VEGETABLES DESCRIPTION AND CULTURE. 299 



The situation must be opeu and free from all shade or 

 drip of trees; if shaded from the midday sun, it is an 

 advantage, but it must not be by trees. In the shade of 

 trees and other confined situations, they are much more 

 subject to be infested with caterpillars, and to grow 

 weak and spindling. In planting out, all that have 

 knotted or clumped roots should be rejected. 



Cabbage seed may be sown early in September or 

 October in the open ground, watering in the evening 

 when dry, as it usually is this month. The seed should 

 be sown in drills, six inches apart, and one inch deep, 

 and the ground deeply dug; water the drills before 

 covering the seed, unless the ground is moist. Cover with 

 fine, rich soil, pressed lightly upon the seed. The plants 

 will appear in about a week. When large enough to 

 transplant, they can be set very thick in a cold frame or 

 box, to stand over the winter. Cover over with glass, or 

 boards if you have not glass, during severe weather, but 

 give air every mild day, and set out when the weather 

 grows mild in the spring. 



From Washington southwards, a still better way than 

 putting the plants in a frame, is to throw a piece of 

 ground into high ridges, two feet apart, running east and 

 west. On the south side of these ridges set out the plants 

 a foot apart, so that they will be shielded from the cold 

 north winds, and enjoy the full warmth of the sun. Plant 

 on the sides of the ridges and not in the trench. When 

 the weather grows severe in December, cover slightly 

 with straw or litter; remove it when mild weather re- 

 turns, and cultivate as usual, gradually levelling the 

 ridges, and you will have cabbages earlier than by any 

 other mode. The ground should be good. If you raise 

 your plants in the cold frame, they will be ready to trans- 

 plant from the 20th to the last of February. They will 

 be verv liable to be eaten off bv the cutworm when trans- 



