Il6 GARDENS AND THEIR MEANING 



the distance between drills should not be less than ten or 

 twelve inches. One foot of drill will give about two dozen 

 seedlings. Seeds are planted one-half inch deep. 



When the seedlings are ready for transplanting, pinch back 

 the leaves, for it is necessary that the roots should get estab- 

 lished as soon as possible. Do not hurt the central shoot, for 

 that would spoil the leafy head. Set each plant in a little 

 deeper than it stood before, so that it will not topple over 

 from its own weight. 



There are three varieties of cabbage : red, smooth, and 

 wrinkled. The picturesque purple cabbage fields that one 

 remembers seeing everywhere in France are made up of the 

 red. The smooth are most common in our country, though 

 the wrinkled are said to have the finest flavor. All varieties 

 call for generous manuring. Poultry manure may be used in 

 part. More than most vegetables, cabbages need patient cul- 

 ture, so that they may be supplied with steady moisture. 



Cabbage enemies are numerous. The most disagreeable 

 ones are the cabbage worm, the loopers, and the flea beetle. 

 There are, besides, two mischievous fungi that attack it : black 

 rot and club root. The insects must be picked off or sprayed 

 with poison. Watch especially for the pretty but dangerous 

 little cabbage butterfly. As to the fungi, if they persist they 

 must simply be starved out ; so burn all the leaves that show 

 the fatal signs. Burn whole cabbages if necessary. Examine 

 every plant carefully before storing for the winter. Cabbages 

 are amazingly hardy; they need not be stored earlier than 

 Thanksgiving. Then pack them in a shallow trench lined 

 and covered with hay, and pile on some earth. 



Americans have much to learn from cooks in other coun- 

 tries about the use of cabbages, particularly from the Ger- 

 mans, whose bill of fare is hardly complete without some 

 cabbage dish. They have many recipes which can easily be 



