ON REARING KITCHEN VEGETABLES. 



75 



these with water, putting in the plants as deeply as the 

 leaves will permit. When plants are required to be placed 

 out in excessively dry weather, they will derive much 

 benefit from being subjected to an operation termed by 

 gardeners puddling ; when they may be immediately 

 planted, and by being frequently watered afterwards, they 

 may thus be planted with perfect safety in the driest 

 weather. It is, in all such cases, of the utmost import- 

 ance, after a plant is put in the hole, to press the earth 

 very firmly to the root-fibres (not the upper part of the 

 root) with the dibble, to force them as it were to feed in 

 their new place. If a plant vdll come readily up when 

 pulled by either of the leaves, it is badly planted, and will 

 never thrive. It is also important to keep the ground 

 clear of weeds, and to stir it several times with the hoe 

 or spade, to give the root -fibres, now accustomed to their 

 new place, freedom to spread ; and also to draw up the 

 earth to the stems, to encourage fresh root-fibres to grow 

 there, and preserve the roots moist. Mr. Lee, however, 

 disapproves of earthing up in light gi'ound. Take off the 

 large outer leaves, particularly when yellow, to give light 

 and air. 



"When the cabbages have been cut, if the ground is not 

 immediately wanted, the stumps, particularly of theVanack 

 sort, may stand till a crop of sprouts is obtained. Or, 

 where the ground is required for another crop, they may 

 be taken up, with large balls of earth to the roots, and 

 planted in a trench in any spare corner of the garden, at 

 half a foot apart, always observing to deprive them of all 

 their old leaves as soon as the head is cut off, whether 

 they are transplanted or not, that the young sprouts may 

 not be robbed of their nourishment. A plant or two in 

 this trench may be allowed to remain for producing seed. 



In saving seed, the sorts can seldom be got genuine 

 unless the plants be kept at considerable distances asunder; 

 and even then bees and other insects will often occasion 

 cross-breeding. The seeds taken from the top will pro- 

 duce much earlier cabbages than those taken from the 

 bottom or side branches. 



Red Cdbhage seed may be sown either in August, or the 

 end of March. The plants require to be placed in an open 



