170 



The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



CABBAGE. 



Brassica oleracea capitata. 



THE Cabbage is one of the most important vegetables in 

 the garden ; in fact, next to the potato, it may be said to 

 be the most important vegetable grown, as it supplies green 

 food unfailingly in constant succession throughout the year, 

 and is popular with all classes of the community. It can be 

 grown almost anywhere, but like most of its tribe it gives the 

 most satisfaction on a moist retentive loam, deeply worked to 

 provide it with an ample root-run and supplied generously with 

 manure. 



The grower who does 

 a general trade should 

 seldom be without cab- 

 bages, and so must make 

 several sowings over an 

 extended period, but 

 both for this business 

 and for ordinary market 

 work the spring supplies 

 are by far the most im- 

 portant, and when well 

 grown and early, invari- 

 ably bring substantial 

 returns. As soon as the 

 demand in spring begins to slacken prices fall and profits are 

 correspondingly low, but the demand revives somewhat as the 

 supply of peas runs short, and gradually strengthens as the 

 summer passes. 



The most important sowing of the year, therefore, is that 

 intended for spring supplies, and the exact 'time; for sowing 

 needs careful consideration. Strong plants are wanted before 

 the cold weather comes, but they should not be too advanced or 

 they may suffer severely from prolonged frosts, and there is 

 also a decided tendency for plants which are too forward to 

 "bolt" as soon as growth begins in the spring. On the other 

 hand if the sowing is too late winter comes before the plants 



Copyright, S. & S. 



Sutton's Flower of Spring 

 Cabbage. 



