Veitch's Self-Protecting.—Said by the Gardener's Chronicle, in 1874, to be a new variety, just tested by Mr. Veitch, much later than Autumn Giant, hardy, and very self-protecting.
Vick's Ideal.—James Vick says in 1890: "We introduced the 'Ideal' to public notice in 1886, and claimed for it superiority to any other variety in the following points: Reliability of heading, size and solidity of heads, earliness, and protective habit of inner leaves." Further tests by himself and others he says substantiate these claims. The plants are said to be very dwarf, with erect outer leaves. At the New York experiment station, in 1889, it was a few days later than the three other varieties on trial. At the Ohio station the same year it was considered one of the best strains of Early [Extra Early] Erfurt.
Vienna Child.—Catalogued by Wolfner and Weisz, of Vienna, in 1888, at the highest price, as a fine new market-garden sort.
Vienna Early Dwarf, see Early Dwarf Vienna.
Waite's Alma, see Alma.
Walcheren.—This old German variety is intermediate in character between the true cauliflowers and the broccolis, and it has, from the first, been frequently called Walcheren Broccoli. There seems to have originally been two varieties, Early and Late. The earliest appearance of the name Walcheren that I have seen is in an advertisement of Walcheren cauliflower seed in the Gardener's Chronicle for 1844. Since that time it has remained one of the most reliable and popular varieties with English growers.
McIntosh, in his "Book of the Garden," in 1855, said that it was hard to get pure seed: "The true Walcheren is distinguished from all others by its bluntly rounded and broad leaves, and the closeness and almost snowy whiteness of its heads, even when grown to a large size." Others, before this, state that it was sold on the Continent under the name of Early Leyden.
Burr, in 1866, records it as synonymous with both Early Leyden, and Legge's Walcheren broccoli or cauliflower. He describes it as resisting both cold and drouth better than other varieties, "stem short, leaves broad, less pointed and more undulated than those of the cauliflower usually are."
Vilmorin described it in 1883 as synonymous with Walcheren Broccoli, known in Holland as Late Walcheren. He said: "The latest and most hardy of the cauliflowers, and therefore intermediate between the cauliflowers and the broccolis, with which latter it is often classed. Stem high and strong, leaves elongated, rather stiff and upright, abundant, and of a slightly grayish green. The head forms very late, and is fine, large, and very white, of fine close grain. The seed requires to be sown at Walcheren, [an island on the coast of Holland] in April, in order to be certain of heading before frost. If sown later it often passes the winter and heads early in the spring."
Sibley, in 1887, sold this variety under the name of Early Walcheren, though giving it the usual characters and season of the ordinary late sort. Buist, in 1890, mentions it as a favorite, very hardy, late variety. It is sold by most of our seedsmen, but is less popular in this country than in England. Sutton, the English seedsman, describes it in his latest catalogue as an "excellent mid-season cauliflower." It is less liable to button in dry weather than most other varieties, but sometimes forms imperfect heads.