28O VEGETABLE GARDENING 



the amount of storage space provided, and are more con- 

 venient in use. These pits are dug about 2 feet deep, 

 and the sides made of brick, stone, concrete or wood. A 

 well-drained location should be selected for the pits near 

 the farm buildings, where it will be convenient to care for 

 them and to prepare the crop for market. The roof con- 

 struction may be of boards or concrete, and provision 

 must be made for ventilation, as explained in the 

 previous paragraph. Strawy horse manure is excellent 

 to cover the roof. Inexpensive pits should be in more 

 general* use among growers who do not produce enough 

 winter cabbage to justify the erection of storage houses. 



Various methods of burying or partial burying are in 

 use. Where the winters are mild, little protection is 

 necessary. Near Washington, D. C, the plants are 

 pulled and stood upright in long, shallow trenches 5 or 

 6 feet wide; a furrow is thrown up on both sides and 

 marsh hay spread over the tops of the heads, the amount 

 of hay being increased when the weather becomes severe. 

 With this plan the heads become solid and may be easily 

 removed at any time during the winter. Farther north 

 the plan is modified by making narrow trenches and pro- 

 viding better protection by using more soil, hay or 

 manure. A favorite plan in southern Maryland is to turn 

 the heads where they grow toward the north, and to 

 cover the stems and the lower part of the heads with 

 earth. If preferred, the heads may be gathered together 

 and protected in this way. 



On Long Island a very common method is to draw a 

 furrow 6 to 8 inches deep, pull and place the plants in 

 the trench with heads down. A furrow thrown from each 

 side completes the work of burying. This makes a cover- 

 ing of about i foot of soil, which is ample for that locality. 



The following plan of burying cabbage has been suc- 

 cessful and may be used in all parts of the North : The 

 crop is cut with sharp hatchets, stubs 4 or 5 inches long 



