S56 



Culture of Cabbage. — Ediiorial JVotices. 



Vol. X, 



in knowledge and virtue. None others pos- 

 sess the advantages for the formation of cha- 

 racter which they do. With the rich treasures 

 of nature spread before them, and an immor- 

 tal intelligence dwelling within them, they 

 cannot but improve, if their time and talents 

 are properly directed. 



Agriculture was chosen by the inspired 

 lawgiver of Scripture history, as the best 

 employment to secure the virtue and happi- 

 ness of the oppressed people whom he led 

 from Egypt. The land of Judah was pro- 

 mised to the seed of Abraham to be their 

 inheritance. " A land of brooks of water, 

 of fountains and depths that spring out of 

 valleys and hills — a land of wheat and bar- 

 ley, and vines and fig-trees, and pomegra- 

 nites; a land of oil, olive, and honey." 

 Having established them as an agricultural 

 people, under the system of legislation that 

 was adopted, their first and highest obliga- 

 tion was to the Author of all their gifts. To 

 teach them cheerfulness and contentment, 

 they were to rejoice in the seed time, and 

 give thanks for the harvest : to preserve in- 

 violate their laws, they were taught to go- 

 vern themselves by love — to make them hos- 

 pitable, it was enjoined that they should 

 entertain the stranger within their gates, 

 and exercise benevolence to the widow and 

 the fatherless — and they were commanded 

 not to "muzzle the ox when he treadeth out 

 the corn," as a lesson of kindness to the 

 brute creation. Let us then be stimulated 

 by the virtues and example of the Hebrew 

 Shepherd, who while he fed the flocks of 

 Jethro, became learned in that wisdom 

 which enabled him afterward to be the 

 leader and deliverer of the children of bond- 

 age ; and among the earliest lessons which 

 we impart to those who are rising up around 

 us, let a love for agricultural life be promi- 

 nent, because it is the best nursery of the 

 virtues of the human heart, the best protec- 

 tion against the snares and corruptions that 

 infest the world, and the best safeguard to 

 society and to government. It is true that 

 the farmer has his losses and his difficulties; 

 his crops will fail, and his harvests be con- 

 sumed ; but while the merchant may lose 

 his fortune in a moment, by fire, or tempest, 

 and the professional man witness the ruin 

 of all his hopes; the posessor of the soil not 

 only has an inheritance as enduring as time, 

 but he has the promise, that "while the 

 v/orld endureth, summer and winter, seed 

 time and harvest shall not cease." 



Culture of Cabbage. 



The cabbage crop is a very important one 

 in the vicinity of cities, and immense quan- 



tities are raised there ; but we doubt whe- 

 ther as much attention is paid to the culture 

 of this vegetable on the farm as there should 

 be, considering its importance as food for both 

 man and beast. It is true that in conse- 

 quence of the severity of the weather of the 

 Northern States — cabbage being a very wa- 

 tery vegetable — it is not as profitable to feed 

 to stock as in the milder winter climate of 

 Great Britain ; and in addition to this, it is 

 more difficult to keep with us, and more 

 difficult to store. Nevertheless, for food for 

 cattle, as the frost cuts off the grass in the 

 autumn, and before the severity of the win- 

 ter sets in, few vegetables excel it. Then 

 such an immense quantity can be raised per 

 acre, where the ground is favourable for the 

 crop, and it is so easily cultivated, it is quite 

 an inducement for those who have but a 

 small quantity of land to devote a few acres 

 to it. 



There are various methods of cultivating 

 the cabbage; for the field, with the larger 

 variety, however, we prefer planting them 

 in hills two and a half to three feet apart 

 each way, it is so much easier using the 

 cultivator among the plants, and thus saves 

 the tedious process of hand-hoeing. It is a 

 general rule to sow the seed in beds, and 

 then transplant. A recent and much supe- 

 rior practice is, to sow from three to five 

 seeds in the places where you wish one 

 plant to grow. In this case the largest and 

 most thritly plant only is left standing. Af- 

 ter it gets three to four weeks old, the other 

 plants are pinched oft" or broken down. 

 Grown in this way, the heads are said to be 

 much larger and finer than when the young 

 cabbages are transplanted, as it is contended 

 that however carefully the process may be 

 performed, the plant receives a check in its 

 incipient state which it never entirely reco- 

 vers. There is reason and philosophy in 

 this, and we should be glad if those engaged 

 in the culture of cabbages would make ex- 

 periments the present season between differ- 

 ent rows side by side, sowing the seed as 

 above, and in the usual method, and then 

 transplant. — American Agriculturist. 



THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



AND 



Philadelphia, Sixth Month, 1846. 



It is a luxury for those who are hemmed in with 



brick and mortar, here in our broad city, occasionally 

 to step forth and breathe the freshness of the woods 



