502 History of the Author's 



If the cabbages are wanted for a winter crop, they must be sown in any moist 

 weather between Midsummer and the 7th of July, on ground as before described. 

 The same general rules should here be observed, with a difference suited to that of 

 the season. It must be remarked, that this period of sowing is altogether against 

 the order of nature. The seeds of the turnip, cabbage, and most esculent plants, 

 would, in our climate, spontaneously fall in Autumn ; and those, which escaped 

 the frost, would vegetate in the spring from the first warmth and moisture, unmo- 

 lested by insects. At Midsummer, every thing is directly contrary. The earth is 

 dry and parched, and animal life is strong, whether in those which creep, or those 

 %vhich fly. More attention is therefore necessary to frequent watering ; and effectual 

 means must be adopted to preserve the young plants at their first appearance from 

 the ravages of the slug, and of the fly. The latter makes various perforations in 

 the tender leaves, and is injurious principally by its numbers. The former will 

 destroy a whole crop in a night, just as if the plants had been mowed off with a 

 scythe. For this evil various preventive means have been recommended ; but 

 none I think effectual. The most common, and which sometimes succeeds, is that 

 of sprinkling powdered lime every night over the leaves and beds. The efficacy of 

 this measure depending partly, if not principally, on the causticity or biting quality 

 of the lime, it should be as dry, and quick as possible. With keeping, it absorbs 

 carbonic acid from the atmosphere, and becomes mere chalk. It should be applied 

 ' at night, an hour, or longer, after the plants are watered. The seed-bed being, as 

 I have before observed, of no great extent, other more efficacious methods might, 

 doubtless, be discovered and adopted. Two of these have occurred to me ; and, if 

 circumstances permit, shall have a fair trial during the ensuing summer. 



The Midsummer plants having reached a proper size, should be pricked out in 

 a warm and rich nurserv bed in the month of September, where they are to remain 

 till the March following ; when they should be transplanted into thex)pen field, at 

 four feet asunder, in the quincunx form, and treated in the manner beforemen- 

 tioncd. Some persons prefer the distance of four feet from row to row, and three 

 feet iaaijfi^jovis; but in this method I have found the plants too much crowded, 

 though it may possibly suit very poor soils. A crop thus managed may easily, on 

 rich deep ground, reach from 40 to 50 tons an acre. On my shallow soil and high 

 land, with little aid from manure, I have raised more than 32 tons per acrej and 

 have had cabbages, of which the head alone has weighed 50 lb. 



