622 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc, 



4 inches in 100 feet. A 3-iiich main feed pipe runs from the boiler 

 across the ends of the frames and a 2-inch pi))e carries the condensa- 

 tion bade to the boiler. At the centre and lower end of the frame 

 a 1^-inch raiser is taken olf the main tiow pipe and runs directly 

 around the frame, and connects with the main return pipe. Valves 

 are places on the How and also on the return j)ipe and a pet cock 

 placed on lower end of leturn ])ipe to allow escape of air. We first 

 tried the autonmtic air cocks but found them to be unsatisfactory. 

 Steam-heated frames have proven entirely satisfactory and much 

 more economical than the use of mats. 



Cabbage is not at all particulai- in regard to soil, it will do well 

 on most any kind of land providing it is not wet and soggy. The 

 ground should be well drained either naturally or artificially, land 

 with a loose gravely sub-soil, however, is not desirable. Cabbage 

 is a rank feeder and the main thing is to have the soil filled with 

 available plant food. If sod land Is used plow it early in the fall and 

 during the winter apply 30 or 40 tons manure per acre. It is a 

 good plan to "cut-away'' the ground early in the spring. This allows 

 the sun and air to dry the land and Ave are thus enabled to plow 

 much earlier than we otherwise could. Most of us vegetable grow- 

 ers know the value of getting our crops in early and very often we 

 get in too much of a hurry and as a consequence we often set out 

 plants without first getting the soil in the i)roper condition. This is 

 one of the worst mistakes we can make. If the land is not properly 

 fitted before i)lanting it never can be after the field is planted. Plow 

 the ground just as soon as it is dry enough, then cut-a-way, harrow 

 and roll, if necessary, until the land is in the best possible condi- 

 tion. 



We then apply the following fertilizer, per acre, GOO pounds tank- 

 age, 600 pounds acid phosphate, 400 pounds potash ; this is applied 

 broadcast and worked into the soil with an Acme harrow. The 

 ground is then smoothed and marked out 2^ x 1| feet. The plants 

 are dumped from the Hats and separated very carefully so as to 

 retain as many of the fibrous roots as possible. They are puddled 

 in thin mud, stood upright in boxes and hauled to the field. Chil- 

 dren are used to drop the plants and men and women armed with 

 dibbers fasten them, care being taken to get the soil tight around 

 the roots. The plants are set as deep as possible without covering 

 the hearts ; this is a great protection if the Aveather should turn cold 

 before the plants have been established. The cabbages are cultiA'ated 

 and hoed as soon as they have struck root. A small handful of 

 nitrate of soda is then applied around the plant, usually from 200 

 to 500 pounds per acre. All that is necessary from now on is to 

 keep the cultivators going and hoed occassionally to keep the soil 

 loose around the plants. 



Some groAvers, AA^here land is very valuable, Avill inter-crop their 

 cabbage. The usual combination is to set lettuce between the plants 

 and soAV oue or two rows of radishes betAveen the rows of cabbage. 

 To my mind this is a A^ery questionable practice, it sounds fine to 

 say, you are producing four or five crops per year on the same 

 land, but we prefer one or two good crops to half a dozen poor ones. 

 The constant tramping oA^er the ground in order to pull the radishes 



