THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 159 



like Brussels sprouts better. But the same care- 

 lessness that produces woody, rank-flavored cab- 

 bage will have a like effect on Brussels sprouts. 

 People who give the plant a fair trial in the garden 

 and the kitchen soon swell the ranks of lovers of 

 this popular vegetable. 



Any garden soil that will grow good cabbage can 

 be relied upon to produce good sprouts. An ample 

 supply of humus and nitrogenous food in the soil 

 is desirable as in the case of any other leaf crops. 

 The seed may be sown at the same time and in the 

 same way as cabbage seed. For very early crops 

 it may be sown in a cold frame in late fall, pro- 

 tected during winter with mats or shutters, and 

 the plants set out as early in the spring as the 

 ground can be worked. For second early it may be 

 sown in the spring and transplanted in April. But 

 since the plant makes most delicately flavored 

 heads during cool weather, the most popular time of 

 sowing is June. 



When thus grown the young plants are set out 

 in the garden 3 by 2 feet apart at six weeks old and 

 given clean cultivation for six weeks. From Sep- 

 tember until hard freezing they need little or no 

 attention unless the season be very dry. 



In such cases liberal watering will improve the 

 quality and quantity of the sprouts. The bulk of 

 the picking is done between October and Decem- 

 ber, though in mild winters, especially on the At- 

 lantic seaboard and in the southern states, some 

 may be gathered until March and even April. For 

 the New York market the east end and north 

 shore of Long Island furnish large quantities as a 

 second crop following potatoes. Generally the 

 plants are cut about December 1 and stored for 

 winter picking. The sprouts are packed in berry 



