Barr and Sugdcn, 1871.] 



55 



BOBECOZ.E OB EAI^E. 



On all hands it is asserted and accepted as a fact tiiat liie varieties of the Brassica family are liable to great 

 variations, and on this account the subject is looked upon by Horticulturists as one of the most difficult they have to 

 deal with; and no doubt this is perfectly correct in the case of Broccoli, Cauliflower, a>id Cabbage. This is 

 made a pretext, howez'er, for the confusion that exists amongst the names of Kales. After sei'era I years' careful 

 tomparative tests — if wc are to judge from the extreme purity of the stocks procured from a great variety of sources, 

 and from zvhich we conducted our experiments — 7ue are of opinion that either great care is exercised by the gnnvers 

 in keeping the Kales pure, or the tvpical sorts are not liable to vary, as we could see no dex'iation in our trials from 

 the normal or typical forms of the plants ; but there rvas any amount of variation in names applied to the Kales. 

 And we are supported in this by the leading gardening papers who have been dealing with the Kale question- 

 recently. See " Gardeners' Chronicle," " Gardeners' Magazine," and " The Field," of December 10, 1870 ; also 

 the " Journal of Horticulture " of December 17, 1870. 



To each name as enumerated below we have affixed descriptions, which xvill readily enable anyone to identify 

 the varieties. p^^ p„ ^ 



CotX&zetsKa.lB, some of the plants are purple, and others green ; the leaves in most cases are crimped s. d. s. d. 

 or curled at the margin ; the plant is tall and robust, yielding in spring a very large crop of 



side shoots, whic/i are exceedingly delicate in favour o 4...0 8 



Cbou de Milan ; /// respect to height and robustness this resembles Cottager's Kale, the leaves are of a 

 bluish-green tint, and ?nostly plain : in spring it yields a large supply of side sprouts, whicli 



are particularly delicate in flavour o 3.. o 6 



Buda Kale, this might almost be tailed a dxvarf Chou de Milan ; leaves of a dull bluish-green, with 

 white veins, and is not unlike some of the varieties of Swede ; in spring it throws up a large 

 quantity of delicate shoots, which may be blanched by placing a seakale pot, or anything in that 



way, over the plant o 3...0 6 



Egyptian, differs from Buda inainly in its richer green leaves and more prominent white veins ; in 

 spring it throws up a large quantity of shoots, which may be blanched as we have recommended 



in tlie case of Buda Kale o 3...0 6 



Jerusalem Green Curled, the groivth is dwarf but sturdy, the margin of the leaves crisped or curled 

 very much, in the zvay of the Scotch Kale, and the partially undeveloped leaves, are tinged on 

 the tips witJi purple, and the veins are of a subdued crimson colour ; in the spring this plant 

 ihroivs out numerous long stout succulent shoots, a?id is believed by many to be the true 



" Asparagus Kale" o 4...0 8 



Jerusalem Purple, this plant differs considerably from the Green Curled; it is altogether a coarser 

 and less prepossessing plant, but no doubt very hardy ; colour dullish purple^ in spring it 



thnnvs out a large quantity of succulent shoots o 3...0 6 



Ragged Jack ; the developed leaves are green, beautifully laciniated, and in some instances, especially 

 in the youn^ leaves, prettily crisped ; in spring it yields a large quantity of sprouts of a 



delicate flavour o 3...0 6 



Scotch Tall Green Curled, extremely hardy and very productive of side-shoots during spring ; this , 



and the other varieties of Scotch I^ale arc so well knoivn as to need no further description ... o 3. . .0 6 

 „ Dwarf Green Curled or Feathered, (? I'^ry iw/««<5/? j/i>f/4/t)/- jOT(z// fii/iiV«j o 3...0 6 



,, 'STinw ofyfzX^S, a good selection for small gardens o 4... I o 



„ ,, „• "RSLTlCLSWOTMb., a very fine selection o 4...0 8 



„ „ „ Veitch s Late, described as being longer in running to seed than 



other xarieties \ o 4...0 8 



„ „ ,, KotXZB\diB, a very good variety of intermediate height o 4...1 b 



„ New Moss Triple Curled Garnishing, colour a beautiful light ^recn, t/ie curling exquisite; 



valuable for garnishing .■ o 4...1 o 



„ New Imperial Hearting, very productive of sprouts in spring -.. ... o 4...0 S 



„ Tall Purple Curled, this differs from the green simply in colour, which is dark purple ; it 



boils very tender in the winter, and is very productive of side-shoots in the spring o 4...0 8 



,, Dwarf Purple Curled, resembling the above, but so dwarf as to lay quite on the ground ... o 4...0 8 

 The above Kales represent tliose we consider desirable for culinary purposes ; the coarser-growing kinds will 

 be found enumerated under the head of Agricultural Seeds. 



In clearing up the confusion which we found to exist in the names of this section of the Brassica fiimily, we 

 found that the following {which we give in black letter) had no distinct Kales to represent them, one or other of 

 the Kales above described being supplied for them, and the names of these latter we give in italics : — 

 For Delaware, Jerusalem and Buda. For Siberian, Egyptian. For Lapland, Egyptian, Buda, and Dwarf 

 Purple Curled. For Acme, Jerusalem. For Victoria Marrow, Couve Tronchuda. For Miller's Winter, 

 Egyptian. For Camberwell, Ragged Jack. For Prussian, Jerusalem. 



Asparagus Kale demands a special notice for itself. Under this name many seedsmen sell Couve Tronchuda ; 7vhich 

 is the Portugal or Braganza Cabbage, exceedingly delicate in flavour, and should be ^roiun universally ; but 

 we object to the name " Asparagus " being attached to it ; the leaves are more like blanched sea-kale. See our 

 remarks, page 57. Buda Kale is also sold under this name, and not inappropriately so ; in the spring it 

 throws up an immense quantity of shoots, which may be blanched and served as asparagus. Jerusalem is 

 likewise sold under this name, and zve think it is the plant to which the name was originally attached. 

 Under this name is also sold Chou dc Milan. Even Ragged Jack is made to do duty for it, as also 

 Egyptian. 



Our object in making this statement is to enable our customers to select their own Asparagus Kale. 



ORNAMENTAL KALES FOR WINTER DECORATION. per pUt. peroz. 

 Variegated Triple Curled Improved (Melville). For distant t iTcct, grand winter beds may be °- ^- >• <i. 

 formed of these, also groups, or single specimens in flower or shrubbery borders. The 

 colours range from the purest white to tlie richest purple-crimson, which, when lit up 

 by the winter sun are truly splendid. As soon as large enough, transplant from the 

 seed bed into poor soil and an open situation a sufficient number of plants to select 

 from. Late in autumn when the colours are sufficiently developed, select out those fit 

 for the flower garden, and arrange them according to taste, breaking off the large 

 leaves and making a hole in the soil sufficiently deep to secure the under leaves resting 

 on the surface i o 



„ New Triple Curled Perennial (Melville), a cross between the Perennial W'oburn 

 Kale and the Annual Variegated ; purple, green, wliite, mauve, olive, and yellow are 

 tlie colours of the plants from which the seed was saved i 0 



„ Carter's Improved Garnishing, said to produce more than twenty varieties, some 



of them equal in colour to the new Coleus 1 o 



„ Covent Garden, very beautiful, and in many colours o 6...1 6 



Palm-Tree, this variety is extremely ornamental for shrubberies, tlic habit of growth being that of 



an eastern palm , i o 



