Show TREATISE ON horticulture BY lay E V SA SAYERS I 1 1 A SKETCH ON THE ORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF THE CABBAGE the cabbage or oler acea of botanists is found growing wild in many parts of great britain and in itis this state has litte or no head the plant is simply composed of stalks and leaves and throws up a shoot from the centre blossoms and produces seed for a anew new generation THE EARLY YORK AND SUGAR LOAF loav are the two first varieties enof as cultivated in hi the garden jn in the days of abercrombie and miller the best garb gara gardeners eners of their time some hundred years beirs ago from these two varieties a great preat number of the early kinds now in cultivation have originated the true early york is a small oval shaped cabbage with very smooth light green leaves and one of the best cabbage ever cultivated it is extensively cultivated by the gardeners in yorkshire for seed to supply the london seeds men and it is from this source alone that the seed can be obtained in a pure state the toe early may is spoken of by abercrombie as coming into use a little before the early york and is nothing more than a small variety of the early yori yord york and at this time we have the large york or late york which is nothing more than a large variety of the true early york hence these are three varieties of the true breed of the first type of the class next comes the early battersea Bt Bit tersea cabbage a variety ari art t from the early york rather larger hea head leaves not so smooth a little more heart shaped and comes into use a little later than the york this ibis variety is extensively cultivated by the market gardeners in the battersea fields near london for the covent garden market from these varieties of the york and battersea many intermediate varieties have been originated the wellington and the london two varieties of 0 larger size size bize than the york were much cultivated about thirty years ago for the london market which are now out of use and not to be found in the catalogue of the seeds men since that time we find a very good variety originated by the name of the enfield marked market cab cabbage bigg bigi similar to the wellington adams early atkinsons early and many other varieties have also been produced of the same type none nane however howeye r have excelled the true early York for its good qualities as an early cabbage the sugar loaf cabbage claims the next in priority to the early york a as an original type this is a long iong oblong shaped cabbage with the outer leaves collapsing or closing to the heart which is sweet and tender and by many preferred to any other for a table cabbage in its season which is soon after the early york the sag sug sugar ar loaf has bag never bl been een very extensively cultivated or has it ever ever eser been much amalgamated w with hith bith i other varieties and when the seed is obtained from good reliable seeds men the variety is pure to its species THE OX HEART A sub variety of trench french origin an excellent x summer bummer cabbage is bosc probably an hybrid from the york and drumhead this is 13 a medium sized cabbage and as its name pame implies is in shape like an ox heart it comes into use tise at midsummer and is a good variety for table use THE I 1 OLD DRUMHEAD 1 or cattle cabbage so called is the or original ginal type of a large flat head cabbage like a drum from which it derivas derives its name this isa is a coarse large variety cultivated by the dag ils liz llah farmers on a large scale for feeding cat eat tie tio tl and sheep in the fall as ireen green feed previous to using rutabaga and other roots for winter feed this variety is the largest of the cabba cabbage cabbab b tribe producing on rich well cultivated ground larte larse lar se flat heads beads often weighing hing bing from loibl to colbs each the drumhead like all other original types has been con converted veite verte d if I 1 may be allowed the several new jamea the thie bergen is precisely precisely the same game which has been ion lon long iong 9 cu by the ibe ga gardeners of bergen N J nedr nean near new york ana and Is is taken to market under n 4 ay b y gau goo gop d nie aie cabbages ages agea are good specimen specimens of 1 hf parent drumhead no more nor I 1 less ess 1 we have also lately introduced the st johns drumhead a smaller variety having short stalks forms a better hea head I 1 on poor ground gound in this climate and is really an improvement on the old stock stow if large cabbages and are to be preferred d for domestic use to this class also belongs an excellent variety known as the low flat dutch this cabbage possesses all the good qualities that can be desired in a large cabba cabbage it has a short stalk forms a large snug aej flat head and comes to perfection at a good season in the fall on almost any ground that is well cultivated so much for ibe the old original