68 
THE AMATEUR’S KITCHEN GARDEN. 
of the previous year are planted out, the sorts being such as 
Enfield Market , Large York, etc. They are cut as required, 
the stumps being left with as many leaves on as possible, and 
they produce a prodigious quantity of secondary smallish 
cabbages all through the winter and spring, and thus remain 
on the ground until it becomes absolutely necessary to clear 
them off, and then they are burnt with other rubbish, and the 
ashes with guano added are used for top-dressing potatoes. 
Summer Cabbages. — For delicate summer cabbages, sow in 
February or March in a frame or cool greenhouse, and prick 
out the young plants on a bed of light rich soil in a spare 
frame as soon as they are large enough to handle. From this 
bed transfer them to rich land when they stand about three 
inches high, and give water freely if the weather is dry, to 
prevent any check. They may be planted one foot apart, in 
rows two feet asunder, and as soon as any are fit for use, every 
alternate plant should be first taken. The best sorts to grow 
for this purpose are the smallish quick hearting kinds, such 
as Barrs Dwarf, Small Early York, and Hill’s Incom- 
parable , A good supply of early cabbages may be secured 
by planting out in spring from a sowing made in August, a 
certain proportion being left in the seed bed to heart where 
sown. But spring sowing with good cultivation will generally 
produce a better article, because more quickly grown. 
Main Crop. — With good management, one sowing every 
year is enough, but it may be advisable to sow twice. In any 
case the most important sowing is made some time between 
the 20th of July and the 10th of August, and from this 
sowing plants are obtained both for autumn and spring plant- 
ing. The seed-bed should be well made, the drills should be 
a foot apart, and the seed sowed thickly in the drills. From 
the seedling stocks thus raised plants may be drawn at almost 
any time, until they become too large for removal, so that in 
suitable weather spare spaces may be filled with cabbage, to 
keep the ground always earning money. It may be necessary 
to supplement this principal sowing with another in March, 
and from this the plants will be put out in the same way as 
the other. In selecting for these two sowings, it will be 
advisable to select for sowing in the autumn the large growing 
sorts, such as the lied Dutch, Large York, Battersea, and 
Enfield Market ; whereas for the spring sowing the smaller 
kinds are to be preferred. The distances at which they are 
