DEVELOPMENT OF THE CABBAGE. 



points, together with that close habit of growth so 

 desirable in all early cabbages where planting 



Fig. 3. Early Summer. 



thickly is an important consideration, and a dark 

 healthy color of foliage, which speaks of strong 

 vigorous constitution, should be possessed by 

 the typical early cabbage ; and if a number 

 be selected with the idea of improving a strain, 

 they should, if possible, be uniform to the 

 minutest detail. 



In the intermediate varieties we have a num- 

 ber of excellent sorts representing a variety 

 of distinct types, all of which have valuable 

 features of their own. The time at my dis- 

 posal will not admit of a consideration of va- 

 rieties, and I shall confine myself to Hender- 

 son's Early Summer, a cabbage which, as 

 improved by the work of recent years, is a 

 most excellent second early sort. As first in- 

 troduced, this variety produced a flat head, 

 but the demand of recent years has led to the 

 development of a rounder, deeper head, which 

 I think preferable. The head, if the plant is ma- 

 ture, should 

 be firm and 

 solid. Tear 

 away two or 

 three of the 

 leaves from 

 the top and 

 see that each 

 succee ding 

 eaf laps 

 over and 

 across the 

 center. This 



known as rosettes. We should select the largest 

 early heads. Both size and earliness are desirable 

 in an intermediate variety, but neither quality 

 should be sacrificed for the other. Have the head 

 oval across the top, but by no means pointed. The 

 leaves are broad and smooth, and have a somewhat 

 spoon-like form, and not as thick and leathery as 

 the Wakefield, but are quite thick and stiff. 



The best strains of this cabbage are very uniform 

 in color, a bluish green, quite glaucous, with light 

 veins. I have frequently noticed a tendency to a 

 lighter shade, with a peculiar shining appearance, 

 which is an evidence of impaired vitality, and 

 should be carefully guarded against. 



The stem is short and stocky, should have good 

 root-hold, and the entire plant should be perfectly 

 healthy throughout. 



In the late sorts we have a long list of names to 

 choose from, and while each has distinctive features 



P IG. 



Flat Dutch. 



Fig. 



liARL^■ SUMMEH. 



4, A I'O 



is an important feature, and if disregarded, we 

 should soon see a tendency to produce what are 



of its own, they are, with the exception of the 

 Savoys, closely related to each other. 



In considering the late cabbages, a study of the 

 Premium Flat Dutch may not be unprofitable. We 

 have here a large, deep, flat head, and as in the 

 other sorts we have considered, I think care should 

 be taken that the head should be well covered ; 

 that is, the outside leaves should lap over and across 

 the center. There is a tendency in this and all 

 other varieties closely related to it, to form heads 

 whose outer leaves do not meet at the top, but roll 

 back a little from the apex, exposing the leaves be- 

 low. This is a dangerous tendency and should be 

 carefully guarded against, as seed from such cab- 

 bage leads first to loose heads, and from them to 

 "rosettes," or cabbage forming no heads at all. 



