CABBAGE. 



77 



in the root in such a way as that the earth, when pressed in, will 

 be on a level w ith the butt-ends of the lower or outward leaves of 

 the plant. Let the plant be rather higher than lower than this ; 

 for care must be taken not to put the plants so low as for the earth 

 to fall, or be washed, into the heart of the plant, nor even into the 

 inside of the bottom leaves. The stem of a cabbage, and stems of 

 all the cabbage kind, send out roots from all the parts of them that 

 are put beneath the surface of the ground. It is good, therefore, 

 to plant as deep as you can without injury to the leaves. The next 

 consideration is the fastening of the plant in the ground. I can- 

 not do better than repeat here, what I have said in my Year's Re- 

 sidence, Paragraphs 83 and 84 : " The hole is made deeper than 

 ^' the length oi the roots ; but the root should not be hent at the 

 " point, if it can be avoided. Then, while one hand holds the plant, 

 with its root in the hole, the other hand applies the setting-stick 

 to the earth on one side of the hole, the stick being held in such 

 a way as to form a sharp triangle with the plant. Then, push- 

 " ing the stick down, so that its point go a little deeper than the 

 point of the root, and giving it a little twist, it presses the earth 

 against the point, or bottom of the root." And thus all is safe 

 and the plant is sure to grow. The general and almost universal 

 fault is that the planter, when he has put the root into the hole, 

 draws the earth up against the upper part of the root, and, if he 

 press pretty w^ell there, he thinks that the planting is well done. 

 But it is the point of the root against which the earth ought to be 

 pressed, for there the fibres are ; and, if they do not touch the earth 

 closely, the plant will not thrive. To know whether you have fast- 

 ened the plat well in the ground, take the tip of one of the leaves 

 of the plant between your finger and thumb. Give a pull. If the 

 plant resist the pull, so far as for the bit of leaf to come away, the 

 plant is properly fastened in the ground ; but if the pull bring up 

 the plant, then you may be sure that the planting is not well done. 

 The point of the stick ought to twist and press the earth up close 

 to tkve point of the root ; so that there be no hollow there. Press- 

 ing the earth up against the stem of the plant is of little use. As 

 to distances, they must be proportioned to the size which the cab- 

 bages usually come to ; and the size (difference in soil aside) varies 

 with the sort. However, for the very small sorts, such as the earlg 

 dwarf and early sea-green, a foot apart in all directions is enough ; 

 for there is no occasion to waste garden ground ; and you do not want 



