CABBAGE. 143 



our coast under the influence of the moist sea air, wher- 

 ever the soil is adapted to this plant. Lime is very ben- 

 eficial to the whole cabbage family, and soil, otherwise of 

 desirable quality, on the immediate sea coast of the main- 

 land, or on any of the Sea Islands, if well supplied with 

 crumbling oyster-shells, the rubbish of Indian camps, 

 cannot be surpassed for this vegetable. That these ac- 

 cumulations of oyster shells, with a few shells of the 

 clam and conch, are of Indian origin, is proven by the 

 frequent occurrence among them of pieces of Indian pot- 

 tery. 



Heavy soils require to be more deeply stirred by the 

 turning and the subsoil plows, and more frequently har- 

 rowed, than those of lighter character. 



At the North, land consecutively cropped with cab- 

 bages seems to become infested with the cause, whatever 

 it may be, of the disease of the root called "clubfoot;" 

 an additional reason for rotation in cabbage culture. 

 This appears to be less the case, when the land is plenti- 

 fully supplied with lime naturally, or when it is used as 

 a manurial application. Although the cabbage is little 

 affected with this disease at the South, it is not well to 

 have cabbages follow cabbages on the same ground. 



The richer the manuring, in excess of what any possi- 

 ble crop could be able to take from the soil, and the bet- 

 ter the preparation, the larger will not only be the indi- 

 vidual heads, and, therefore, the weight of the entire 

 produce, but the more certainty will there be of the 

 whole crop heading up uniformly. 



The table opposite shows the composition of fifty tons 

 equal to eighty-eight wagon loads of loose stable manure, 

 holding thirty bushels, or one thousand one hundred and 

 twenty-five pounds, each; and that of a crop of twenty- 

 five tons of cabbages, both according to the analyses of 

 Prof. E. Wolff. 



