BRAS 
or Dorfetfhire kale, is now almoft loft near London, where 
the markets are ufually fupplied with cabbage-plants in- 
ftead of it; thefe being tenderer, and more delicate in win¬ 
ter, are much more cultivated than the common colewort, 
which is better able to refill the cold winters than thofe, 
but is not near fo delicate till pinched by froth And in 
mild winters, the common cabbage-plants have conllantly 
been cultivated by the gardeners near London, and fold in 
the markets as coleworts, which, if they are of the fugar- 
loaf kind, are the fweeteft greens from December to April 
yet known. The feeds Ihoiild be Town in July, in an open 
fpot of ground, and tranfplanted, as foon as the leaves are 
two or three inches broad, into rows a foot afunder, and 
fix indies diftant in the rows. The rows may be drawn 
alternately for, coleworts, and the remainder left to cab¬ 
bage. To continue them for fpring drawing, fome feed 
finould again be Town at the beginning of Auguft. 
The early and fugar-loaf cabbages are commonly fawn 
for Cummer ufe, and are called by the gardeners about 
London Michaelmas cabbages. The feafon for fowing 
thefe is about the end of July, or beginning' of Auguft, in 
an open fpot of ground ; and, when the plants have got - 
eight leaves, you niuftjprick them into beds at about three 
ittches diftance every way, that the plants may grow ftrong 
and Ihort (hanked, and in the middle of Ofbober you may 
plant them out for good ; the diftance thefe require is, 
three feet from row to row, and two feet and a half afun¬ 
der in the rows. The gardeners near London commonly 
plant thefe cabbages upon the fame fpot of ground where 
their winter fpinach is fown ; fo that, when the fpinach is 
cleared oft' in the fpring, the ground will have a crop of 
cabbages upon it ; you mu ft therefore clear off the fpinach 
juft round each plant early in the fpring, that with a hoe 
you may draw the earth up to the Item; and when all 
your fpinach is cleared off, which is commonly in the be¬ 
ginning of April, you mult hoe down all the weeds, and 
draw up the earth again about your cabbage-plants. In 
May, if your plants were of the early kind, they will turn 
in their leaves for cabbaging ; at which time the garden¬ 
ers near London, in order to obtain them a little fooner, 
tie in their leaves with a (lender ofier twig, to blanch their 
middle-, by which means they have them at lead a fort¬ 
night fooner than they could have if they were left untied. 
The early cabbage being the firft, we fhould choofe (if for 
a gentleman’s ufe) to plant the fewer of them and a greater 
quantity of the fugar-loaf kind, which comes after them; 
for the early kind will not fupply the kitchen long, gene¬ 
rally cabbaging apace when they begin, and foon grow 
bard, and burft open ; but the fugar-loaf kind is longer 
before it comes, and is as How in its cabbaging; and, being 
of a hollow kind, will continue good for a long time. This, 
though of fingular fervice to a gentleman's garden, is not 
fo much for the advantage of the market gardener, who 
willies to have his ground cleared fooner, that lie may 
have another crop of celery, endive, See. which is more 
to his purpofe, that he may have as many crops in a year 
as poflible. Although we have advifed planting out cab¬ 
bages finally in October, yet the fugar-loaf fort may be 
planted out in February, and will fucceed as well as if 
planted earlier,, with this difference only, that the plants 
will be later before they cabbage. Some plants of the 
early fort Ihould alfo be referred in fome well-fheltered 
fpot, as a fupply in cafe of a failure ; for, in mild winters 
many of the plants run to feed, efpecially when fown too 
early; and in fevere winters they are often deftroyed. 
The Ruffian cabbage mull be fown late in the fpring, 
and managed as above dire fled; with this difference only, 
that it muff be finally planted out fooner, mud have an 
open clear fpot of ground, and requires much lefs’room, 
being a very fmall hard cabbage. It will be fit for ufe in 
July or Auguft, but will not continue long before it breaks, 
and runs up to feed. The way to have this fort good, is 
to procure frelh feeds every year from abroad, for it foon 
degenerates in England. 
_ The common white, red, flat, and long-fided, cabbages, 
Vol.TIL No. 135. 
