58 



EARLY CABBAGE 



by the so-called professional seed growers. Practically all of our 

 improved varieties have been developed by careful selections by the 

 practical gardeners. We have also been given to understand that 

 seeds can be grown in certain favored locations. There may be some 

 truth to this statement but I know^ that just as good cabbage seed 

 can be produced in Pennsylvania or any of the northern states as can 

 be grown in Europe, California, Puget Sound, Long Island or any 

 other out-of-the-way place. 



Our plan of raising is to sow seed about the middle of July in 

 hills where we want the plant to grow, thus avoiding transplanting. 

 When a few inches high they are thinned out to one in a hill. The 

 development of these plants is watched during the fall and only 

 those are marked for seed purposes which show a tendency to head 

 early, a uniformity of type, and which have a vigorous constitution, — 

 about one in one hundred. The health and vigor of a plant is one of 

 the most important considerations. It is just as important to have 

 strong, vigorous plants from which to raise seed as to use vigorous 

 animals for stock breeding. On the approach of cold weather these 

 selected cabbages are taken up carefully, placed in a trench, roots 

 downward, and covered to protect from severe freezing. The follow- 

 ing spring they are planted in a well prepared piece of ground and 

 fertilized heavily with potash and phosphoric acid. When the seeds 

 begin to ripen, the seed stems are cut off, placed on sheets, and if 

 weather is favorable, left in the field for a few days. They are then 

 hauled in and spread out on a tight floor; and when thoroughly dried, 

 the seeds are pounded out and cleaned up with a fanning mill. The 

 seeds are then screened and all small and immature seeds taken out. 



Peter Henderson in his book, "Gardening for Profit," tells of an 

 old German gardener who was always first on New York market with 

 early cabbage. His neighbors could not understand how he managed 

 to beat them out, year after year. One day he confided his secret to a 

 friend. His plan w^as to mark the stumps of the earliest cabbages 

 which he cut — the suckers forming on these stumps were removed and 

 rooted in sand, as florists do soft cuttings. They were then wintered 

 over in cold frames and the following spring set out for seed purposes. 



If one does not care to go to the trouble of raising his own seed, 

 he should at least purchase a supply a year in advance and test in a 

 small way before planting extensively. Cabbage seed is good for 

 several years. 



