Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-08-30
COW CABBAGE-AGAlN.

Easr County Virginia, august 9Th, 1880
}. S SKINNER, Esq
Dear Sir--Haying seen in some OF your late
uauers several notices OF " hat has been i'm
nonprly called the " COW cabbage" and being
one of The person. who received seed from Dr.
Messe, that zealoDs friend to all agricultural
and horticultural improvement. | beg leave to
offer my experience also. The term cow cab
baseis certainly a mlsnomer, for The plant
does not discover, in any stage OF its growth,
'he slightest tendency 10 cabbage, or form a
head. II ise variety OF colewort or kali but
was sent 10 me under the name of perennial
cabbage, and represented as plant which
would live from two TO four years. All the
plants however, in my gordon, where they
grew TO the height of SIX feet some inches, are
now entirely ead,-the seed having been put
in the ground last May twelve months. They
we're destroyed. | think, by the cabbage louise
aud drought together although some variega-
ed kali within ,hiuy feet of them and in SINH
ar soil, is sill living. This, by The way, is a
most beautiful, hardy and valuable vegetable,
lnrpasang many flowers i. The striking comb-
nation OF its various colUrs oil white, green,
pink, crimson aud yellow. have never seen
nor heard Of II any where, except in the excel
lent kitchen garden Of Mr.. Jesse Brown IN the
cny Of Washington. While speaking of the
ka,l varieties, beg leave to recommend that
called the Siberian, rs far preferable 10 all u
hers for table use. In this climate il stands
The winter without any covering Whatever, aud
l. h' for use as early in The spring as any OF the
sabbage or Kali tribe, for il puts orth IFS young
leaves as soon as ever the winter noderates.
Dui 10 return TO the COW cabbage, in regard to
which there IS another mis- axe in supposing il
IN he unknown in this country, until its late
introduction iiom France. In proof of this
refer 10 " Randolph's Culinary Gardener"
1ooN published many years ago by one ofthe
l'anuolph lamhy in Virginia. The following
'finarA will be found on The 29,h page. there
perennial coie"ort, which will. ia poor land,
'"'"'' iouf ears but IN rich, not above two,
eeiofe they 80 10 seed" All mine went To
sfed 'hs sprung, although onl, twelve months
va That they produce abundance Of leaves
certain but IN my garden these were SO
unen smaller than the leaves of any Of the va.
relies OF the large cabbage, which have seen
,''eN here,-such as the drum head, the large
fhg'sh' dad large Scotch, thai think il pro-
oaoe either of the three last mentioned, would
ploonce greater weight from the same uuan.
Wy OF land, But be this IL may address
~" a' present, with no other view luan 10 sun
Ps more iacts IN regard TO what seems to l..
generally thought spick aud span new thing
~ our country. One more remark and ihAye
ZONE Without any wish whatever to dIscou,.
"SS experiments With this supposed stranger
70 me United States, can hardly think il nro.
"Hne mat the perennial coleWorI, mentioned
."y iIandolph, which lake 10 be the Identical
p''h' no" called the " COW cabbage" would
"ase ialien entirely into disuse, had il been
!" s"'"ao'e vegetable for except this, we have
n,.n,;, '"ie'y sui among us, which Randolph
described NV ''e'e
femain, dear sir,
foats with regard,
JAMES VI. GARRETT,