CABBAGE. 



riched, the plants are apt to be weak and Hunted in their 

 growth, as well as much injured by weeds. Much injury 

 alfo frequently arifes to young cabbage plants from the feed 

 being fown too thick ; care (hould therefore be taken to 

 have them properly thinned out whenever they come up in 

 too thick a manner. One ounce or an ounce and a half of 

 good feed may in general be lufhcient for fowing a bed 

 fourteen or fifteen feet long, and five or fix in width, or for 

 raifing two or three thouland good plants; in which propor- 

 tion, half a pound will afford more plants tlian are fufficicnt 

 for planting an acre of ground. Mr. Young advifes three 

 ounces of feed to each fquare perch well raked in, and then 

 a peck of foot fown over each foot of ground ; and that 

 when it is intended to cultivate thele crops on a large fcale, 

 an acre of land (hould be inclofed for the purpofe, kept well 

 manured, and the feed drilled in at nine inches, for the con- 

 venience of weeding and hoeing. 



In refpeft to the periods of putting the feed into the 

 ground, they mud depend much upon the intentions of the 

 cultivator : where the produce is to be confumed during 

 the winter months, as in December, January, or February, 

 the feed fhould be fown in July the preceding year, and the 

 plants be put out in March, April, and May, the follow- 

 ing year; but if intended for confumption in March, 

 April, or May, the feed (hould be put in about the latter 

 end of February or beginning of March, in the former year, 

 and the plants be fet out in the firll or fecond week in July 

 in the fame year. By continuing to fow with regularity in 

 the months of Febraary, May, and July, or Auguft, fuc- 

 ceflive crops of young healthy plants may be fccured, and 

 the round of cabbage hufbandry be e{feftually preferved. 

 Thefe periods of fowing and planting out (hould, however, 

 be attended to with confiderable exaftnefs, in order to fe- 

 curc good and certain crops, and the feed-beds be well 

 protefted from birds. But that the cultivator may not be 

 difappointed in the number of plants, it may be ufeful to 

 fow a little feed at different times, at the dillance of a few 

 days from thefe periods, always chufing as moid a time as 

 poffible for the purpofe. And by haftening or protrafting 

 the time of tranfplanting, cr fetting out the crops, the 

 growth of the plants may be fo managed as to have them 

 ready for ufe either more early or later, accordnig as cir- 

 cumilances may require. Tlie author of Pradlical Agricul- 

 ture obferves, that, " in both the fpring and autumn 

 plantings it is, however, the bed praftice to be fuihciently 

 early, as in the former cafe the plants will have the great 

 advantage of the fpring (howers, and be in lefs danger Irom 

 the heat of the fummerfeafon ; and in the latter, mort fully 

 eftablifhed in the foil before the winter fets in, as the growth 

 of the plant after September cannot in any degree be de- 

 pended upon in field culture. Befides, from the length of 

 time which is requifite for their attaining their full fize, it 

 muft always be advantageous to have them fet out early. 

 They feldom arrive at thtir full growth in lefs than four 

 months, where they grow in the moll perfcft manner. By 

 fowing very early in the fpring, and fetting the plants out 

 as expeditioudy as poffible, both full and forward crops may 

 often be obtained. There is, however, in general, an ad- 

 vantage in the autumn plants, that though they be more liable 

 to be injured in the winter by flugs, and other caufes, tlicy 

 are in a (late to be planted out very early in the fpring, 

 while thofe of the fpring fowings can feldom be fet out till 

 the fumnier is much advanced." In this culture diflcrcnt 

 methods have been attempted, fuch as letting the plants to 

 ftand the winter in the field, and letting them remain in the 

 feed-bed to be put out in the fpring ; the former is mod 

 advifable in mild winters and flieltcred fituations, r.s the 



Vol.. V. 



crops will be much more forward ; but in expofcd fituationi 

 the latter m:iy be adopted with more fuceefs. By fowing 

 in May and June, forward crops of large cabbages may be 

 procured the cnfuing year, and coleworts for the following 

 fpring; but in this hdl intention they fhould be planted 

 clofer together than ulual. In this way the lofs of weiglit, 

 and danger of cabbage crops in the winter months, are 

 fully obviated. On the whole, the fooner the autumnal 

 plants are put out in the field afttr the frods are over, the 

 better ; and the fpring plants (hould be placed out as foon 

 as pofiible after them, as before the end of Ap-il. It is the 

 cudom ot fome nice cultivators to prick the plants out from 

 the feed-beds, v.hile very young, into other beds ; and the 

 pradlice is certainly very advantageous, not only in check- 

 ing their too forward growth, but in rendering them more 

 fit for planting out and lefs liable to run to feed when tranf- 

 planted into the field. The expence and trouble of this 

 operation are, however, too great, where the cabbage cul- 

 ture is conduced on an extenfive fcale, to admit of its being 

 generally performed. 



Another pradtice, adopted by the late Mr. Bakcwcll, 

 and fince employed by other cultivators, by which the in- 

 convenience ot waiting for a fuitable moi(t time for fetting 

 out the plants, and the danger of their not fucceeding 

 under other circumdances, are avoided, is that of drilling 

 the feed in where the plants are to remain at the proper 

 feafons, as April, May, or June, and the following month. 

 But the firft is the mod general in this mode of culture. 

 The crops, in this fyflcm of management, fliould be put in 

 after turnips, potatoes, beans, peas, tares, or others of 

 the hoeing or cleanfing kinds : the land being ploughed 

 in ridges three or tour teet in width in the latter cafes, be- 

 fore the winter frofts, and before the time of diiUing the 

 feed, manure to the extent of from twenty to thirty cubical 

 yards to the acre, according to circumdances, introduced 

 by reverfing the former ridges. After having remained in 

 this date, fecure from rain, a week or fortnight, when 

 the foils are diff, harrowing fiiould be performed, but under 

 other circumdances the roller to which the drill is fixed will 

 level them fuflieiently, as they (hould not be reduced too 

 greatly. In performing the bufinefs, the Northumberland 

 drill is to be attaclied to a roller eight feet in length for 

 four feet ridges, and fix feet, where they are three, by means 

 of a chain, hooks, and daples. The roller thus covers the 

 ridge that is drilling and tliat which is to be drilled by the 

 next turn. Proceeding conftantly in this way, the feed 

 will be effectually covered by four pieces of Jack chain about 

 two feet in length, which are fixed to the centre of the 

 drill behind, and drawn after it, and depofited to the pro- 

 per depth of about lialf an inch by weighir.g on or loading 

 the drill. When the plants appear, if a furge of loot be 

 drilled over them to the extent of ten or twelve bufhcls the 

 acre, Mr. Young thinks it will be of great advantage in 

 proleiSling thera from the attacks of the fly. This, hefup- 

 pofes, may be very conveniently done by one hopper and a 

 round of cups fiun'lar to thofe of Cook's drill, but larger, 

 fixed to fuch a frame as tliat of the Northumberland drill. 



There can be little doubt but that this method will be 

 highly advantageous, a; faving much labour and prevent- 

 ing the plants from being checked in their growth by 

 tranfpinnling, when the foils are fufficiently fine and 

 mellow : but under other circumdances it cannot probably 

 be wholly depended upon. 



In planting out crops of 'Aui foit, care fiiotdd be taken to 



have the bufinefs performed as foon as poflible after the 



land has been well faturatcd with rain ; as in this cafe the 



plants much fooner cdablidi themfelvcs in the foil, and 



4 L fewer 



