36 THE NEW HORTICULTURE. 



poured, but by no means fill the hole up with soil for several 

 days, until the plants take root, after which the earth can be 

 drawn in and around the stems, and damping-off be thus obvi- 

 ated. Cultivate well during October, but after a good rain 

 that month, let the ground alone, so that the surface roots can 

 form and help push the plants along during the many cool 

 days of fall, as noted elsewhere on winter cultivation. 



If the green worms appear, and they surely will, go over 

 the plants, when the dew is on them, with a powder bellows 

 with flour and just enough Paris green to color it. If sifted 

 just before using, the flour will scatter much more readily. 

 This application will kill the worms, and does no harm, for 

 all the first leaves of every cabbage are gone long before the 

 head appears ; besides, the rain will soon wash it off. This 

 dose may have to be repeated, though usually one good appli- 

 cation is sufficient for plants on rich ground and no other 

 should be used for cabbage and the plants will grow rapidly 

 ahead of the worms after cool weather sets in. If, when 

 headed in November and December, the heads show signs of 

 bursting, go over and pull gently all such plants until the 

 strong roots crack, and let them settle back, when growth 

 will be checked and the head only get the harder. 



Seed for the winter crop should be sown in October and 

 set in November, and if we miss a heavy freeze, as we' have 

 this year, and often do, these plants will make the largest 

 heads in the year. For spring planting, sow in December, in 

 cold-frames, to be protected by glass or oiled cloth, and set 

 the last of January, on well prepared ridges thrown up at 

 least a month before, so that the ground will be clean and 

 free from cut-worms. If seeds are sown here in spring, there 

 is rarely a market for the product, as the gardeners farther 

 up in the interior plant at that time, and a glut usually fol- 

 lows. Before leaving this subject, I must call attention to a 

 very erroneous notion which many growers entertain, and that 

 is, that if the central, original bud of the plant is eaten out 

 by a worm or other insect, that plant will not head, a side 

 shoot being useless for that purpose. Thousands of plants 

 are annually pulled up after getting a good start, and others 



