26 CABBAGE. 



carefully, so that their delicate fine roots are not in 

 the least broken or bruised ; if the soil in the seed 

 bed is quite dry all the better, as it will then fall away 

 from the root's without injuring them. Lay them 

 carefully in a shallow box or basket, water them 

 thoroughly and cover with a piece of wet cloth to 

 prevent evaporation, which the sun and air would 

 rapidly encourage, and if not checked would soon 

 ruin the plants. When set they should be puddled in, 

 and for a field crop to do its work profitably, three 

 persons' aid is required. To do a work well is the 

 only proper way, no matter what it may be, even 

 though at the start it may seem to be more expensive. 

 When the ground is marked off, one person (a boy 

 would do as well as a man) goes ahead, makes a hole 

 with a dibber and drops the plant in it. In this 

 work care should be taken not to make the hole too 

 deep. The second person pours into the hole one- 

 fourth of a pint of water, and the third packs the 

 wet soil, or mud as it should be, firmly around the 

 roots, then covers the surface with loose, fine soil to 

 prevent evaporation. 



We have tried this method repeatedly; in fact, 

 in late years, we have employed no other, never 

 losing a plant, except it be by insect or accident. And 

 what is still more important, the plants are no-wise 

 checked, growth commences immediately, and suc- 

 cess is assured. We would like to impress upon 

 every cabbage grower (and the same method should 

 be pursued with every other plant) the importance of 

 this method sufficiently to give it a trial, and com- 

 pare the results with the ordinary method of putting 

 the plants in with a dibber after a rain. 



Cabbage and cauliflower, more than any other 



