The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-11
The Collard.

W. F. Massey, horticultural manager of
the North Carolina Experiment Station,
proposes to make some exhaustive tests Of
this old standby Of southern gardens. We
have variety in Middle Georgia known
elsewhere also that caps its climax with q
very nice head late in the season. 1t is a
genuine tall-stemmsd collard with an ambi-
ton to be something more. Prof. Massey
writes:
1t is well known that in all the lower
country Of the southern states, the produc-
ton of fall cabbage is q difficult matter
Not only is the climate unfavorable to their
development but the insects which attack
them are more numerous and various. Our
northern readers have doubtless noticed in
the seed catalogues Georgia Colards,"
quoted with the remark that they are head
less variety Of cabbage grown at the south
in lieu of something better.
The fact is that the cOllard Is very hardy
species of the cabbage family, enduring the
summer heat, resisting the attacks OF in
sects, stan ling out all winter and becoming
very tender and delicious from the effects of
frost.
Though hardy enough to stand here where
grown, the collard Is much improved by
binding the top to the ground and covering
the entire stem and leaves with earth, only
leaving the open tip exposed. In this way
they bleach finely and are far mere tender
than the ordinary headed cabbage. Like
most southern vegetable products, but little
attention has been paid to the Improvement
of the collard. But it is doubtless capable Of
great Improvement In looking at patch of
collards here one can see numerous varieties,
some with purple leaves, some with green
savoy-ike crumpled leaves, and others in
clined to be self>bleaching like the white
plume celery.
Recently we have received letters from
two gentlemen in Georgia who claim to
have improved the collard to the point of
making good heads. One of these has sent
us seeds and the other has promised them,
and we will start at the North Carolina sta
ton in the work Of improving the coilard
much further advanced than we hoped for
The great fault with all our southern veRe-
table growers is too great reliance upon
the north for every thing in the way of
seeds and q neglect to improve the native
and naturalized plants adapted to the eli
mate. The collard is evidently Survival
of the fittest' for this climate, aud there is
no reason why we should not develop from
it cabbage in every way suitable to our
needs. Will our readers in the south who
have special strains of the collard aid us in
this matter by sending in few seeds to the
North Carolina Agricultural Experiment
1t is the same case with garden corn. The
early sugar corn of the north is useless here,
and yet every spring our people buy seed
corn at the stores for garden planting,
raised at the far north, and meet with al
! most uniform failure.
Corn, more than most plants, needs to be
acclimated to the region where grown, and
Will not at first do its best very far north or
south of its region Of growth. That by care
in selection We CON develop a sweet corn
suited to our climate l have no doubt, but it
must be done by constant selection for years
in this climate. We have already made a
start in this direction and have our com
mon field corn thoroughly crossed with
sugar corn, and hope soon to get variety
fixed in type. We would be glad if any Of
our readers not far south nor north of this
| latitude who may have a variety which
they have been growing for some years,
will let US have a little test this spring.
Our main work in horticulture at the North
Carolina station will be in the improvement
of vegetables and fruits for this climate,
and the large body of our citizens now in
terested in the truck business caa aid us
largely iu this matter.