class of cabbage THE RED BED DUTCH or pickling I 1 cabbage ispan islan is an old variety derived from the dutch and is used altogether for pickling the pure variety is is grown by the dutch gardeners gard eneis in large quantities for seed for the london seeds men as the english gardeners never grow the red cabbage for seed it i being the worst of all cabba cabbages gesto to mix and deteriorate every other variety growing near it THE WINN ESTADT of late we have received from the states a new variety quite distinct from any other the winnes Winnea Winn estadt 21 this variety appears to be a hybrid between the early and late cabbage and has so far proved to be the best of the kl kind ind we h ve for general cultivation the Winn estadt is an excellent early cabbage coming into use soon after the early york it is a close snug g head of a conical shape which is very tender and of excellent flavor this variety on being planted late makes a good winter cabbage and indeed I 1 it will serve every purpose for domestic use SAVOY CABBAGE next comes the savoy cabbage a distinct variety from savoy which is a great favorite with the english as a winter cabbage indeed it is never considered to be iii in eating until frost has appeared the old green greeh curled and yellow curled are two of the best varieties but ut the best and most improved is the drumhead savoy a large green curled variety of excellent flavor forms a good solid head and isabe only one worth cultivating in this territory ina lna in addition to the above may be named the scotch kale brussels sprouts and several other varieties cultivated merely for greens in the spring and which are not worth a description in this place cauliflower AND BROCOLI to this class also belongs the cauliflowers and Bio blo brocoli coli of which there are several varieties rie ties of the cauliflower there are the early and late which resemble each other the only difference being the time of comin coming into perfection as their name implies of the brocoli there are several different lif ferent varieties fist the white and purple cape originated at the cape of good hope this variety comes to perfection in a short time after planting and will most likely make good in climate it well of the english varieties there are the white and purple heading and white and purple sprouting brocoli the first two make fine heads beads like the cauliflower with the different colors and the two last make small clusters or heads up the stalk and on the sprouts of the stalks late in the spring the khol rabbi or turnip rooted cabbage may also be considered as belonging to the class it may be called a monster having nei nel neim nelm ther head or stalk both of which have by some freak of nature been transformed into a large bulb above ground in shape of a t turnip burnip with leaves on the top having very much the appearance of a pine apple but not quite so agreeable agre eabie to td the palate there are two varieties of this root the green and the purple it has been heen cultivated more than one hundred years in the gardens of the rich more as a curlo curio curiosity sioban than a vegetable for culinary purposes it however ever makes a good dish cut in alic slices es cooked like a turnip and nd served up with melted butter ac this root has of late been much cultivated in great britain I 1 am told for feeding cattle and is taking the place of the rutabaga turnip or swede which is much on op the retrograde in that country the root will answer ane same purpose in this territory and proba grobly ve ye to be an excellent root for green feed for cattle during winter ini iri writing the above article I 1 have taken more space than I 1 at first intended in order to describe some of the numerous varieties of cabbage which have no other claim on the cultivator than merely a name or some peculiar flavor to gratify the palate of the epicure within ten years I 1 have haye cultivated and tested over thirty varieties of cabbage and lave ime come to the conclusion from experience that the Winn estadt is the best for general cultivation arid and will answer every purpose for garden culture if early cabbage is is desired it may roay be well to cultivate a few tew plants of the true early york and for a late crop on a very rich moist ground the drumhead may ansi answer v er a good purpose the sigar sagar loaf and drumhead savoy may also answer a good purpose for those who like variety but it would be well if no other kind than the Winn estadt was cultivated indeed if this variety was the only one raised for seed and kept pure and true to its variety which might easily be done every person could have good tender heads of cabbage cabbage during the season on almost any g ground rou under a goodstate good state of cultivation and n not ot be d disappointed Ls a p hinted in the fall with leaves and stalks which wt icar is often the case of Infer inferior Lor varieties lt |