CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 267 



The seed bed should be moderately fertile, fine, clear of 

 stones or rubbish which would interfere with drilling, 

 free from germs of diseases infecting the cabbage, and 

 well supplied with moisture, particularly at the time 

 of sowing. In order to have a full supply of moisture 

 to insure germination, the soil should be plowed early 

 in the spring and harrowed often enough to conserve 

 the moisture. A special precaution may be taken by 

 mulching the prepared soil with coarse litter from the 

 stables. 



The time of sowing depends upon locality, exposure, 

 variety and purpose of the crop to be grown. For most 

 localities in the North, sowings may be made any time 

 during May; some growers prefer June i or later. The 

 latest maturing varieties, as Houser and Danish Ball 

 Head, should seldom be started later than May 15, and 

 earlier sowing is an advantage where the growing season 

 is short, as in the mountairi regions of Pennsylvania. 

 Early sowing is important, from the standpoint of yield, 

 while late sowing, resulting in retarded maturity, is 

 favorable to a long period of storage. 



Extensive growers use drills in sowing, making rows 

 about I foot apart, thus providing ample space for tillage 

 with hand wheel hoes. Too heavy sowings should be 

 avoided, as thinning will then be necessary if the seed 

 is good, in order to secure stocky plants. Eight to ten 

 seeds an inch of drill should make a satisfactory stand. 

 If the soil is fine and moist, ^ to % inch of covering will 

 insure germination. Some successful growers prefer 

 broadcasting rather thinly, to avoid crowding of plants. 

 When this is done the bed should be in the finest condi- 

 tion and the seeds raked in lightly with a garden rake. 



351. Sowing where the plants are to mature. — Some 

 growers prefer sowing where the plants are to mature. 

 The two main advantages are that the expense of trans- 

 planting is avoided and there is no checking of growth, 



