The Field and Garden Vegetables of America Part 50

None of the family are hardier or more easily cultivated than the Savoys; and though they will not quite survive the winter in the open ground, so far from being injured by cold and frosty weather, a certain degree of frost is considered necessary for the complete perfection of their texture and flavor.

_Soil._--They succeed best in strong, mellow loam, liberally enriched with well-digested compost.

_Sowing._--The first sowing may be made early in a hot-bed, and the plants set in the open ground in May, or as soon as the weather will admit. Subsequent sowings may be made in drills, in the open ground, in May, or early in June. When the seedlings are five or six inches high, thin or transplant to about three feet apart.

_Harvesting._--During the autumn, take the heads directly from the garden, whenever they are required for the table; but they should all be taken in before the ground is deeply frozen, or covered with snow. No other treatment will be required during the winter than such as is usually given to the Common Cabbage.

_To raise Seed._--In April, select a few well-formed, good-sized heads, as near types of the variety as possible; and set them entire, about two feet apart. If small shoots start from the side of the stalk, they should be removed; as only the sprout that comes from the centre of the head produces seed that is really valuable. All varieties rapidly deteriorate, if grown from seeds produced by side-shoots, or suckers.

The seeds, when ripe, in form, size, and color, are not distinguishable from those of the Common Cabbage. An ounce contains ten thousand seeds, which will generally produce about three thousand plants.

_Varieties._--

DRUMHEAD SAVOY.

Cape Savoy.

Head large, round, compact, yellowish at the centre, and a little flattened, in the form of some of the common Drumhead cabbages, which it nearly approaches in size. The exterior leaves of the plant are round and concave, clasping, sea-green or bluish-green, rise above a level with the top of the head, and are more finely and less distinctly fretted or blistered on the surface than the leaves of the Green Globe.

Stalk of medium length.

The Drumhead Savoy seldom fails to heart well, affords a good quant.i.ty of produce, is hardy, and, when brought to the table, is of very tender substance, and finely flavored. It is considered one of the best of the large kinds; and, wherever cultivated, has become a standard sort. It keeps well during winter, and retains its freshness late into the spring.

As it requires nearly all of the season for its complete development, the seed should be sown comparatively early.

Transplant to rows at least three feet apart, and allow nearly the same distance between the plants in the row.

EARLY DWARF SAVOY.

Early Green Savoy.

Head small, flattened, firm, and close; leaves rather numerous, but not large, deep-green, finely but distinctly blistered, broad and rounded at the top, and tapering towards the stalk or stem of the plant, which is short. It is not quite so early as the Ulm Savoy; but it hearts readily, is tender and of good quality, and a desirable sort for early use.

It requires a s.p.a.ce of about twenty inches in each direction.

EARLY FLAT GREEN CURLED SAVOY. _Thomp._

A middle-sized, very dwarf, and flat-headed variety; color deep-green; quality tender and good.

The plants should be set fifteen or eighteen inches asunder.

EARLY LONG YELLOW SAVOY.

Chou de Milan Dore a Tete Longue. _Vil._

Similar to the Golden Savoy, and, like it, an early sort. It has, however, a longer head, and does not heart so firmly. In flavor and texture, as well as in its peculiar color, there is little difference between the varieties.

Cultivate in rows eighteen inches apart, and fifteen or eighteen inches apart in the rows.

EARLY ULM SAVOY.

New Ulm Savoy. Earliest Ulm Savoy. _M'Int._

A dwarfish, early sort. Head small, round, solid; leaves rather small, thick, fleshy, and somewhat rigid, of a fine, deep-green, with numerous prominent blister-like elevations. The loose leaves are remarkably few in number; nearly all of the leaves of the plant contributing to the formation of the head.

It very quickly forms a heart, which, though not of large size, is of excellent quality. It is, however, too small a sort for market purposes; but, for private gardens, would, no doubt, be an acquisition. In the London Horticultural Society's garden, it proved the earliest variety in cultivation.

Being one of the smallest of the Savoys, it requires but a small s.p.a.ce for its cultivation. If fifteen inches between the rows, and about the same distance in the rows, be allowed, the plants will have ample room for their full development.

FEATHER-STEM SAVOY. _M'Int._

This curious and useful variety has been in existence for several years, and is said to be a cross between the Savoy and the Brussels Sprouts. It is what may be called a sprouting Savoy; producing numerous shoots, or sprouts, along the stem.

A sowing should be made the last of April, and another from the middle to the 20th of May, and the plants set out as soon as they are of suitable size, in the usual manner of Savoys and other winter greens.

GOLDEN SAVOY.

Early Yellow Savoy. _M'Int._

A middle-sized, roundish, rather loose-headed variety; changing during the winter to a clear, bright yellow. The exterior leaves, at the time of harvesting, are erect, clasping, of a pale-green color, and coa.r.s.ely but not prominently blistered on the surface; stalk short.

The Golden Savoy comes to the table early, hearts readily, is of very tender substance when cooked, and of excellent quality; though its peculiar color is objectionable to many.

It requires a s.p.a.ce of about eighteen inches between the rows, and fifteen to eighteen inches between the plants in the rows.

GREEN GLOBE SAVOY.

Green Curled Savoy. Large Green Savoy.

One of the best and one of the most familiar of the Savoys; having been long in cultivation, and become a standard sort. The head is of medium size, round, bluish or sea green on the outside, yellow towards the centre, and loosely formed. The interior leaves are fleshy and succulent, with large and prominent midribs,--the exterior leaves are round and large, of a glaucous or sea green color, and, in common with those of the head, thickly and distinctly blistered in the peculiar manner of the Savoys; stalk of medium height.

The variety possesses all the qualities of its cla.s.s: the texture is fine, and the flavor mild and excellent. On account of its remarkably fleshy and tender character, the inner loose leaves about the head will be found good for the table, and to possess a flavor nearly as fine as the more central parts of the plant.

It is remarkably hardy, and attains its greatest perfection only late in the season, or under the influence of cool or frosty weather. As the plants develop much less rapidly than those of the Common Cabbage, the seed should be sown early. Transplant in rows two and a half or three feet apart, and allow a s.p.a.ce of two feet and a half between the plants in the rows.

LONG-HEADED SAVOY. _Vil._

Chou Milan a Tete Longue.

A comparatively small variety, with an oval, long, yellowish-green, but very compact head; leaves erect, inclining to bluish-green, long and narrow, revoluted on the borders, and finely fretted or blistered on the surface; stem rather high.