WHITE CABBAGE, CABBAGE COLEWORTS, RED CABBAGE, &C. 623 



in cold, stiff soil, about the middle of August, and the plants transplanted in 

 the May of the following year. They will form immense heads by the middle 

 of November. The plants are commonly planted in drills, because that admits 

 of earthing up the stems, which, by encouraging the production of surface- 

 roots, adds to the vigour of the plants, and, it may be presumed, to the 

 richness and flavour of the cabbage. The routine culture consists in pulling 

 up any plants that run to flower, and supplying their places with others 

 left in the seed-bed on purpose ; hoeing up weeds ; stirring the soil with 

 a pronged spade or hoe, and watering when the weather is very dry. For 

 a late summer and autumn crop, sow in the end of February or beginning 

 of March, and transplant in May, June, or July. These two seasons of 

 sowing and transplanting are enough for the largest garden as well as the 

 smallest. 



For a cottage garden the early York, Battersea, and Vanack are recom- 

 mended by Mr. Thompson (Gard. Chron. 1841, p. 84) ; and the early York, 

 Vanack, early Brompton, early Battersea, syn. nonpareil, by Mr. Paxton 

 {Ibid. 1842, p. 93). With spring planted crops in cottage gardens a mazagan 

 bean may be sown alternately with every cabbage plant in the same row. 



1373. The Couve Tronchuda^ syn. large-ribbed cabbage, B. oleracea cos- 

 tata oblonga Dec. (Chou vert a grosses cotes, Fr. ; Tranxuda. Port.), is a 

 delicious vegetable, much more tender than the common cabbage. The 

 plants may be sown in the first week m August, preserved through the 

 winter in frames, and transplanted in spring about the same time as the 

 cauliflower ; or the seed may be sown on heat early in spring. The ribs of 

 the outer and larger leaves, when divested of their green parts, and well 

 boiled, make a good dish, somewhat resembling sea -kale. The heart or 

 middle part of the plant is, however, the best for use ; it is peculiarly deli- 

 cate, tender, and agreeably flavoured, without any of the coarseness which 

 often belongs to the cabbage-tribe. There is a dwarf variety known in Por- 

 tugal by the name of Murciana, which is much earlier than the other, and 

 unlike it, throws out numerous suckers from the lower part of the stem. 

 This, when cooked, is much more dehcate and tender than the other taller 

 and coarser ribbed variety. 



1874. Cabbage colewo7'ts, are cabbages used before they have formed 

 hearts, or become cabbaged. The seeds of any early variety are sown from 

 the middle of June to the last week of July, and transplanted in August, 

 September, and October, as ground becomes vacant by the removal of peas, 

 beans, onions, &c. The plants are put in at from six inches to eight inches 

 apart every way, according to the size which they are expected to attain 

 before being gathered ; and they are occasionally watered if the season is 

 dry, so as to forward them as much as possible before winter. They are 

 gathered (or pulled up to retain the sap in them if they are to be sent to a 

 distance) as wanted, late in autumn, and throughout the whole of the 

 winter, and will be found far superior to the cabbage sprouts which can be 

 obtained at these seasons. 



1375. Tlie Red Cabbage, B. oleracea var. capitata riibra, Dec. (Choupomme 

 rouge, Fr.), is chiefly used for pickling, though sometimes for sauerkraut. 

 The seed is sown in spring, and treated in all respects like the spring sown 

 white cabbage. The dwarf red is esteemed the best sub-variety. 



1376. The savoy, B. oleracea var. buUata major, Dec. (Chou de Milan, 

 j ou pomme frise, Fr.), has wrinkled leaves, but in every other respect it 

 I ss2 



