The Pick of the Crop
(Page 5 of 10)
No one knows parsnips like the English, and Johnny's offers
Cobham Improved Marrow, developed by England's leading
parsnip breeder. This half-long type has an incredibly high
sugar content. Another fine-flavored parsnip, Tender &
True, is reputed to be the longest variety. Offered by
Thompson & Morgan, it's certainly large, as parsnips
go, and it doesn't have the usual hard core: On the other
end of the spectrum, McFayden's Short Thick is one of the
shortest varieties, and its quality is excellent. It's
early to mature but will keep in the ground well into
winter.
RELATED CONTENT
Cole Crops
Among new cabbages, Charmant from Twilley is the best early
variety I've seen in a while. It's attractive in
appearance, very vigorous and disease-resistant. A
Stonehead type, Charmant is ready for harvest in a little
more than 50 days.
To bridge the gap between the early and the larger
midseason varieties, try Johnny's Perfect Action. Its fine
appearance, excellent flavor, and split- and
yellows-resistance make it a winner, while Burrell's
eight-pound Ocala is one of the better late-season hybrids
(110 days) and is ideal for kraut.
Among savoys, Bountiful's Best of All is very early, and
has extra-large, solid heads that withstand cold. Drumhead
Savoy from Allen, Sterling & Lothrop, which matures a
little later, has a delightful interior quality. It's very
firm, well-blanched and crisp, yet tender.
Shepherd's offers one of the better new red cabbages. Its
Scarlet O'Hara is a Japanese introduction, whose
three-pound heads are a brilliant burgundy-red color with a
crunchy, mild taste. It matures in about 72 days. Park has
a very fine new Chinese cabbage called Green Rocket. This
hybrid is a Michihili type that's sweet, crisp and
tender-perfect, either for salads or Oriental recipes.
Packman, from S & B Seed Sales, is the top broccoli
variety in my trials. The heads on this new hybrid are
quite large for an early type, and it has excellent
side-shoot development. For warmer areas, try
drought-resistant Green Valiant from Midwest Seed Growers.
Finally, Shepherd's offers Violet Queen, a hybrid version
of the old favorite, purple broccoli. While the leaves look
like a cauliflower's, the deeply tinted, purple florets
(which turn bright green when cooked) have a very mild
taste. The plant matures earlier and is much more compact
than the old purple types.
If an early cauliflower suits your needs, try Early Glacier
from Vesey's Seeds. The quality of this hybrid is
outstanding and the curd size is quite large. Midwest's
Candid Charm matures slightly later but can be harvested
for up to three weeks after that.
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