Mr. Gregory, of Massachusetts, says of the Half-Early Paris or Demi-dur: "This is the kind usually sold in this country as Early Paris, the true variety making so small a head as to be comparatively worthless here."—(Gregory, "Cabbages and How to Grow Them," 1870, p. 69).
Half Early St. Brieuc (Demi-dur de St. Brieuc).—"Plant large and strong; leaves quite large, elongated, undulate and of a deep green; stem long; head close, solid, and remaining a long time in good condition. This variety, which is extensively cultivated around St. Brieuc, [on the north coast of France] from which it is exported to Paris, and even to England, is quite hardy, and is well adapted to open-air culture."—(Vilmorin).
The St. Brieuc was described by M. May, in the Revue Horticole, in 1880, as "a hardy, but late variety, inferior in its head to our Paris varieties, and not very generally cultivated."
At the New York experiment station in 1886, this variety gave good results.
Haskell's Favorite.—As grown at the South Dakota experiment station, in 1888, no difference was seen between this and Henderson's Snowball. Seed was sown in hot-bed April 10, the plants set out in well-manured soil, May 24, and the first heads cut July 13—from which time the plants continued to head along through the season. The introducer, George S. Haskell, of Rockford, Ill., writes: "The Early Favorite we sell is a variety I found in Holland a number of years ago. It has proved a very sure header in this section of the country, and will yield more than other sorts. It is not of the 'Erfurt family,' but about half way between the Early Paris and Erfurt."
Henderson's Early Snowball.—A German variety, derived from the Dwarf Erfurt, introduced by Peter Henderson & Co., about 1878, and which has become very popular. Gregory, in 1890, said that it was not excelled by any other variety, unless it was Thorburn's Gilt Edge, and that it combined the best characteristics of Berlin Dwarf, Extra Early Erfurt, and Sea Foam. Henderson & Co. state that it is now grown for forcing more largely than any other variety. It is also considerably grown in field culture, not only for the early crop, for which it is especially suited, but also for the late crop, the plants being set out as late as the first of August. Its small size and reliability of heading are valuable features where suitable soil and culture are given. The high price of the seed and the lack of vigor in much of the seed of this and other Dwarf Erfurt varieties, have prevented their cultivation on as large a scale as they would otherwise be grown.
This variety was formerly sold by many seedsmen simply as Early Snowball, and it is the one now usually referred to when the name Early Snowball is used, (See Early Snowball.)
W. J. Green, of the Ohio experiment station, says of Henderson's Snowball: "This justly celebrated strain of Early [Extra Early] Erfurt is probably better known than the parent variety. The true Henderson's Early Snowball is unexcelled, but there are other strains, and other varieties even, that have been sent out under this name, which are very inferior."
The stock of this variety is now all controlled Peter Henderson & Co., and is grown in Germany. Seed descended from Henderson's stock has been grown at Puget Sound, and is claimed to be as good as the original. Several other sorts, including Puritan, Padilla and Gilt Edge, have been derived from Henderson's Snowball, which sometimes mature quite as early as this variety.
Ideal, see Vick's Ideal.