CABBAGE. 



147 



if the plants are allowed to remain growing when once a hard 

 head is formed they are very sure to burst and be spoiled. By 

 starting the roots a little, the growth is checked and heads may 

 be kept from spoiling for a week or more. 



Late Cabbage is a term generally given to cabbage grown 

 from seed sown in the open ground. It may be ready for use in 

 September or in the late autumn and be kept all winter. 



Soil. — Any land that will produce a good crop of corn is in 

 good condition for late cabbage, but the richer the land the bet- 

 ter the chances of success. Less manure is required for late 

 than for early cabbage. Late cabbage is generally raised by sow- 

 ing the seed in the hiils, or by sowing it in a seed bed and set- 

 ting the plants in the field when of sufficient size. Each of these 

 methods has its advantages and will be referred to separately 

 further on. 



Sowing Cabbage Seed. — Late cabbage may be raised by sow- 

 ing the seed in a seedbed, in rows twelve inches apart, in 

 the spring, and when the plants are large enough transplanting 

 them to the field where they are to be grown. This is the com- 

 mon way of growing cabbage. Its advantages are that the plants 

 may be set out on land that has grown some early crop, as peas, 

 or on sod land after cutting the hay. It also ensures having the 

 plants all together in a small space, where they can be easily 

 cultivated and guarded when they are young and most liable to 

 serious injury from cut worms, flea beetles and other insects 

 and from dry weather. It has the disadvantage of requiring the 

 plants to be moved during the dry weather of early summer, 

 when they are very liable to fail from lack of water in the soil. 

 Sowing the seed of cabbage in the field where the plants are to 

 mature and then thinning out to one plant to a hill, has the 

 advantage of not requiring the transplanting of the plants during 

 dry weather, and as the plants are not set back by transplant 

 ing they mature in a shorter time than transplanted plants. 

 This makes it practicable to sow the seed later than when the 

 plants are to be removed and is sometimes an advantage. It has 

 the disadvantage, however, of having the plants scattered over 

 a large area when they are small and are liable to serious in- 

 sect enemies, and they are more difficult to cultivaie than when 



