1 68 FORAGE CROPS. 



tion should begin. It should come as near to the 

 young plants as possible without covering them. 

 And it should be frequently given and continued 

 until it cannot longer be done lest the leaves of the 

 cabbage be broken. The thinning of the plants 

 should begin when they are from three to four inches 

 high. The work is nearly all done with the hoe. 

 The individual doing it stands squarely in front of 

 the row, that is to say, he faces it, not standing too 

 near, and strikes out the plants which intervene 

 between those which are to be left. Of course, the 

 strong plants are to be left, and to secure such an 

 end it may be necessary sometimes to vary a little 

 in the distance to which the plants are to be thinned. 

 The proper distance between the plants in the line 

 of the row will vary with the conditions, but the aim 

 should be to secure large heads in the cabbage, hence 

 they should be thinned accordingly. From twenty 

 to thirty inches between the plants in the line of the 

 row may be named as the two extremes of close and 

 wide thinning, respectively. 



Pasturing. — Cabbage are best adapted to pro- 

 vide pastures for sheep. Although they are especially 

 adapted to furnishing autumn pasture, the season of 

 pasturing should not be too long deferred in localities 

 with cold winter climates, as, if the crop is not all 

 eaten before winter closes in, the part uneaten will 

 be lost. In sections with mild winter climates, the 

 pasturing may go on far into the winter season. 

 Figure 22 represents sheep pasturing on cabbage. 



As the sheep are turned into a cabbage pasture, 

 the same care should be exercised as with rape, that 

 the change of diet shall not be too suddenly made. 

 When used to the new diet, the sheep may be left 



