The best soil for cabbages is a rich mould, rather clayey than sandy ; and it can scarcely be too much"manured, as they are an exhausting crop.
In some places, the roots and stems of a portion of the summer crop are allowed to remain in the ground, which is slightly delved and perhaps manured in the autumn. In January or February of the following year, very fine cab bage sprouts are produced, not much inferior in quality to small young cabbages.
278. Young cabbage plants are also used as coleworts or open greens. With this view some of the close-grow ing middle-sized kinds are sown, such as the large York, or the sugar-loaf: The seed is sown in the latter part of summer at different times, so that the plants may he ready for use during winter and in the following spring.
279. The Red Cabbage, (Brassica oleracea cafdtata rubra) is chiefly used for pickling; and the dwarf red variety certainly does make one of the most beautiful pickles that can be presented at table. It is also shredded down in winter salads. In the north of Scotland, a sort of open red cabbage is much cultivated by the common people, under the name of Aberdeen cabbage.
2S0. Of the Savoy Cabbage, (Brassica oleracea sabauda,) which is distinguished by having wrinkled leaves, there are two principal sorts, the yellow and the green, the latter being esteemed the hardiest. Savoys are sown about the middle of April, and planted out in June. They may be planted considerably closer than the common cabbage. If savoys are wished before winter, the seed is sown in February, or even in the preceding autumn ; in which last case, fine large plants, well cabbaged, arc ready for the table in the months of September and October. The later crop affords a supply through the winter, and till February or March : Savoys, far from being injured by moderate frost, are reckoned better when somewhat pinch ed by it. • The roots of cabbages or savoys, when planted year after year on the same land, are very subject to the attack of a particular kind of grub, the larva of a small fly ; the roots swell into knobs, and the plant becomes sickly and stunted. The cabbage ground should therefore be chang ed every year.
The culinary uses of the close cabbages, are too well known to require notice. The spare leaves or heads are always useful where milch cows are kept ; and young open cabbage plants, or such as are just closing in the centre, make excellent coleworts, as already mentioned.
281. The raising of the seed of the different sorts of cabbage, affords employment to many persons in various parts of England. It is well known that no plants are more liable to be spoilt by cross-breeds than the cabbage tribe. Unless the plants of any particular variety, when in flower, be kept at a very considerable distance from any other, also in flower, bees arc extremely apt to carry the pollen of the one to the other, and produce confusion in the progeny. Market gardeners, and many private in dividuals, raise seed for their own use. Some of the hand somest cabbages of the different sorts are dug up in autumn, and sunk in the ground to the head ; early next summer a flower stem appears, which is followed by abun dance of seed. A lew of the soundest and healthiest cab bage stalks, furnished with sprouts, answer the same end. When the seed has been well ripened and dried, it will keep for six or eight years. It is mentioned by Bastien, that the seed growers of Aubervilliers have learned, by experience, that seed gathered from the middle flower stem produces plants which will be fit for use a fortnight earlier than those from the seed of the lateral flower stems: this may deserve the attention of the watchful gar dener, and assist him in regulating his successive crops of the same kind of cabbage.
In the neighbourhood of all considerable towns, market gardeners and others raise white cabbage and savoy plants for sale, at very easy rates : this proves a great conveniency to those who have only small gardens, and who perhaps require only 200 or 300 cabbage plants.
Open Kale.
Cole7vort, Kale, and Borecole, (Brassica oleracea, vars.) are general terms for greens that do not cabbage or form heads, but remain loose and open. The common colewort is plain; the others are generally curled or crumpled.