62 Southern Gardener^s Practical Manual 



head in two directions at right angles to facilitate the 

 escape of the seed -stalk. It is claimed by some that the 

 seeds produced on the branches of the stalk are better 

 than those formed at the extremity, but this has not been 

 proved by experiment. The seed may be sown for the 

 spring crop in October and allowed to remain in the 

 open ground until time to transplant, in the warmer 

 parts of the South. By sowing thinly on well -prepared 

 land, stocky, hardy plants are secured, which may be 

 transplanted as early as February 1 with safety, if the 

 transplanting is properly done. Cabbage plants are 

 seldom injured by the freezing of the leaves, but, if the 

 stem freezes, the plant is destroyed. To prevent this 

 and produce a spreading, stocky plant, it should be set 

 so that the bud will be a little below the surface of the 

 soil. This protects the stem from freezing in winter, 

 causes the leaves to spread on the surface around the 

 plant and prevents the freezing of the soil, to the injury 

 of the roots. The leaves being drawn up over the bud, 

 the cutworm will attack the leaf -stalks instead of the 

 stem of the plant. This method of transplanting pro- 

 tects the plant from the injurious effects of drought in 

 summer by shading the soil over the roots and retaining 

 moisture where it is most needed. It has been stated 

 that the plants may be left in the open ground during 

 the winter in the warmer parts of the South. In the 

 colder parts, as we approach the mountains, they may be 

 grown in the open ground and transplanted to cold- 

 frames protected by glass or cloth as winter advances, 

 giving each plant four square inches of space. It is not 

 necessary to cover them except in extremely cold spells. 



