1450 The Vegetable Industry in New York State 



and Mr. Ihrig soon began to call the sprouts " Tom Thumb cab- 

 bages," and sell them to clubs and hotels under this name. About 

 1880 three barrels shipped in midwinter by Mr. Youngs of Orient 

 were promptly sold by Mr. Ihrig, who sent back a check for sixty 

 dollars. 



The region about Orient continues to be one of the most impor- 

 tant sources of supply of this vegetable for the Xew York market, 

 the crop now amounting annually to something like .300,000 

 quarts. The area planted each year is approximately 125 acres. 



PREPARING THE SOIL. ROTATION OF CROPS 



The preparation of soil and rotation of crops already described 

 for cauliflowers applies equally well to Brussels sprouts. Late 

 sprouts are grown as a succession crop following potatoes, or occa- 

 sionally early carrots; for early sprouts the land is plowed in 

 May and kept harrowed until time for setting the plants on new 

 land. Sprouts are occasionally grown two years in succession but 

 commonly three or four years are allowed to intervene between 

 crops. No cruciferous crops, such as turnips, should be grown 

 on the land meantime, as these serve as hosts for the club-root. 

 Sprouts are commonly followed by potatoes, but frequently by 

 corn or carrots ; some then seed down to grass and so return to 

 potatoes and sprouts. Some persons grow potatoes every year in 

 the intervals between successive crops of sprouts. 



Cover crops are commonly employed on the sprout fields. One 

 of the leading growers finds timothy most satisfactory, broadcast- 

 ing it in August over cucumbers or other late crops. The seed 

 lodging on the leaves is washed into the soil by the first rain, 

 and by winter the ground is well carpeted. Even if the top-growth 

 is small, and the amount of vegetable matter appears trifling, 

 when the land is turned over the soil near the surface is found to 

 be densely filled with fine roots, and the texture of the soil greatly 

 benefited. Another good grower will sow oats in August after 

 potatoes, spread with ' bunkers ' (mossbunkers or menhaden) dur- 

 ing the fall, plow under and sow to rye for a winter cover. The 

 next May the rye, then twelve to eighteen inches high, is plowed 

 under and the land kept clean by harrowing till late June, when 

 early sprouts are set. In the fall rye is sometimes sown among the 

 sprouts, but the ground is then rather densely shaded to permit 

 of a good stand. 



