| with difficulty distinguished from it.” 
and on account of a fancied though remote re- 
semblance to asparagus, is designated Brassica 
oleracea botrytis asparagoides. But though uni- 
formly regarded by gardeners, and pretty gene- 
rally by even systematic botanists, as a distinct 
plant from cauliflower, it cannot be separated 
from that subvariety by any certain characters, 
and is itself so much diversified into subdivi- 
sional kinds, some of which are identical with 
cauliflower in every thing but tenderness of 
habit, that it may fairly be considered as a 
duplicate of cauliflower in a state of superior ac- 
climatation. It may, therefore, either have been 
originally introduced from Cyprus along with 
cauliflower, or have been subsequently educed 
from that plant in the gardens of France or of 
England. 
Miller mentions, as in cultivation in his day, 
only two kinds of broccoli, the purple and the 
white, which he designates Brassica Italica pur- 
purea and Brassica Italica alba; and he adds, 
“ The two sorts of broccoli I take to be only va- 
rieties of the cauliflower ; for although these 
| may with care be kept distinct, yet I doubt, if 
they were to stand near each other for seeds, if 
they would not intermix; and I am the rather 
inclined to believe this, from the various changes 
which I have observed in all these sorts, for I 
have frequently had cauliflower of a green col- 
our, with flower-buds regularly formed at the 
ends of the shoots, as those of broccoli, though 
the colour was different, and the white broccoli 
approaches so near to the cauliflower as to be 
The in- 
termixing or confounding of kinds from juxta- 
position in seeding, however, proves nothing ; for 
this takes place, in the brassica tribe, not only 
between two subvarieties or two varieties of one 
species, but even between varieties of different 
species. See the article Brassica. 
The kinds or subvarieties of broccoli now in 
cultivation are somewhat numerous; and, by 
ordinary precaution and care in the raising of 
seeds, they can easily be kept distinct. The 
principal are the autumnal purple cape broccoli, 
the autumnal green cape broccoli, Grainge’s cauli- 
flower broccoli, winter green broccoli, early pur- 
ple-headed dwarf autumnal broccoli, late purple 
large broccoli for main crop, late dwarf purple 
broccoli for spring crop, branching purple broc- 
coli for main crop, early green broccoli, late green 
large broccoli for secondary crop, dwarf brown 
close-headed broccoli, sulphur-coloured broccoli, 
latest green, Siberian or Spanish broccoli, white 
or cauliflower broccoli, and cream-coloured or 
Plymouth broccoli. The two last of these kinds 
have only one central head, very like that of the 
cauliflower, nearly as large, more hardy, and 
scarcely inferior in flavour. 
All the kinds are commonly raised from seed ; 
and the several kinds may be so adapted to the 
different seasons, and to open-ground and frame- 
sowings, as to afford a succession throughout al- 
J45 
most every part of the year. Three moderate 
sowings may be sufficient for most ordinary pri- 
vate gardens, the first early in April, the second || 
late in May, the third in the second week of 
August, and each with a selection or diversity of 
kinds suited to its season. When a greater num- 
ber of sowings is desired, two, of the purple cape || 
and early cauliflower kinds, may be made under || 
a frame, at the end of January and at the end of 
February, for pricking out in March and April, || 
and for use at the close of summer and in autumn; 
a third, of the same kinds, on an eastern wall 
border, in the second week of March, for use in 
the latter part of autumn; a fourth, of the same 
kinds, in the open ground in April, for pricking 
out in May, for planting in June, and for use at 
the close of autumn and beginning of summer ; 
a fifth, and comparatively extensive sowing, of 
the early white and purple kinds, in the middle 
of May, for pricking out in June, and planting 
in July; a sixth, in the open ground, in June, 
for pricking out in July, and planting in August 
and September; and a seventh, under a frame, 
in the end of August, for planting out in March, 
and for use in the early part of summer. Hach 
kind must be sown quite separately from any 
other kinds. The seeds should be sown thin, 
and covered to no greater a depth than half an 
inch; and the open-ground seed-beds ought to 
be not more than between three and four feet in 
width to admit of easy weeding, and to be cov- 
ered with a net to prevent devastation by birds. 
Plants, at pricking out, should have five or six 
leaves, of somewhat more than an inch in 
breadth ; and should be set at distances from 
one another of five or six inches, and watered 
every evening till they strike root. Plants, at | 
final planting, should have leaves of nearly three 
inches in breadth, and ought to be set at dis- 
tances from one another of rather more than 
two feet in summer, rather less in winter, and 
watered every evening till they become well 
established. Each growing crop ought to be 
frequently hoed, and to have the earth drawn 
up around the lower part of its stem. 
Cape broccoli may be produced in a state of 
high perfection by the following method of culti- 
vation: During the first week of June, in an 
open and warm situation, mark spots in rows 
three feet apart and nearly two feet over; dig 
holes at the spots to the depth of one foot, fill in 
some rotten dung, and cover this with two inch- 
es of soil, so as to leave cavities of four or five 
inches in depth from the surface; sow the seeds 
thinly on this, rake in the soil, and dust the sur-~ 
face with soot; and when the plants have risen, 
remove all from each spot except three of the 
strongest, and earth up the latter as they ad- 
vance, and give them water if the season be dry. 
One method of protecting the winter-standing 
crops from the destructive influence of severe 
weather, is, early in November, to take them up 
with as little damage as possible to their roots, 
