CABBAGE. 37 



plants, are injured by a check in transplanting. 

 Plants set just before a heavy rain, in the ordinary 

 manner, will not receive a serious check because the 

 earth becomes so thoroughly packed about them that 

 the air cannot reach those delicate feeding roots 

 which are essential to the plant's existence and 

 growth. The moment these become injured in any 

 way the plant ceases to grow, and cannot renew its 

 growth until new feeding roots are formed. The 

 plants set when the ground is very wet are apt to 

 receive injury from the roots drying off, because 

 the farmer in his haste to finish his work, while the 

 soil is wet, does not take sufficient time to press the 

 earth as firmly around the roots as he should. By 

 puddling the plants this risk is avoided, and the 

 work cannot be done without being well done. If 

 there is no fear of an approaching shower, undue 

 haste is not necessary, as this is the enemy of sys- 

 tematic work. 



The principal objection made to puddling in 

 plants is the time required to do it, which at the 

 season when the work must be done seems doubly 

 valuable. We will quote one of the many instances 

 that have come under our observation to show that 

 time spent in puddling in plants is wise economy. 

 Two brothers each put out two acres of cabbage for 

 seed purposes. As their farms joined and an inter- 

 change of labor was their custom, one of the brothers 

 prepared a seed bed sufficient for both. As the cab- 

 bage was of the same variety, and the seed produced 

 was to go to the same party, this could be safely done. 



When the time arrived for .putting out the 

 plants, and as there was every appearance of a heavy 

 shower, the work was commenced with vigor. By 



