THE CULINARY GARDEN. 



277 



Italian cabbage, the name by which broccohs were formerly known, must have 

 been cuhivatcd in Britain at an earUcr period. It is probable, that the Romaus 

 introduced it from Italy. 



Cape broccoli is said to have been introduced from the Cape of Good Hope, by the 

 Hon. Marniaduke Dawnay, and first cultivated in Surrey. 



BoRECOi-K, — Brassica oleracra, var. Sabellira. — Is another family, which claims a 

 common origin with the broccoli, cauliflower, &c., in the Brassica olcracea, or 

 common cabbage. There are several valuable sub-varieties, more or less esteemed 

 by the individuals, where they are principally grown. The sorts cultivated are as 

 follow : the green borecole, Scotch kale, or Siberian borecole. This is a very hardy 

 sort of kale, and although not universally cultivated in England, is still worthy of 

 our attention. To cottagers and farmers a more usefid vegetable cannot be intro- 

 duced in (heir little gardens, for no frost hurts rt; and if planted on ground which 

 has been occupied with the early crops of peas or potatoes, it will have attained a 

 considerable size before the rigour of the winter sets in. It is universally cultivated 

 by the Higldanders, and is found to stand the most severe winter. It may be con- 

 sidered the national vegetable of Scotland, and is the regular garnish of the boiled 

 beef at weddings, curling dinners, &'c. It is surprising to see the numerous varieties 

 that this sort sports into in one small cottage-garden; from twenty to thirty distinct 

 varieties may be easily distinguished, by the different shades of colour's and the form 

 of the leaves. The purple or brown kale is nearly allied to the last, and is equally 

 liardy. The German kale, German greens, or curlies, is a beautiful variety, and 

 very hardy : of this there are two sub-varieties, one of which grows close to the 

 ground, the other grows much taller, and furnishes a good supply of sprouts in 

 spring. This is the sort most in cultivation in the gardens in Scotland. 



The variegated borecole, and the thousand-headed cabbage, are merely curious 

 varieties, but inferior to the others, in their general merits. 



The Egyptian kale, rabi kale, ragged Jack, and the Jerusalem kale, are dwarf- 

 growing sorts; they resist black frosts, and come in for a late supply. The Buda 

 kale, Russian kale, Prussian kale, and Manchester kale, are supposed to differ very 

 little from the former. A writer, however, in the Transactions of the Horticultural 

 Society, has, by blanching Buda kale, very much improved it ; and the process is 

 performed nearly in the same manner as sea-kale is blanched, by inverting a flower- 

 pot over it. It may be rendered more delicate by blanching, as well as any other 

 kale which is treated in the same manner. As a substitute for sea-kale, it may be 

 of importance ; for, by a little management, it might be had at a season when sea- 

 kale cannot be procured. 



The palm borecole is not likely to be much cultivated ; it is a rambling growing 

 sort, and is cultivated in the orchards of the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, by 

 planting it among the fruit-trees ; and as it increases in growth, it reclines among 

 the l iwer branches of the trees, and may in that case escape the frosts. We have 

 grown it to the height of twelve feet by the side of a wall. 



The turnip-cabbage, or turnip-rooted borecole, is a curious variety. In a recent 

 work published, two sub-varieties of this sort are mentioned, one of which has the 

 turnip or bulbous part, which is the part used, growing above the surface, and in the 

 other sort, it >?ruvvs under ground. The roots are cut in slices for soups, and by 

 some are used like connnon turnips ; but unless they be used when they are young, 

 they become rank and unpalatable. They are very hardy, and stand a severe frost, 

 and require good rich ground to bring them to any profitable size. The Portugal or 

 large-ribbed borecole, is not nujch used, nor does it possess any great merit. The 

 Woburn kale differs from all the foregoing »orts, inasmuch as they arc propagated 



