CABBAGE AS A FARM CROP 179 



is driven across the field, the two rows of heads having been cut in 

 advance of the team and laid to one side. Men gather the heads 

 which have been cut carefully by the cutters and toss them to some 

 one in the wagon, who lays them carefully in tiers in the bottom of 

 the wagon. Cabbage which is intended for long shipment or for 

 storage should be carefully handled so that it will not be bruised or 

 injured in any way. In unloading it to the car or storage house 

 the same precautions as to careful handling should be observed. 



Pitting the farm crop. There are various ways of storing cab- 

 bage for winter use, the most common of which is to select a well- 

 drained ridge which has a somewhat gravelly soil. On this is 

 opened up a trench from 18 inches to 3 feet in width, according 

 to the number of heads to be stored on the bottom layer. If only 

 2 heads are to be placed side by side, 1 8 inches will be sufficient ; 

 but if 3 heads are to be so placed, the width should be at least 

 24 or 30 inches. The depth of the trench should be from 6 to 

 10 inches, according to the size of the heads to be stored. 



Cabbages for storage are pulled with the roots adhering, and 

 placed in the trench heads down. The outer leaves are wrapped 

 closely around the head, and only those leaves are removed which 

 are decayed or discolored, all the large, well-developed, healthy 

 ones being left on the stem. After filling the bottom of the 

 trench, which may be 2, 3, or 5 plants wide, the next layer 

 must be inserted so that the heads will fit between the stalks of 

 the bottom layer. Thus if 3 heads is the width of the bottom 

 layer, 2 rows of heads will make up the second layer, and if the 

 trench is wide enough for 5 heads on the bottom, 3 rows can be 

 placed on these ; while if only 2 heads are placed side by side on 

 the bottom, the second layer will consist of but I row of heads. 

 After carefully packing the heads together in this fashion, the 

 grower must place over them a sufficient amount of soil to protect 

 them from hard freezing. They are left in this condition until 

 severe weather sets in, when the bank should be covered with 

 litter, manure, or fodder of some kind both to prevent severe 

 freezing and alternate freezing and thawing, and to enable the 

 grower to remove the heads as desired during the winter. 



Another plan which can be followed is to build a pit, similar to 

 that used for storing celery, which consists of an excavation from 



