, therefore, with reason that 

 lime and salt should be added to the 

 natural constituents of the soil they are 

 planted in. We have applied gypsum as 

 a top-dressing to the surface between the 

 rows, with the most beneficial effects, to 

 all crops of the Brassica tribe, to which it 

 seems admirably adapted. Its action 

 appears to be directly and indirectly use- 

 ful to such crops — directly as the food of 

 plants, because, being soluble in water, it 

 supplies sulphur and lime ; and indirectly, 

 because of its action on the volatile car- 

 bonate of ammonia, which becomes fixed 

 when these substances meet. In the latter 

 case, gypsum acts in the soil on the am- 

 monia contained in rain water, in the same 

 way as it does when applied to dunghills. 

 A double action takes place between gyp- 

 sum and carbonate of ammonia, when 

 they meet in solution. Each of these 

 salts being decomposed, their elements 

 unite in the form of carbonate of lime 

 and sulphate of ammonia, and the advan- 

 tages from the change arise from the sul- 

 phate of ammonia not being volatile, as 

 the carbonate of ammonia is. Stable- 

 yard dung, if applied with gypsum to fix 

 or retain the ammonia evolved from the 

 former during the process of turning it 

 over, and during the fermentation of the 

 mass, will, in the case of rich manure, 

 require to be used in the proportion of 

 one cwt. of the latter to a ton of the for- 

 mer. Superphosphate of lime has been 

 found a useful assistant to cabbage crops, 

 and where manure is scarce it may be 

 sown in drills prepared for them at plant- 

 ing, or a little (say a dessert spoonful) put 

 in each hole before the root is introduced. 



Taking the crop, and subsequent preserva- 

 tion. — When the plants have hearted, the 

 heads are cut off for use, just as they be- 

 gin to show the first indication of blanch- 

 ing towards the centre, which is undoubt- 

 edly the proper time ; some, however, 

 cut them in a more advanced state, prefer- 

 ring quantity to quality. Cabbage plants, 

 collards, or coleworts — that is, young 

 plants which are not intended to heart — 

 are pulled up by the roots and tied up 



into bundles, the roots being either wash- 

 ed or cut off to keep the leaves cleaner. 

 Sprouts are gathered by being cut off the 

 stems at various sizes and ages, from the 

 time when they have only five or six 

 leaves in size, until they form into little 

 cabbages of the size of a swan's egg. It 

 is in the intermediate stages, however, 

 that they are most esteemed. It is sel- 

 dom in Britain that artificial shelter is 

 required for any of the white or red cab- 

 bage tribe. In cold places, however, they 

 may be laid over on their sides, and their 

 whole stems buried under ground. (Vide 

 Broccoli, section 5.) The full-hearted 

 cabbage is often cut from the stems on the 

 approach of severe frosts, but it is better 

 to retain the stems attached, and these 

 are buried entirely in dry soil, and so 

 deeply covered that the frost cannot 

 reach them. They should, however, be 

 placed so far apart that the one may not 

 touch the other. In peaty soils, cabbages 

 thus buried will keep for months, that 

 soil containing so great an amount of 

 antiseptic properties. 



Approved sorts of white cabbages (Brassica ole- 

 racea, var. Capitata) and their properties. — The 

 improvement that has taken place of late years 

 in the whole of the Brassica tribe is perhaps 

 greater than in any other division of culinary ve- 

 getables. Such sorts as Atkin's matchless, Sut- 

 ton's imperial, Sutton's dwarf comb, Enfield 

 market, Shilling's queen, &c, have taken the 

 place in most of our best gardens of the sugar- 

 loaf, early York, &c. of bygone days. These 

 sorts are more esteemed for their delicate fla- 

 vour and tenderness, when cooked at a proper 

 age, than for their largeness of size — a merit 

 only fitting for the lowest grade of market pur- 

 poses. These require, in consequence of their 

 small size, less space to grow in than the larger 

 and coarser kinds, and will, nevertheless, yield 

 as good a return, of the same extent of surface, 

 as their larger allies. 



1. Sutton's dwarf comb. — When grown along 

 with other sorts, we found it last year the ear- 

 liest of any. It is small, hearts well in spring, 

 andaffords a good supply of very delicate sprouts 

 throughout most of the summer. It was planted 

 12 inches apart. 



2. Sutton's imperial. — Another excellent early 

 spring variety from the stock of Messrs Sutton 

 and Sons, Eeading ; rather larger than the last, 

 but equally early, tender, and useful, producing 

 sprouts during the summer; planted 13 inches 

 apart. 



3. AtkivUs matchless. — A small early cabbage 

 of great excellence ; conical when full grown ; 

 the leaves remarkably wrinkly, somewhat like 

 a savoy; planted 12 inches asunder; stands the 

 winter well ; a variety of the early York, but much 

 superior, if large cabbages are not required. 



