972 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK x. 



as larks and wood-pigeons, which do much injury to the plant in cold 

 weather, may be constantly disturbed. It is better that a spring-sown 

 bed should be well manured than that an autumn seed-bed should be 

 rich, for it is generally desired to get the plants well and quickly grown 

 for summer transplanting. On the other hand, it is more desirable 

 that the autumn-grown plants should be sturdy, as they are better able 

 to withstand frost. 



The tillages should be shallow, not exceeding 3 or 4 inches, or, 

 instead of growing thick fibrous roots near the surface, the plants will 

 develop long main roots deficient in laterals, and what few side-roots 

 there are will probably be broken off when the plant is drawn out of 

 the soil, thereby tending to hinder the " striking " of the plant when 

 re-set. To induce the growth of root-fibres a dressing of super- 

 phosphate at the rate of 5 cwt. or more per acre, applied to the 

 land immediately after the last ploughing, so that it may be harrowed 

 in during the subsequent workings, is very useful. If this is done, 

 the plants may be pulled at times when, owing to the dryness of 

 the ground, it would be impossible to pull them under other conditions 

 of growth. The mass of rootlets will carry away a small quantity 

 of super-phosphate which will help to start the plant when in its 

 new bed. T$y putting the seed into poor land an opportunity is 

 afforded for applying soot if desired. Soot is very useful on seed-beds 

 in winter for keeping off hares, birds, and slugs, and it is advisable 

 to dress the winter beds with it at all times. If, however, the land is 

 rich, the addition of a heavy dressing of soot, which is a nitrogenous 

 manure, will probably cause the plants to grow too fast, and they will 

 become " leggy." The surface of the seed-bed should be worked 

 down as finery as possible, and the seed may either be drilled or sown 

 broadcast. The best-shaped plants are grown from seed which has 

 been sown broadcast, as the plants stand more evenly about the ground 

 than when drilled, for in the latter case they are apt to draw up and 

 grow leggy; still, there is an advantage gained by drilling,. ,for it is 

 then possible to hoe out the weeds, which cannot be done where the 

 crop is sown broadcast. In drilling, the rows should be from 5 to 8 

 inches apart. 



It is roughly calculated that 1 Ib. of seed produces enough plants 

 or an acre when transplanted ; but, as 6,000 plants are sufficient for 

 an acre of pickling cabbages, and 40,000 are required for the varieties 

 grown for producing the small cabbages known as " collards," whilst 

 60,000 plants are sometimes planted when setting out turnips for 

 producing crops of turnip-seed, this is only an approximate estimate. 

 However, as a rule, from 10,000 to 14,000 cabbage plants are usually 

 put upon an acre, and 1 Ib. of seed may be relied upon to produce 

 these, and from 10 to 12 Ib. of seed is a fair average quantity to sow 

 per acre. The seed should be lightly harrowed or raked in, and 

 covered with about \ to f of an inch of soil. It may be desirable to 

 roll the land after seeding, but this must be decided in each case 

 according to the condition of the surface. It is more economical to 

 grow plants than to buy them. 



