Cultivation of Arable Land.C abb ages Methods of planting of. 1 73 



lofs of weight, and danger of cabbage crops in the winter months, are fully 

 obviated. 



On the whole, the fooner the autumnal plants are put out in the field after 

 the froffo are over, the better ; and the fpring plants fliould be placed out as foon 

 as poffible after them, as before the end of April. It is the cuftom of fome nice 

 cultivators to prick the plants out from the feed-beds, while very young, into 

 other beds ; and the practice is certainly advantageous, not only in checking their 

 too forward growth, but in rendering them more fit for planting and lefs liable 

 to run to feed when tranfplanted into the field.* The expence and trouble of 

 this operation is, however, too great, where the cabbage culture is conducted 

 on an extenfive fcale, to admit of its being generally performed. 



Method of planting. In the planting out of this fort of crop, care mould 

 be taken to have the bufinefs performed as foon as poffible after the land has 

 been well faturated with rain j as in this cafe the plants much fooner efta- 

 blifh themfelves in the foil, and fewer vacancies are left by their decay to be 

 afterwards filled up. The plants are likewife much more readily raifed from 

 the feed beds, and with much lefs injury to their roots, which is a matter of more 

 importance than is generally fuppofed. The bufinefs is performed upon the 

 land when in its fiat or level (late, and alfo when raifed into ridges by means of 

 the plough ; but the latter method is the more general, and ought probably to 

 be preferred wherever the foil is much inclined to the retention of moifture. 

 On the lighter and more dry foils the flat furface may, however, be more 

 ad yi fable. 



The diftance of planting muft depend in a great meafure upon the ftrenoth 

 and goodnefs of the foil, and the natural fize of the variety of cabbage that is 

 employed ; but in general it mould be fuch as that the ground between them 

 may be cultivated and kept clean by the plough, and yet admit of bearing a full 

 crop. It is obvious that where the plants ftand thin they will attain a larger 

 fize, while in clofe planting there will be a greater number upon the land, 

 which may compenfate the difadvantage of want of fize. It feems probable, 

 however, that both cabbages and turnips may be fet out too thin, as the increafc 

 of fize is not always equal to that of number. 



It is the pradtice of fome diftricts, where this culture is well performed, to fet 

 them out regularly, at the diftance of three feet each way, as in this method 

 the plough in cleaning and earthing up the crops can be conducted both in a 



* Miller s Dictionary, art. Brassica ; and Young s Annals. 



