November 4, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
847 
VEGETABLES 
ALL THE YEAR ROUND- 
X. -CABBAGES. 
I am dividing these into two sections—first 
the spring ones, and second the summer 
varieties. Cabbages are one of the mainstays 
of the kitchen gardener ; and for amateurs one 
of the best of vegetables to rely upon, as the 
plants are hardy, and very substantial when 
fully grown. 
The Soil and Situation.— A medium, heavy 
loam, rich in organic manures, is a good one for 
this crop. In very nn ist soils sloping ground 
does well for the plants. In naturally dry and 
Cabbage wrongly planted, the roo's being 
crammed in a bole. 
gravelly ground hollows are the best places 
for them, and plants on such soil are still 
further benefited if heavy mulches are put on. 
Any littery manure, grass from the lawn, and 
similar material will do for the mulching. 
Raising the Seedlings for SpringCabbages. 
—The best time to sow the seeds in the 
southern counties is about August 1st, and 
again on August 15th; in northern counties 
July 20th and August 1st. Two sowings are 
better than one. If the autumn is very hot 
the plants from the later sowing are likely to 
be the best, while those resulting from the 
earlier sowing will be the best if the autumn is 
a cold, sunless one. 
Select a border where this kind of vegetable 
has not been grown for a number of years. It 
is always well to raise the seedlings in soil 
which has been occupied by other crops 
Broadcast sowing is the better plan,"as the 
seedlings are nearly always overcrowded in 
drills. Sow the seeds thinly, and cover them a 
quarter inch deep. Transplant when the seed'- 
lings are two inches high, this time selecting a 
warm, sheltered border. 
Towards the end of September finally plant 
in their permanent quarters, where tne soil 
should be moderately rich and firm, just like 
that which I recommended for Brussels Sprouts 
An open quarter should be selected, the plants 
being put out in rows twenty inches apart, the 
small varieties at fifteen inches apart in’ the 
rows and the large ones eighteen inches. 
Winter and Spring Treatment.— K eep the 
surface soil open and weeds destroyed through¬ 
out the late autumn. Draw up some soil°to 
the stems before severe frosts come, and so 
prevent the stems being frozen. In the spriiv 
commence hoeing between the rows early, even 
when there are not any weeds visible'; the 
loosening of the surface soil will assist the 
growth of the plants by admitting air and 
warmth to the roots. Also scatter Thomson’s 
vegetable manure on the soil, to lie washed in, 
at the rate of two ounces per square yard of 
ground; or one ounce of nitrate of soda per 
square yard given twice will hasten the forma¬ 
tion of hearts. 
Varieties for Spring Use.— Ellam’s Early 
Dwarf, Lnfield Market, Offenkam, Wheeler’s 
Imperial. 
Raising Seedlings for Summer Use.— 
In this instance also sow the seeds broadcast 
on an open border during March and April. 
It the weather and the soil is very dry at the 
time of sowing rake ofi the surface soil, water 
that below through a rosed watering-can, sow 
the seeds and cover them with the dry soil 
previously taken off. It is wonderful how 
quickly germination takes place when the seeds 
are so treated. 
Transplant to nursery bids, and in due time 
to permanent quarters. Allow a similar space 
between the rows and the plants in them, as 
advised for those planted in the autumn. 
The situation should be one several yards 
distant from Dwarf Runner Beans, Peas and 
Sweet Peas, as the Cabbages rob such crops of 
much nourishment and so injure their bearing 
qualities. 
V atering directly the plants are put out, 
and for some time afterwards, will claim atten¬ 
tion if the weather remains drv. Pour in liquid 
manure freely between the rows in addition to 
having the soil rich for this, the summer and 
autumn supply. 
Insect Pests and Diseases.-— These plants 
are subject to the same attacks as Broccoli, 
and I. refer my readers to the chapter on 
Broccoli culture for information on this point. 
(See illustration for “ Clubbing of the Roots.”) 
Cabbage plant badly “clubbed.” The 
wart-like swellings on the roots are 
caused by a fungus, and kills the plants 
when badly atfecte 1. 
Commence cutting Cabbages directly the 
hearts are formed and feel somewhat firm to 
the touch. A young heart is better than one 
cracking with age and caterpillar-eaten. 
Varieties for Summer Use. —Little Pixie, 
Mein’s No. 1 , St. John’s Day, Heartwell Early 
Marrow. Early Dwarf York, Nonpareil Im¬ 
proved Dwarf. 
In season Rom March to November. 
G. 
Scorzonera. 
Ibis is by no means a common vegetable 
m guldens, but we consider it is much neg¬ 
lected, considering its wholesome nature ami 
the medicinal properties which doctors con¬ 
sider it possesses. One of these is its cooling 
effects and value as an anti-fever article of 
rood. It is also known as the common Viper's 
Crass, and botanically as Scorzonera his 
panica. Although perennial, it is convenient 
to glow it as an annual in the same way as 
Carrots or Parsnips, as the root is then fit 
lor use. The plant belongs to the same sec¬ 
tion of the Compositae. as the Dandelion, and 
SCORZONERA. 
would be similar in many respects in its 
quality and composition. The roots, however 
of this plant are cooked and used in the 
kitchen in a variety of forms. The fresh root, 
when dug from the ground, is always much 
more slender than that of a Carrot.' and in¬ 
deed would remind one more of that of the 
Dandelion. The skin during the first autumn 
is brown, but later becomes more nearly black. 
The flesh, however, is white. 
In the matter of cultivation all that is 
necessary is good garden soil which has been 
deeply dug or trenched so as to encourage 
long and straight roots. Seeds are obtain¬ 
able, and may be sown at any time between 
the end of March and the end of April. The 
lines should be a foot apart, and the plants 
thinned out to 6in. or 8in. in the rows when 
they are sufficiently large to show which are 
the strongest. After that, all that is neces¬ 
sary is to keep the ground clear of weeds and 
the surface frequently stirred, as in the case 
of other vegetables. 
