AUGUST. 
179 
CABBAGES FOR SPRING USE. 
Practical men have no difficulty in getting a supply of Cabbages for 
early spring use; to them it is a very easy simple affair, no matter what 
the season may be. But the inexperienced oftentimes make great mistakes 
in the matter, and instead of having Cabbages for use in early spring, it 
very frequently happens that they have none ready before midsummer. A 
supply of Cabbages early in spring is always very useful, but doubly so in 
seasons like the past, when greens of every kind were scarce in consequence 
of the wholesale destruction among them by the frosts in January last. 
A few remarks on the subject may be not altogether unacceptable to some 
of your readers. There are two points of much importance to be attended 
to—namely, 1st, The Time for Sowing the Seed; and 2nd, The Time for 
Transplanting. 
The Time for Sowing the Seed .—This is a matter of much importance, as 
the time that would be proper to sow in one place, will not answer in another 
part of the country. In the south of England, the end of July or beginning 
of August is found to be a proper time for sowing ; but here in Yorkshire, 
if we were to defer the sowing until then, we should in vain look for Cabbages 
before midsummer. Taking the average of seasons, I find it is not prudent 
to sow later than the middle of July, in order to get Cabbages early in 
spring. As the seasons vary much, so also does the growth of the plants, 
which will be either large or small according to the weather. Instead, 
therefore, of depending for plants on one sowing, I have- made it a rule for 
many years to make two sowings, the first about from the 8tli to the 12tli of 
July, and the second from the 20th to the 26th. By this plan I have always 
a great choice of plants, and plenty to spare for the workmen. 
The Time for Transplanting .—Here in Yorkshire this should not be done 
later than the middle of September. I plant always the end of the first 
week in September, from the first sowing in July, and again about the end 
of the third week I plant the best plants from the second or late sowings. 
In general, I find those planted the end of the first week in September come 
in earliest in spring—sometimes, but rarely, they do get a little too forward 
in the autumn, and in consequence suffer a little if severe frost sets in, but in 
general I find they do better and come in earlier than the later-planted 
ones; the latter come in after the others, and continue the supply. In 
general, Cabbages should never be planted out later than the middle of 
September when wanted early in spring. If they are planted in October 
they are rarely fit for use before the following June. When planted early in 
September they get good roothold, and being earthed up and taken a little 
care of, they stand ordinary winters with impunity; but when planted as 
late as October they do not get much roothold ; and if the weather sets in 
cold and unfavourable they make no progress, and many of the plants fall a 
prey to slugs, so that when March comes round, more than half the plants 
are gone, the vacancies have to be filled up, and it is generally the end of 
June before the Cabbages are fit for use. 
General Remarks .—For early use some approved early sort should be 
sown. The properties of a good Cabbage are, a small short stem, and a 
large, compact, well-formed head of succulent leaves, surrounded with but 
few loose leaves. To grow them in perfection a deep rich soil is requisite. 
As the young plants advance in growth, the soil between the rows should 
be stirred frequently with the hoe, and a little earth drawn up to the plants 
as they require it. Should the earth in April be dry, frequent heavy water- 
