CABBAGES, HOW TO GROW THEM, ETG. 31 



cured along the sea coast, or there is straw or coarse hay 

 to spare, the better plan is to cover with about six inches 

 of earth, and when this is frozen sufficiently hard to 

 bear a man's weight, (which is usually about Thanks- 

 giving time) to scatter over it the eel grass, straw or 

 coarse hay, to the depth of another six inches. In keep- 

 ing cabbages through the Winter, three general facts 

 should be borne in mind, viz. : that repeated freezing 

 and thawing will cause them to rot ; that excessive 

 moisture or warmth will also cause rot ; while a dry air, 

 such as is found in most cellars, will abstract moisture 

 from the leaves, injure the flavor of the cabbage, and 

 cause some of the heads to wilt and the harder heads to 

 waste. In the Middle States we have mostly to fear the 

 wet of Winter, and the plan for keeping for that section 

 should therefore have particularly in view protection 

 from moisture, while in the northern States we have to 

 fear the cold of Winter, and consequently our plan 

 must there have specially in view protection from cold. 

 When storing for Winter, select a dry day, if possible 

 sufficiently long after rainy weather to have the leaves 

 free of water, — otherwise they will spout it on to you, 

 and make you the wettest and muddiest scarecrow ever 

 seen eff a farm, — then strip all the outer leaves from 

 the head but the two last rows, which arc needed to 

 protect it. This may be readily done by drawing in 

 these two rows towards the head with the left hand, 

 while a blow is struck against the remaining leaves 

 with the fist of the right hand. Next pull up the 

 cabbage, which, if they arc of the largest varieties, 

 maybe expeditiously clone by a potato hoc. If they 

 arc not intended for seed purposes, stand the heads 

 down and stumps up until the earth on the roots is 



