318 TWENTY-THIRD EVENING,

T. It 1s so. That county abounds in light, sandy
lands, which are peculiarly suitable to turmps.
But they are now grown in many parts of the king-
dom besides. Well—but we must say somewhat
more about cabbage, an article of food of very long
standing. The original species of this is a sea-side
plant; but cultivation has produced a great number
of varieties, well known in our gardens as white and
red cabbage, kale, colewort, broccoli, borecole, and
cauliflower. |

H. But the flower of cauliflower does not seem at
all like that of cabbage or turnip.

T. The white head, called its flower, 1s not pro-
perly so, but consists of a cluster of imperfect buds.
If they are left to grow to seed, they throw out
some spikes of yellow flowers, ike common cabbage.
Broccoli-heads are of the same kind. As to the head of
white or red cabbage, it consists of a vast number of
leaves closing around each other, by which the imner-
most are prevented from expanding, and remain white,
on account of the exclusion of the light and air.
This part, you know, is most valued forfood. In some
countries they cut cabbage-heads into quarters, and
- make them undergo a sort of acid fermentation ; after
which, they are salted and preserved for winter food,
under the name of sour krout.

G. Cattle, too, are sometimes fed with cabbage, I
believe. |

T. Yes; and large fields of them are cultivated for
that purpose. They succeed best in stiff, clayey soils,
where they sometimes grow to an enormous size.
They are given to milch-kine, as well as to fattening
cattle.

G. Do they not give a bad taste to the milk ?

_ 1 They are apt to do so, unless great care is taken
to pick off all the decayed leaves.

Coleworts, which are a smaller sort of cabbage, are
sometimes grown for feeding sheep and cattle. I
think I have now mentioned most of the useful plants