200 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



ground several days in cold weather without serious injury. 

 The earth should be removed, however, as soon as good 

 weather is assured. The distance between the plants will 

 depend somewhat on the varieties to be cultivated; under 

 ordinary conditions the large, early kinds should be set out 

 two feet apart in rows three feet apart. This arrangement 

 permits of horse cultivation both ways when the plants 

 are young and one way when they are full grown. 



Cultivation should commence as soon as the rows can 

 be clearly seen, and should be repeated after each rain or 

 at least once a week until the crop is grown. For this 

 purpose a fine-tooth horse cultivator is the most desirable 

 instrument, and if the work is carefully done there will 

 be very little need of hand hoeing. It is a good plan to 

 draw the earth slightly toward the plants when they are 

 about half grown. 



Harvesting the Crop. Treated in this way, under 

 ordinary conditions they will be nicely ' 'headed up" by 

 the first of July and ready for marketing. The season 

 for marketing, however, will depend largely on the kinds 

 grown. If the land is at once plowed when the crop is 

 harvested, it can be used for growing some late crop, as 

 late beans, spinach, or celery. By care in sowing and in 

 selecting varieties, early cabbage may be continued till 

 late cabbage is in the market. 



Retarding the heading of cabbages may be accom- 

 plished by starting the roots on one side of the head or by 

 slightly pulling the plant so as to break some of the roots. 

 This is very important some seasons, as it is not uncommon 

 to find the market over-stocked with this vegetable just 

 as the crop is full grown, and if the plants are allowed 

 to remain growing when once a hard head is formed they 

 are very sure to burst and be spoiled. By starting the 



