THE HISTORY OF THE CABBAGE TRIBE. 



23 



primitive type was probably not a compact mass but a bundle of shoots, 

 as occurs in the Maltese broccoli to-day. Gerard's figure, described 

 above, is a very primitive form of the modern massive head. 



" The sprouting or asparagus broccoli represents the first form 

 exhibited by the new vegetable when it ceased to be the earliest cabbage, 

 and was grown with an especial view to its [flowering] shoots. After 

 this, by continued selection and successive improvements, varieties were 

 obtained which produced a compact white head, and some of these 

 varieties were still further improved into kinds which are sufficiently 

 early to commence and complete their rustic growth in the course of the 

 same year. These last-named kinds are now known by the name of 

 cauliflower."* 



With regard to the two principal modern forms of sprouting broccoli, 

 Mr. Sutton writes : " ' The White Sprouting Broccoli ' has been known 

 as such for at least fifty years, and is carefully selected year by year to 

 the best type. Purple sprouting broccoli, on the other hand, may or may 

 not have been developed from the old ' Purple Cape ' broccoli ; but in 

 habit of growth it more resembles a closer, more compact form of the 

 thousand -headed kale, the edges of the leaves being serrated, and the 

 plant much branched, the small purple heads eventually developing into 

 flower buds." 



The " heads," as sold in Malta, appear to be more like a degenerate 

 form of English broccoli, as they are not round and compact, but loose 

 and in spikes, without bearing leaves, whereas our sprouting broccolis are 

 derived from the lateral leafy shoots of the stem (as in thousand-headed 

 kale), but terminate in an inflorescence. The earliest notice of this 

 variety appears to be in Miller's "Dictionary," 1724, where it is called 

 the - Sprout Colliflower.' It seems to have originated in Italy. Being 

 sown in September there, as in Malta, it is cut in April or May. 



The Cauliflower was earlier known, being mentioned by Dodonaeus 

 — 1553 or 1559— and figured by Gerard, 1597, though it was rare in 

 Parkinson's time, 1629. 



As illustrating the origin of the many varieties of Brassica oleraeea 

 by cultivation, Professor Buckman raised varieties from the seed of wild 

 plants collected from Llandudno, " some having short petioles and the 

 close-hearting condition of cabbages, both green and red, the tendency 

 [to vary] being much increased by repeated transplanting. Others, with 

 longer petioles and lyrate leaves, seem to take on the looser method of 

 growth of kales, &c." With reference to persistency of form, Professor 

 Buckman adds : " It may be remarked, as throwing some light on the 

 nature of the changes by which the cultivated varieties of this genus have 

 been attained, that experiments with seeds of plants showing any 

 particular tendency, and especially if repeatedly grown in the same soil, 

 will ever result in an increase of the same peculiarity." t 



* The Vegetable Garden, 1885, p. 95. 

 t Treasury of Botany, s.v. Brassica. 



