278 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER, 



by seeds, whereas this variety is propagated by cuttings. It has been grown at the 

 Duke of Bedford's, at Woburn Abbey, from which place it takes its name. 



Brussels-Sprouts, — Brasslca olcracca, a sub-variety of the variety Sabaudn. 



Of this excellent vegetable we have only this one sort, which derives its name 

 from the city of Brussels, where it is both much esteemed and cultivated. It ap- 

 pears, by a communication to the Horticultural Society by Van Mons, that it is men- 

 tioned, in the market-regulations of that place, so early as the year 1213. The top is 

 different in flavour from the side-sprouts, and should, in cultivation, be taken off to 

 encourage the growth of the sprouts. The plants from the circumstance of their heads 

 being cut off, and their leaves falling off, need not be planted at more than eighteen 

 inches each way, so that upon a small piece of ground a large produce is obtained. 



It is difficult to procure the seeds genuine, therefore it is either better to have 

 them sent direct from Brussels by some confidential person, or after having once 

 obtained a good sort, to save the seeds for future use. Van Mons says, that it is 

 usual to save the seeds indiscriminately from plants, which have not been topped, 

 but he intends in future to save only from those plants which have been topped. 

 The principal consideration, however, in the saving of this seed, as well as that of 

 all other plants of the biassica tribe, is to place them where there is no chance 

 of their being impregnated by the farina of other plants of the brassica family. 

 This is, however, very difficult to be accompUshed in the vicinity of an apiary, as 

 the bees are apt to carry the farina of the brassica tribes to their different varieties, 

 and thereby give a spurious character to the seed collected from llu in. 



Borage, — Borago officinalis, (Linn.) — belongs to the class and order Pentandria 

 Monogijnia, and to the natural order Boraginea-. It is a native of Britain, and 

 is not unfrequently met with in waste places. It is seldom used in niodcrn cookery, 

 although formerly it was in high repute. The juice affords nitre, and the withered 

 stems have been observed to burn like match-paper. It is used in England as one 

 of the components of a particular beverage, known by the appellation of a coo) 

 tankard. 



Burnet, — Poieriuvi Sanguis orha, (Linn.) — belongs to the class and order ^/o/i^z-tiVi 

 Puli/andria, and ranks in the natural order of Rosacece. Is a native of Britain, 

 growing on dry chalky pastures. The leaves are sometimes used in salads, and 

 occasionally in soups. It was formerly in much repute, but at present it is almost 

 quite disregarded. It was cultivated as a food for cattle for some years, on the 

 authority and recommendation of Bartholomew Rocque, a farmer at Walhani Green, 

 near London. 



Blessed Thistle, — Ccntauria hcncdicla, (Lin/i.) — belonging to the class and 

 order Syngenesi i Frustranca, and natural order of Ci/narocepfiala. Is a native of 

 Spain and the Levant, and introduced in 151S. It has never been much in use as 

 a culinary vegetable, but as a medicinal plant it was hcM in high repute. It is now 

 neglected both in medicine and rural economy. 



Bladder-Campion, — Silene inflata. [Ilorlus Kcwcnsis), Cucubnlns bihcn. {Linn.) 

 — belonging to the class and order Decandi i i Trigynia and natural order Caryo- 

 phyllecc. Is a native of Britain, and often found on the sea-shore. This plant waa 

 also much used formerly, but of late years has been neglected. The young tops 

 were used, when boiled, nearly in the same manner as asparagus. 



Cabbage, common or white, Brassica oleracea, var. of capitatce, [Linn, and Dcvan- 

 doVc,) — belongs to the class and order Tetradynamia SHiquosa and natural order 

 Cruciferce. The Brassica oleracea, of which this is a cultivated variety, is a native 

 of some of our sea-shores. Cabbages seem to have been one of the earliest vege- 

 tablei which attracted the attention of mankind. They were well known and 



