SECRETARY'S REPORT. 199 



ness or mischief. These stumps, or rather the shoots that 

 sprang from them, in the absence of asparagus and other pot 

 herbs, which later improvements have introduced, were the 

 main reliance for greens, and what were not wanted for this 

 purpose, were allowed to go to seed for the next year's sowing. 

 Under treatment so utterly grasping and short-siglited, it is not 

 to be wondered at that this product of a generous cultivation 

 fast dwindled away to its original type, and refused to head. 

 Scarcely less surprising was it, that its cultivators, in their 

 ignorance of the laws of reproduction, should have supposed 

 they could remedy its defects by inverting its position, putting 

 the tops where nature intended the roots to grow. Another 

 bad practice connected with the cultivation of this vegetable 

 ■has been confining it to old gardens, where it is liable to become 

 club-footed, and so worthless. A better method, however, is 

 beginning to prevail, and the production of field cabbages, .both 

 for the market, and as a forage crop, promises to become a 

 permanent and important interest. 



The foregoing considerations have induced us to select this as 

 one of the vegetables deserving more particular treatment in 

 this report. 



From the great diversity of climate in which the cabbage is 

 found, we rightly infer its hardihood and easy adaptation to dif- 

 ferent localities. As its home is on the seaboard, however, it is 

 natural to suppose that in such places it will be found in its 

 greatest perfection. And such appears to be the fact. It is 

 presumed that Essex County, particularly in the neighborhood 

 of Marblehead, can boast of a success in this line equal at least 

 to any in the State. We have heard of entire fields averaging 

 the most extraordinary produce of thirty pounds per head. But 

 it yields to good treatment on almost any soil ; though what is 

 called a strong soil is as good as any if not too cold and stiff. 

 The- preparation of the ground, where the best results are sought 

 for, should not be inferior to that for the tobacco crop. It 

 should include two ploughings, with harrowing enough to make 

 the ground light and fine. If it is at all stiff and unyielding, 

 fall ploughing, like that recommended in the cultivation of 

 onions, will be found very beneficial. One point of considerable 

 moment is to have the last ploughing immediately before the 

 plants are set. Especially is this necessary if the ground is at 



