PERIOD AND MODE OF HARVESTING. 379 



is greatly facilitated by the width of space between the 

 plants, whether in the rows or across the line of planting. 



When the drumhead variety alone is grown (woodcut), 

 the crop generally comes to maturity in October, when 

 the cabbages may be used for feeding purposes. As they 

 keep better while standing in the field than when cut and 

 stored, it is advisable to leave them out as long as the 

 weather is suitable, or your field tillage arrangements will 

 permit, and to cart off from time to time as many as 

 you require at the homestead. They should always be 

 cut off with a stout hook, or "bill-hook/' as, if they are 

 pulled by the hand, the fibrous roots carry with them a 

 quantity of soil, which, when thrown into the cart, dirties 

 the cabbage, and renders a portion of it unsuitable for the 

 stock. The stalks can then readily be pulled up and left 

 on the field until a heap is collected sufficient for a cart- 

 load, when they should be taken to the yards for the pigs 

 to pick over, and help to make it into manure. 1 



Frost does far less injury than rain to the cabbage 

 when out in the field ; .it is desirable, however, to avoid 

 extremes of both as far as possible, and where these are 

 likely to occur, it is the safer plan to take advantage of 

 suitable weather to cut them and store them under cover 

 in moderate -sized heaps, taking care to arrange them 

 with the crown of the head downwards, so that any 

 water they may contain may drain out. Owing to their 

 regular shape and size they may be built up in heaps 

 of any convenient form, and if due attention is paid, so 

 as to secure proper ventilation, they will keep perfectly 

 sound and good during the whole winter. The open- 

 headed varieties are usually treated in a different manner. 



1 The stalks should never be allowed to remain standing in the field, which 

 is often done, for the chance of the few sprouts that they may in favourable 

 seasons produce. The ground in that case too often gets stocked with grubs 

 and other insect vermin generated in the rotting roots and stems, which must 

 do some injury to the following crop. 



