CABBAGES 



be of great use in England, and of still more use in Scotland. 

 Sometimes, a quick succession of frost, snow and thaw will 

 completely rot every loaved cabbage even in the South of England. 

 Indeed no reliance is placed upon cabbages for use, as cattle-food, 

 later than the month of December. The bulk is so large that a 

 protection by houses of any sort cannot be thought of. Besides, 

 the cabbages, put together in large masses would heat and quickly 

 rot. In gentlemen s gardens, indeed, cabbages are put into houses, 

 where they are hung up by the heads. But, they zvither in this 

 state, or they soon putrefy even here. By adopting the mode of 

 preserving, which I have described above, all these inconveniences 

 would be avoided. Any quantity might be preserved either in 

 fields or in gardens at a very trifling expence, compared with the 

 bulk of the crop. 



173. As to the application of my Savoys, and part of the Drum 

 heads, too, indeed, if I find cabbages very dear, at New York, 

 in winter, I shall send them ; if not, there they are for my cattle 

 and pigs. The weight of them will not be less, I should think, 

 than ten tons. The plants were put out by two men in one day : 

 and I shall think it very hard if two men do not put the whole 

 completely up in a week. The Savoys are very fine. A little too 

 late planted out ; but still very fine ; and they were planted out 

 under a burning sun and without a drop of rain for weeks after 

 wards. So far from taking any particular pains about these 

 Savoys, I did not see them planted, and I never saw them for 

 more than two months after they were planted. The ground for 

 them was prepared thus : the ground, in each interval between 

 the Broom-Corn, had been, some little time before, ploughed to 

 the rows. This left a deep furrow in the middle of the interval. 

 Into this furrow I put the manure. It was a mixture of good 

 mould and dung from pig-styes. The waggon went up the 

 interval, and the manure was drawn out and tumbled into the 

 furrow. Then the plough went twice on each side of the furrow, 

 and turned the earth over the manure. This made a ridge, and 

 upon this ridge the plants were planted as quickly after the plough 

 as possible. 



174. Now, then, what is the trouble : what is the expence, of 

 all this ? The seed was excellent. I do not recollect ever having 

 seen so large a piece of the cabbage kind with so few spurious 

 plants. But, though good cabbage seed is of high price, I should 

 suppose, that the seed did not cost me a quarter of a dollar. Sup 

 pose, however, it had cost ten quarters of a dollar : what would 

 that have been, compared to the worth of the crop ? For, what 

 is the worth of ten tons of green, or moist food, in the month of 

 March or April ? 



175. The Swedish Turnip is, indeed, still more conveniently 

 preserved, and is a richer food ; but, there are some reasons for 

 making part of the year s provision to consist of cabbages. As far 

 as a thing may depend on chance, two chances are better than one. 



H 93 