SICA. _ 3)7 
are chiefly cultivated for winter ufe : the feeds of thefe 
forts nntft be fown the end of March, or beginning of 
April, in beds of good frelh earth; and in May, when the 
young plants will have about eight leaves, they fhould be 
pricked out into lhady borders, about three inches fquare, 
that they may acquire (Length, and to prevent their grow¬ 
ing long-fhanked. 
About the beginning of June you mull tranlplant them 
out, where they are to remain for good (which in the 
kitchen-gardens near London, is commonly between cauli¬ 
flowers, artichokes, &c. at about two feet and a half dil- 
tance in the rows) ; but, if they are planted for a full 
crop in a dear fpot of ground, the diftance from row to 
row fhould be three feet and a half, and in the rows two 
feet and a half afunder: if the feafon-fhould prove dry 
when they are tranfplanted out, they mull be watered every 
other evening, until they have taken frefh root; and after¬ 
wards, as the plants advance in height, the earth Ihould be. 
drawn about their Hems with a hoe, which will keep the 
earth moift about their roots, and greatly (Lengthen the 
plants. Weeds, if fuffered to grow among them, will 
draw them up tall, and often fpoil them. Some of thefe 
cabbages will befit for ufe foon after Michaelmas, and 
will continue until the end of February, if they are not 
deftroyed by bad weather ; to prevent which, the garden¬ 
ers near London pull up their cabbages in November, and 
trench their ground up in ridges, laying their cabbages 
againft their ridges as clofe as poflible on one fide, burying 
their lie ms in the.ground : in this manner they let them 
remain till after Chfiftmas, when they cut them for the 
market; and, although the outer part of the cabbage be 
decayed, as is often the cafe in very wet or hard winters, 
yet, if the cabbages- were large and hard when laid, the 
infide will remain found. The Savoy cabbage is alfo cul¬ 
tivated for winter ufe, being beft when pinched by froft. 
It mull be fown about the middle of April, and treated as 
the common white cabbage; with t It is difference, that it 
may be planted clofer, two feet and a half fquare being 
fnfficient. This fort Ihould have an open fituation, clear 
of trees and hedges ; for in clofe places it is very fubjeft 
to be eaten by caterpillars, and other vermin, efpecially if 
the autumn prove dry. If early Savoys are defired, fome 
feed mu ft be fown fooner, as in March, .February, or au¬ 
tumn. The atrtumn-raifed plants will be very large, and 
in order for the table from the end of Auguft through 
September and Odtober. The mufk cabbage may be cul¬ 
tivated in the fame manner as the common cabbage; ar.d 
the plants fet out at the fame diftance. It is in ufe from 
the beginning of Oftober until Chriftmas; and is apt to 
fuffer in very fevere w inters. 
The turnip-cabbage and turnip-rooted cabbage, are two 
plants which are fometimes confounded, and indeed they 
are not effentially different. The firft produces its -bulb 
or protuberance, which approaches to roundnefs, chiefly 
above ground ; but in the fecond it is oblong, and defeends 
into the ground. The turnip-cabbage, though faid not 
to be fo hardy as the other, is hardy enough, for it Hood 
the fevere winter of 1788-9, when mod of the turnips were 
deftroyed. It is eatable when young, about the fize of a 
moderate garden turnip, and thofe which are Town in June 
will continue good all the winter. The root muft be 
ftripped of its thick fibrous rind, and then it may be 
treated as a turnip. The largeft roots are twenty-three 
inches in circumference, and weigh upwards of twelve 
pounds. Their chief ufe, as well as that of the turnip- 
rooted cabbage, is for feeding cattle and Iheep; their cul¬ 
ture is the fame; and their principal excellence is their 
hardinefs. For do.meftic ufe, the feeds are fown in April, 
on a bed of light frelh earth ; and, when the plants are 
an inch high, they Ihould be tranfplanted into a lhady 
border, at two inches diftance every w ay, kept clean from 
weeds, and watered till they have taken root ; if the feafon 
fhould prove extremely dry, they ihould be watered after¬ 
wards every four or five days, to prevent the mildew. 
In the beginning of June they Ihould be tranfplanted w here 
4 Y they 
