CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
25S 
natifid, entire, broad, undulated, thick, smooth, covered 
with a glaucous bloom. The stem hears at the top a 
spike of yellow, rarely white flowers. 
336. Botany of cultivated forms. — There is great varia- 
tion among cultivated types, particularly of the leaves. 
The outer leaves may be large or small ; few or many ; 
flat or curved; curved inward or curved outward; inclos- 
ing the head closely or loosely; long or short; broad or 
narrow; thick or thin; base well filled out or spatulate; 
veins few or many, fine or coarse; margin entire or cre- 
nate; surface flat or undulate, smooth or crumpled; shape 
uniform or variable; savoyed little or much, finely or 
coarsely; color light green, dark green, red or tinged 
with purple; border sometimes tinged with purple; color 
uniform or variable; bloom much or little, bright or dull. 
The heads may be large or small ; flat, flattened, glob- 
ular or elongated; pointed acutely or obtusely; horizon- 
tal section round or angular; soft to very hard. The 
head leaves may reach or pass beyond the center; drawn 
or folded tightly or loosely; thick or thin ; crisp or tough ; 
well blanched or poorly blanched; sweet or bitter; flavor 
good or poor. Core large or small ; long or short. 
337. Classification. — The various methods of classifi- 
cation suggested are unsatisfactory. Market gardeners 
often speak of vaiieties as being early, midscason and 
late. This system of grouping, however, means little, for 
the time of maturity is largely a matter of how early the 
crop is started. Jersey Wakefield is generally recognized 
as an early variety, but some home growers desiring 
pointed heads and high quality sow the seed in July and 
August, so that the heads will not mature until October 
or November, and then the product becomes late cab- 
bage. Succession is usually regarded as a midseason 
variety, but by starting it early under glass marketable 
heads may be secured in the North soon after July 1, 
while later sowings will not make solid cabbage until 
