372 TIIE KITCHEN GARDEN. [May. 



The earliest will, towards the middle or latter part of this month, 

 begin to form their heads, when they may be greatly forwarded in 

 their whitening by tying their leaves together. For this purpose, 

 get* some strong bass or small osier tui^s, go over the plants row 

 by row, and tie such as begin to turn their leaves inward for head- 

 ing; first gathering all ilie leaves up regularly; do not, however, 

 bind them too close, for that would occasion their rotting. 



This method nay be practised with a few early plants, but by no 

 means with the principal crop; as those treated in that way never 

 produce such large and firm heads as they would if left to nature: 

 however, market gardeners may derive some advantage from it, as 

 the early produce will always command the highest price. 



Continue to plant out your spring cahbage plants for autumn 

 and winter use agreeably to the directions given in page 316. Plant 

 also, at this time, a full crop of red pickling cabbage and savoys. 

 All these will require an open situation'; they never thrive or head 

 well near trees, walls, or shade of any kind, and the richer your 

 ground the larger sized heads will you have. You may plant some 

 between rows of forward kidney-beans and other low growing crops, 

 which will occupy the ground when those are oft". 



Let all be planted out, if possible, in moist or cloudy weather, 

 and immediately after give each a little water, unless the ground is 

 already sufficiently saturated. 



Sow" now some early York, sugar-loaf and other close quick- 

 hearting kinds for summer and autumn use; likewise savoys, large 

 drum-head, flat-dutch, and any other of the large late heading 

 sorts for autumn and winter cabbages, and also some of the red 

 pickling cabbage. Sow these seeds as directed in page 317, and 

 transplant young advancing seedlings into beds as there directed, 

 watering them immediately, and given them shade for a few days 

 if necessary. 



Sowing Borecole. 



You may now sow a principal crop of green and red curled bore- 

 cole for autumn, winter, and spring use; for an account of which 

 see pages 191 and 317. 



By sowing the seed early you will have tall strong stems, and 

 large bushy heads, sometimes growing to the height of four feet; 

 but the largest are always obtained from the spring sowings; how- 

 ever, it is usual to continue sowing successive crops of them to the 

 end of July. 



The seed should be sown in beds of open ground tolerably thin 

 and covered lightly or raked in regularly. In dry weather it will 

 be of use to water the bed* occasionally, both before and after the 

 plants are up. When about three inches high, it will be proper to 

 thin the seed-bed, ami prick out a quantity therefrom at four inches 

 distance, that the whole may obtain proper strength for final trans- 

 planting. 



Towards the end of the month, those sown in April should be 

 planted out into beds of rich sandy soil in the manner directed for 



