4G 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 
October 21. 
land and the southern counties of England. If our 
large landed proprietors were to plant largely this 
species, Cednis deodara, and other new and valuable 
cone-bearing trees, nurserymen would import seeds 
more largeiy, and sell them still cheaper, to meet the 
demand. Our grand-children would then see quite a 
new feature in the landseape of the country, as well as 
be in possession of greater variety of valuable and 
useful timber. 
CoPREssus Uhdeana (Mr. Uhde’s Cypress).—A native 
of Mexico, where it grows to sixty feet high. Very unlike 
the rest of the genus in appearance, growing very fast, 
but not quite hardy enough to bear the open air. It is, 
however, a desirable, handsome plant for a conserva¬ 
tory or a crystal palace, like the one now erecting at 
Sydenham. T. Appleby. 
{To be continued.) 
NOTES ON THE CABBAGE TRIBE. 
It would, no doubt, be somewhat interesting, were we 
able to trace the history of many of our most useful 
fruits and vegetables, from the period when they first 
afforded our fore elders that scanty meal which tlie 
backwood Indians are at the present day obtaining from 
natural productions, and which may hereafter assume 
a widely different appearance, when subjected to the 
skilful-directed cultivation of centuries yet to come. 
But whether the wild fruits of the unexplored forest, 
or that “ herbage on which so many of the human 
race have been accustomed to look for sustenance, be 
ever destined to become the parents of families that 
may compete in usefulness with our corn, rice, fruits, 
and vegetables,” as already known to us, is a problem 
to which the boldest of us cannot venture on a solution. 
Be that as it may, there is no doubt but many natural 
products might be so far improved by cultivation, as to 
increase their usefulness to the wretched inhabitants of 
those countries where civilization has not yet introduced 
anything better; but whether the restless enterprise of 
the “ white man,” will direct itself to the improvement 
of those native products, or be content with driving them 
before him (as he has been accustomed to do the “ natives” 
themselves), and supply their places with things he 
has been taught to look upon as forming all that is 
useful in life, is more than any one can now venture 
an o])inion upon, as it is a irotorious fact, that notwith¬ 
standing the spread of civilization, and the increased 
comforts, which, as a nation, have been gradually 
pouring in upon us during the last three centuries, the 
number of plants from which these necessaries or 
luxuries have been obtained has received very little 
addition the whole of that time. If vegetables be more 
plentiful in England in the nineteenth century than in 
the sixteenth, it is only, or nearly so, that the same kinds 
are more extensively cultivated now than formerly. 
Discovery has added but little to our stock, and culti¬ 
vation has been more directed to the improvement of 
what we have, than in searching for new objects of a 
useful kind to work upon. Now, though I do not 
disagree with those who so laudably endeavour to carry 
on improvement to the highest possible standard, yet I 
think we ought not entirely to forget new objects, and 
those who struggle, however ineffectually, to render 
them serviceable to our use, are entitled to our warmest 
thanks; as, notwithstanding the tardy progress they 
may make, if the object they have in view he a de¬ 
serving one, success will sooner or later crown their 
efforts. It may be true, that certain lawgivers will 
pretend to hem in the field of improvement, by pointing 
out how far it is possible to go, but even their lines of 
demarkation are so remote, so ideal, and so often over¬ 
come, that no real benefit can be had by attending to 
them. Amongst other “ fixed laws,” it is “ laid down,” 
that cultivation weakens the constitution of a plant:— 
renders it less able to endure the rigours of winter, and 
prevents its living to so great an age. To the former 
of these restrictions, might we ask, how does it happen 
that those valuable stone-fruits of ours ripen so well, 
and stand our winters, when they are natives of a [ 
warmer and more sunny clime ? The limited period at 
which a vaidety will continue to be profitable, is, how¬ 
ever, certainly a proof that cultivation has here extended 
its favours at the sacrifice of the producer’s existence; 
but this is more than compensated by tbeir increased 
usefulness, so that it has been laid down as a rarely 
deviating law, that whatever tends to an early develop¬ 
ment, has a like influence in hastening to an ultimate 
end. Eruit-trees that become fruitful at an early age 
are rarely long lived, and the same with other things. 
Now, this law, as well as its various ramifications, has 
been taken advantage of by those who have studied our 
garden politics, so that they have been able, every now 
and then, to “ report progress,” in the shape of a pro¬ 
duction difl’ering in some respects from the materials 
they had obtained it from. That this is daily accom¬ 
plished, is manifested from the many varieties of fruits 
and vegetables we now have offered to our use, though 
it cannot be said that all are improvements, neither 
are they always different from those which preceded 
them ; but that mighty judge, the public, soon discards 
what is spurious or indifferent, so that only the best is 
at all patronised, after a trial has been made. 
In taking this cursory view of what cultivation has 
done, and is doing, in the way of changing the consti¬ 
tution or habits of some of our most useful vegetables, I 
have done it for the purpose of calling attention to one 
of the most important in the class —the Cauliflower. 
This delicate member of the large Cabbagewort family 
would seem to have had a common origin with the 
cabbage, and other species, but by a series of patient 
“ breeding-in-and-in,” the old characters would seem to 
have been overcome, and while the Cabbage, as one 
branch of the family, has been coaxed to confoim to 
our wishes, by presenting us with a mass of its foliage 
folded in beautiful order into a globular or conical¬ 
shaped parcel, the Cauliflower has been directed to take 
another turn, and taught to form its embryo flower- 
buds into that close compact form, which we term “ a 
good head.” Other variations of the uses of this all- 
important family might be adduced, but the above is 
sufficient to prove the wide range which cultivation is 
capable of taking, and the consequent results. Now, 
though they may possibly both claim a common 
parentage, yet there is a considerable difi'erence in their 
hardihood—the cabbage standing unscathed where its 
kinsman would have perished. That this difference is 
brought about by the cultivation of the latter being 
directed to the most delicate part of the plant, is cer¬ 
tainly the cause of this want of hardihood ; but be that as 
it may, the difference in the two, amounts to something 
like three or four degrees of latitude, or more; other I 
conditions being the same. By this it will be seen that i 
Cauliflowers ought to exist or stand the winter in the ' 
south of England without any more protection than is j 
necessary for cabbage plants in the north of the king- ! 
doni; and though there is often a little more difi'erence ' 
still, yet the principle is coiTect. But the two productions ' 
are essential at the same place, consequently, the more ' 
tender one must be protected through the inclemency of ' 
our winters, while the more robust, being left to brave ' 
the storm, may, nevertheless, endure its rigours with ^ 
less injury than its sheltered kinsman. Cauliflowers 
are, however, ticklish things to deal with, and some i 
other conditions must be complied with, to ensure a | 
successful result; but the subject is one so fraught with i 
