88 GARDEN STEPS 



One might suppose that, with all these enemies in 

 the path, the way to a successful harvest would be 

 beset with dangers ; few gardeners, however, will ex- 

 perience much trouble in getting a good crop. The 

 cabbage fights hard for its own existence and, with 

 a little help, will thrive and develop safely. 



Storing Winter Cabbage. — ;: If there is a furnace 

 in the cellar, it is quite likely that the cellar will be 

 too warm and dry to keep cabbage. If there is a 

 room away from the furnace, it may be satisfactory 

 to pack the cabbages in barrels there. Do not cut 

 off the roots. Leave a few outside leaves to pro- 

 tect the head, and pack closely together, roots up. 

 Cover the barrel with a bag to keep out the air. 



It is not difficult to store them outdoors. You 

 may sink a barrel or box in the ground, below the 

 frost line, and put the heads in that, covering with 

 straw and earth. Keep out water as well as the cold. 



Where you have a fair number of heads, it is more 

 practical to make a long pile of them and cover them 

 with earth. Trim off the outer leaves, lay them, 

 roots up, in a row, three wide at the bottom and 

 two on top. Then pile fine, loose soil over them, 

 working it well in between the heads. Be sure the 

 place where they stand is drained, so that water will 

 not he about them. Over the earth, which should be 

 at least a foot thick in cold climates, pile straw or 

 corn fodder, which will keep the earth from freezing 

 very hard. 



