V. CABBAGE. 



" little twist, it presses the earth against the point, or 

 " bottom of the root." And thus all is safe, and the 

 plant is sure to grow. The general, and almost univer- 

 sal, fault, is, that the planter, when he has put the root 

 into the hole, draws the earth up against the upper part 

 of the root, and, if he press pretty well there, he thinks 

 that the planting is well done. But it is the point of the 

 root against which the earth ought to be pressed, for 

 there the fibres are ; and, if they do not touch the earth 

 closely /the plant will not thrive. To know whether you 

 have fastened the plant well in the ground, take the tip 

 of one of the leaves of the plant between your finger 

 and^thumb. Give a pull. If the plant resist the pull, so 

 far as for the bit of leaf to come away, the plant is pro- 

 perly fastened in the ground ; but, if the pull bring up 

 the plant ; then you may be sure that the planting is not 

 well done. The point of the stick ought to twist and 

 press the earth up close to the point of the root ; so that 

 there be no hollow there. Pressing the earth up against 

 the stem of the plant is of little use. As to distances, they 

 must be proportioned to the size which the cabbages 

 usually come to ; and the size (difference of soil aside) 

 varies with the sort. However, for the very small sorts, 

 such as the early dwarf and early sea-green, a foot apart in 

 all directions is enough ; for there is no occasion to 

 waste garden ground ; and you do not want such things 

 to stand long, and the plants are in plenty as to number. 

 The next size is the early York, which may have sixteen 

 inches every way. The sugar-loaf may have twenty 

 inches. The Battersea and Savoy two feet and a half. 

 The large sorts, as the drum-head and others, three feet 

 at least. Now, with regard to tillage, keep the ground 



