-CABBAGE FOR STOCK FEED 187 



Cultivation. Cabbages must be kept well cultivated to reach 

 their best estate. Early cabbages will head in two and a half to 

 four months, according to weather and soil conditions, and size will 

 depend much upon cultivation in connection with soil richness and 

 adequate moisture. Hardly any plant delights more in soil stirring. 

 Rapid growth during the winter also gives the plant the advantage 

 over the lice or aphis, which sap the life of unthrifty plants, and is 

 worse on late-planted cabbages because of the dry, hot weather 

 they are likely to encounter. 



Harvesting. The cabbage field is usually cut over for a win- 

 ter shipment three times in about six weeks, and then the ground is 

 cleared up and put in shape for a summer crop. 



Cabbage for Stock Feed. In field growth of cabbage all im- 

 perfect heads are used for cow feed and if fed right after milking 

 and not in too large quantities, are said not to taint the milk. They 

 should be fed in connection with some dry feed. Very often cabbage 

 can be grown to advantage especially for cow feed. Planted out in 

 February or March they would be fit for use by the latter part of 

 June, just about the time that the grass gets dry and cows want 

 something juicy to keep up the flow of milk. In their use, however, 

 care must be taken to strip them of any decaying leaves, as nothing 

 will impart a bad taste to milk and butter quicker than the use of 

 decaying vegetable matter of any kind. On moist land late cabbages 

 are considerably grown for poultry and can be pulled for them all 

 through the dry season. 



Varieties of the Cabbage. Of the many varieties of cabbage 

 only a few are largely grown in California. 



Early Jersey Wakefield is the earliest cabbage and is widely 

 popular. It makes up in earliness for any lack in size. Heads 

 pyramidal in shape having a blunted or rounded peak. 



Early Spring: this is the local name of a variety grown by 

 market gardeners around San Francisco instead of Early Jersey 

 Wakefield, as it makes a little larger head. 



Early Winningstadt : follows Jersey Wakefield in maturity; 

 pointed shape ; head compact, firm, and heavy. Very popular in 

 southern California, heading uniformly in the hottest weather. 



All-Head Early : the earliest of the large, flat varieties and the 

 largest, uniform growth and good for a long season. 



Mammoth Drumhead : head thick and broad, quite flat on top ; 

 a standard late variety reaching the largest size. 



