CABBAGE. 115 



for early cabbage is a light. rich sandy loam. well drained and 

 sloping- to the south, providing it is not too liable to injury 

 from drouth. In milder sections of the country, it is cus- 

 tomary to sow the seed for early cabbage in September and 

 winter the plants over in cold frames. This method is im- 

 practicable in most Northern states, and the best plan to fol- 

 low in such sections is that of sowing the seed in greenhouses 

 or hotbeds from the middle to the last of February. As the 

 plants grow, they are transplanted so as not to be crowded. 

 If they are kept growing freely, they will be large enough to 

 transplant to the open ground by the first of April. 



Hardening off the Plants. It is very important to have the 

 plants accustomed to cold weather when they are transplanted 

 to the open ground, or they may be killed by a frost that 

 otherwise would do them no harm. When cabbage plants are 

 properly hardened. they take on a dull blue color that at once 

 indicates their condition to oneacquainted with their peculiar- 

 ities. In fact, cabbage plants that are growing rapidly and 

 are consequently very soft, may be killed by a frost that 

 would not injure so tender a plant as the tomato, providing 

 the latter has been properly hardened off. This hardening off 

 of the plants is accomplished by gradually subjecting them to a 

 lower temperature than that in which they grow freely or by 

 drying them a little, and. finally, thus nearly checking their 

 growth. The result is a sort of ripening up of the tissues of 

 the plants, and, in consequence, they will stand great hardship. 



Setting the Plants. Cabbage plants will grow at a low tem- 

 perature, and it is a great advantage to plant them out early 

 in the spring, although the weather may be damp and cold. At 

 this season of the year, they may not show any great increase 

 in leaf surface, but they form roots rapidly, and these are a 

 great help in providing a vigorous growth later in the season. 

 As a rule, early cabbage should be set out as soon as frost is 

 out in the spring and the ground nicely settled. It is import- 

 ant to set the plants deep in the ground at this season, and since 

 the stem is the part most liable to injury from hard frosts, it 

 should be set deep enough to bring the base of the leaves be- 

 low the ground. This is very important and frequently makes 

 the difference between success and failure in growing the 

 crop. If severe weather is threatened after the plants are set 



