336 The Principles of Vegetable -Gardening 



Wakefield to last until the others are grown. Early Spring is only 

 a few days behind the Wakefield. The great drawback with us in 

 growing early cabbage is what we call the cabbage maggot. It is 

 the product of a fly very similar to a small house fly. Paper pads 

 (p. 345) are good preventives of attack. As a main-season variety 

 the Premium Flat Dutch has been invaluable. It grows an immense 

 mass of leaves, and if grown for feed would have extra value on that 

 account. But it is also an excellent variety for the table. The 

 heads are nearly round, very solid, of excellent quality, and also 

 very good keepers. Then in case of a few cold and freezing days 

 or nights before cabbages are gathered, this will not be damaged 

 as much as the quick- growing varieties. This variety is now dis- 

 placed by Autumn King, Succession, and others. 



Marketing and Storing. Our cabbage is mostly shipped away 

 from our city, the best market being outside. During the summer 

 and until late in the fall it is cut and packed in crates that will 

 hold from 50 to 100 each. Being sold by the head, we have found 

 that it gives better satisfaction to our customers to put in the 

 crates neither the very largest nor the smallest heads, but to have 

 them of good, fair size and to run as evenly as possible, leaving 

 the very large ones and the small ones to be worked into kraut. I 

 rarely throw them on the market, but supply retail grocers and 

 others who sell direct to the consumers. It is always our object 

 to keep just as near the consumer as possible. Late in the fall we 

 often sell in bulk to those who are laying in a stock for winter. 

 We always prefer to sell our entire crop in the fall in preference 

 to keeping it through the winter. It is bulky to handle, requires 

 a good deal of room and more or less care, and there is sure to be 

 more or less loss and waste. We have sometimes kept a few. hun- 

 dred in the following manner : 



Dig a trench about four feet wide and at least one foot deep. 

 Pull up the cabbage without shaking the dirt from the roots and 

 retaining all the leaves. Place the heads in the trench with the 

 roots up, close together, and wrap the leaves closely around them. 

 Throw a few inches of straw over them and then cover with earth,- 

 not more than three or four inches at first. Two dangers must be 

 guarded against: If you get them too warm they will surely 

 rot; or if you let them freeze too hard they will just as surely be 

 spoiled when the frost comes out in the spring. After the weather 



