Zb CABBAGES, HOW TO GROW THEM, ETC. 



If a season of drouth occurs when the cabbages have 

 begun to head, the heads will harden prematurely ; and 

 then should a heavy rain fall, they will start to make a 

 new growth, and the consequence will be many of them 

 will split. Split or bursted cabbage arc a source of 

 great loss to the farmer, and this should be carefully 

 guarded against by . going frequently over the piece 

 when the heads are setting, and starting every cabbage 

 that appears to be about mature. A stout pronged potato 

 hoc applied just under the leaves, and a pull given suffi- 

 cient to start the roots on one side, will accomplish what 

 is needed. If cabbage that have once been started seem 

 still inclined to burst, start the roots on the other side. 

 Instead of a hoc they may be pushed over with the foot, 

 or with the hand. Frequently, heads that arc thus start- 

 ed will grow to double the size they had attained when 

 about to burst. 



MARKETING THE CROP. 

 When preparing for market cabbages that have been 

 kept over Winter, particularly if they are marketed late 

 in the season, the edges of the leaves of some of the 

 heads will be found to be more or less decayed ; do not 

 strip such leaves off, but with a sharp knife cut clean 

 off the decayed edges. The earlier the variety the 

 sooner it needs to be marketed, for as a rule cabbages 

 push their shoots in the Spring in the order of their 

 earliness. If they have not been sufficiently protected 

 from the cold, the stumps will often rot off close to the 

 head and sometimes the rot will include the part of the 

 stump that enters the head. If the watery looking por- 

 tion can be cut clean out, the head is salable ; otherwise 

 it will be apt to have an unpleasant flavor when cooked. 



