CABBAGES 



pounds : and these may be fifteen inches asunder in the row, while 

 the Drum-head requires four feet. Mind, I always suppose the 

 rows to be four feet apart, as stated in the First Part of this work 

 and for the reasons there stated. Besides the advantages of having 

 some cabbages early, the early ones remain so little a time upon 

 the ground. Transplanted Swedish Turnips, or Buckwheat, or 

 late Cabbages, especially Savoys, may always follow them the 

 same year upon the same land. My early cabbages, this year, 

 have been followed by a second crop of the same, and now (mid- 

 November) they are hard and white and we are giving them to the 

 animals. 



178. There is a convenience attending cabbages, v/hich attends 

 no other of the cattle-plants, namely, that of raising the plants 

 with very little trouble and upon a small bit of ground. A little 

 bed will give plants for an acre or two. The expence of seed, even 

 of the dearest kinds, is a mere trifle, not worth any man s notice. 



179. For these reasons I adhere to cabbages as the companion 

 crop of Swedish Turnips. The Mangel Wurzel is long in the 

 ground. In seasons of great drought, it comes up unevenly. 

 The weeds get the start of it. Its tillage must begin before it 

 hardly shews itself. It is of the nature of the Beet, and it requires 

 the care which the Beet requires. The same may be said of 

 Carrots and Parsnips. The cabbage, until it be fit to plant out, 

 occupies hardly any ground. An hour s work cleans the bed of 

 weeds ; and there the plants are always ready when the land is 

 made ready. The Mangel Wurzel root, if quite ripe, is richer 

 than a white loaved cabbage ; but, it is not more easily preserved, 

 and will not produce a larger crop. Cattle will eat the leaves, 

 but hogs will not, when they can get the leaves of cabbages. 

 Nevertheless, some of this root may be cultivated. It will fat 

 an ox well ; and it will fat sheep well. Hogs will do well on it in 

 winter. I would, if I were a settled farmer, have some of it ; but, 

 it is not a thing upon which I would place my dependence. 



1 80. As to the time of sowing cabbages, the first sowing should 

 be in a hot-bed, so as to have plants a month old when the frost 

 leaves the ground. The second sowing should be when the natural 

 ground has become warm enough to make the weeds begin to come up 

 freely. But, seed-beds of cabbages, and, indeed, of every thing, 



should be in the open ; not under a fence, whatever may be the 

 aspect. The plants are sure to be weak, if sown in such situations. 

 They should have the air coming freely to them in every direction. 

 In a hot-bed, the seed should be sown in rows, three inches apart, 

 and the plants might be thinned out to one in a quarter of an inch. 

 This would give about ten thousand plants in a bed ten feet Icng, 

 and five wide. They will stand thus to get to a tolerable size 

 without injuring each other, if the bed be well managed as to heat 

 and air. In the open ground, where room is plenty, the rows 

 may be a foot apart, and the plants two inches apart in the rows. 

 This will allow of hoeing, and here the plants will grow very finely. 



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