CABBAGE. 



In this eftimate, the whole of the expence of manure is, 

 however, it is obferved, charged to the cabbage crop : but 

 the advantage ought pi'operly to he divided, whicli would 

 lelTen the expence conliderahly. From the increafe in the 

 prices of land and labour which has lately taken place, the 

 expences of this fort of cultivatiou will at prefent Hand 

 confiderably higher. 



In the after culture of this fort of crop, much advantage 

 is derived from having the mould or foil frequently llirred and 

 applied to the roots of the plants. It is, indeed, only by a 

 due repetition of thefe operations, that the plants attain 

 their moft perfect fize and growth. The bufinefs is accom- 

 pli (lied by means of ploughs, horfts, and hand -hoes. 

 Where the plants are fct out in a regular manner at fuf- 

 ficicnt dillanccs, the work may be performed in the moft 

 cheap and elfetlual way by the ufe of the horfe-hoe, or the 

 common light fwing-plough ; but, where narrow diltances 

 are employed, it can only be well executed by means of tlie 

 hand-hoe. Sometimes both the horfe and the hand-hoe are 

 made life of, as where the crop is planted clofe in the rows 

 with wide intervals. It is obferved, by an ufeful modern 

 writer, that " the number of hoeings mult in general depcud 

 upon the ftate of the land and the nature of the fealbn, but 

 three will in moft cafes be neceflary. The firll (hould be given 

 atout three weeks or a month after planting, according to 

 the growth of the plants, and the fccond at an equal dif- 

 tance of time ; the third may be repeated as the neccffity of 

 the crop may require, attention being conftantly paid to 

 keep the land pcrfcflly clean from weeds, and the earth or 

 mould well loofened and laid up to the plants. In the firft 

 operation, it is ufual to turn the mould or foil from the 

 plants, but, in the iubftquen: ones, to apply it up to them, 

 which, where the plants are fet regularly in fquares at the 

 diftance of three leet, may be performed in both direftions 

 of the ground, in the moft perftft manner. In this way 

 the cultivator not only in a great meafure avoids the heavy 

 expence of hand- hoeing, but contributes to the growth 

 of the crop in the moft effedual manner." 



In executing the work by means of horfe labour, fome 

 make ufe of the horfe-hoe, others, the double mould-boarded 

 and common hoe ploughs ; and it has been contended by 

 Dr. Anderfon, that it may be effefted with equal exadnefs, 

 and in an equally effeftual manner, by any common light 

 fwing-plough. The author of " Praflical Agriculture" 

 obferves, "that, after thefe hoeings have been accomplifhed, 

 the hand-hoe may be occafionally employed juft about the 

 roots of the plants, it there flionld be neceflity. And where 

 the crops are planted out at narrow diltances, either wholly 

 or in the rows only, it muft altogether, or in a great meafure, 

 be depended upon for the after-culture of the crops. In 

 thefe cafes two or three hoeings are moilly found neceflary. " 

 The expence of each hand-hoeing in fuch crops is, in gene- 

 ral, from two lliillings to half a crown, or three fliiUings an 

 acre." And where the crops have been put in, in the driil 

 method, they will require to be thinned out to proper dif- 

 tances in the rows as foim as the plants have attained a few 

 inches growth, being afterwards cleared and moulded up in 

 the fame manner as thofe which are planted out in the com- 

 mon way. 



Thefe crops, like many others, are liable to be injured by 

 the attacks of animals of the inlctt kind, at different 

 periods of their growth. While the plants are young and 

 tender in the feed-bed, the bcclh; or J!y, often greatly in- 

 jures or deftroys theiVi. They, likewile, occafionally luffer 

 in the feed-bed from the attacks of the caterpillar, produced 

 by the cabbage butterfly {Papilio Brajjica), though much 

 Icls frequently, as tiiis iiilcdt makes its appearance, in gene* 



ral, too late to do much injuiy to field crops. Much harm 

 is hkewife done to cabbage-plants while young, on their 

 being firll planted out, by the flug, but afterwards they arc 

 little expofed to its attacks. Tlie depredations of the fly- 

 er beetle, as well as the caterpillar, may, in general, be, in 

 a great nicafurc, prevented, by .the fowing or difperfing of 

 wood allies, foot, or other (imilar matters, in a powdery 

 ftate, over the young plants, on the fuft appearance of the 

 infefts among them. But, " befidcs the attacks of infcft* 

 on the leaves of the plants, cabbages arc fubjedt to a diftafc 

 in the roots, in which they become fwclled out and knobby, 

 and the plants weak and of impcrfeft growth. This vege- 

 table difeafe has been fuppofcd to be caufid by the attack* 

 of grubs below the furfacc of the ground, and to be chicflj- 

 prevalent where the fame fort of cabbages are fown and 

 planted on the fame fpots of ground for fevcral years to- 

 gether." 



It has been remarked, that, " where care is taken to 

 plant out the proper hardy forts of cattle-cabbages, there is 

 little danger of their being injured by the feverity of the 

 frofts during the wii.ter mouths, as feldom more than a few 

 of their large outhde leaves have been found to fuffer. Many 

 of the hardy varieties of cabbage have, indeed, been found 

 to ftand the winter frofts equally, or even better, where there 

 are frequent thaws, than thofe of the borecole, or kale 

 kinds ; but the latter would appear better adapted as a 

 green food, efpecially for fliccp, in the early fpring months, 

 as it may be repeatedly eaten down or cut over, and by that 

 means furnifh a more full fupply of food." 



It has been remarked " that, in refpeft to the quantity 

 of produce tliat may be derived from an acre of land under 

 a crop of this kind, it muft depend in a great degree upon 

 the quality of the foil, the proportion of manure that is 

 employed, the method of culture, the goodnefs of the plants, 

 and thefavourablcnefs of the fcafon, about the time of planj.- 

 ing them out." But that " it may probably, in general, be 

 eltimated at from twenty to thirty tons. In comparing the 

 produce of cabbage crops with thofe of turnips in diflerent 

 modes of planting, and on different kinds of foils, it was 

 found, taking the beft part of the crops, that, at a medium, 

 an acre of the former, on good land, well managed, pro- 

 duced twenty-five tons, and of the latter fifteen tons. The 

 value of the crops m.uft likewifc be affefted by various cir. 

 cumftanccs, as the kinds of live ftock by which they arc 

 confumed, the manner in which it is accomplifhed, and the 

 fituation of the cultivator with refpeft to markets ; but that 

 in common they may be calculated at from four or five to 

 fevcn or ten pounds the acre, and in many fuualions con- 

 fiderably more." 



It has been farther obferved, in a late work, that " in the 

 application or expenditure of cabbage crops, as they are 

 often liable to a confiderable diminution in the quantity or 

 weight of food which they contain, by ftanding over the 

 winter to the fpring months, it may be the beft and moft 

 economical practice to make ufe of them late in the aulum.n, 

 while their leaves are in perlediion, in completing the fat- 

 tening of fuch neat cattle or lliecp as have been brought 

 confiderably forward in the paftutes dunng the fiimmcr 

 fetfon. In this way there is much lefs lofs fuftained than 

 is generally the cafe where they are fnfitrcd to ftand for 

 fpring feed, by the decay and dcfl ruction of the outfidc 

 leaves and other parts of the plants. In the feeding of 

 milch-cows, at the fame period, they may likewifc be of 

 very great utility, as fupplying a large proportion of green 

 food, whether the whole plant be made ufe of, or only ttie 

 more loofe green leaves, which may often be removed with- 

 out much injury to the cabbages. In this method of ap. 

 4 ^' 2 plicatiwii 



