436 VILLA GARDENING part v 



plants are large enough — the end of September or early in October 

 is a good time to plant the main crop. In many gardens the Cab- 

 bages foUow the Onions. The land is generally well manured and 

 deeply worked for Onions. As they are not an exhausting crop, a 

 top-dressing of soot, and, perhaps, a little phosjihate or some other 

 artificial manure, hoed in deeply, will suftice ; at least this is my 

 own i^ractice. I have not planted Cabbages in autumn on ncM'ly- 

 dug land for the last sixteen years, and I very seldom lose a plant, 

 no matter how severe the winter may be. The plants heart more 

 speedily on rather firm land if it is in good condition, and a week 

 in point of earliness is sometimes thought much of. The large 

 sorts of Cabbage should be planted in rows 2 feet ajiart, and 18 

 inches from plant to plant in the row. The small kinds, such as 

 Atkins's Matchless and Cocoa Nut, may have the rows 6 inches 

 nearer. On the early border, where the land is valuable, I gene- 

 rally plant a piece of the small early kinds 1 foot apart each way. 

 In a general way I think a good deal of land is wasted over Cab- 

 bages. Very few people really care for large Cabbages, and the 

 small-hearted kinds may be twice as numerous on the ground. 

 Dming autumn and the time of growth generally the surface should 

 be stirred occasionally for the purpose of checking weeds and keep- 

 ing the surface loose ; and early in the season some earth should 

 be drawn up to the plants on each side. 



Placing a string of matting rather loosely round the plant, but 

 yet drawing the leaves in towards the centre, lielps them on a 

 little when they are turning in. 



Taking a Second Crop. — In private gardens this is generally 

 done, except in the case of the few i^lants on the early border, 

 which are planted too thickly to stand through the summer. The 

 main crop, as fast as the hearts are cut, or at least when the buds 

 in the axils of the leaves are showing signs of growth, shoidd have 

 the leaves remaining on the stems cut off" close up to the bursting 

 buds, and in a very short time these latter will develoij into very 

 nice little Cabbages, some two, three, or fom-, as the case may be, 

 on each stem. A mulching of anything that has any manurial 

 value will help the second crop immensely, and prevent the land 

 from being undidy exhausted. As Cabbages treated on this prin- 

 ciple occui^y the land some fifteen or sixteen months at least, any 

 help which can be conveniently given is of great benefit. 



Sowing in Spring. — Cabbages are very accommodating, and 

 may be sown in heat any time during winter or the early spring, if 

 such a course should be necessary. I remember that in the very 

 severe winter of 1861 the Cabbage plants in many parts of the 

 country suff'ered much. The autumn crops in many places perished. 



