CAB 
CAB 
slioots, and a considerable thinning 
of the branches should take place annu¬ 
ally. It is one of the latest of the plum 
tribe, furnishing fresh fruit for tarts up 
till the arrival of the autumnal frosts, 
and this feature, together with its cha¬ 
racter for preserving, seem to make it 
desirable to attempt the improvement of 
its size and quality. At present it is 
raised from seed, and treated as a mere 
wilding \ it is probable, however, that if 
some care were taken to select grafts of 
the very best varieties, and they were 
worked on free growing plum stocks, 
that a change might be brought on, 
which, once effected, may be carried by 
perseverance to almost any length. 
CABBAGE. Brassica oleracea 
(Linn.) Nat. Ord. Crucifer <z. The 
importance of this vegetable is well 
understood, no garden being properly 
furnished without a full supply at all 
seasons of the year. Like the rest of 
the genus. Cabbages delight in strong, 
rich, loamy soil, and without it is of 
an open friable texture, containing 
abundance of manure, the crop will be 
found deficient both in size and quality. 
The course of management to be fol¬ 
lowed to ensure a full supply of cabbage 
and cabbage-plants, or coleworts, as they 
are called, is this. The principal crop, 
to furnish the full-grown large-hearted 
cabbage of summer, should be sown in 
the first or second week of August; if 
sown earlier than this there is consider¬ 
able danger of the plants running to 
seed in the following spring, and if the 
seed is kept out of the ground till a later 
period they do not attain sufficient 
strength to withstand the vicissitudes 
of winter. A piece of light rich earth 
in a warm position should be selected 
for the reception of the seed, which 
should be sown rather thinly; and the 
young plants should be liberally treated 
with water, that they may grow freely, 
a quick development in the early stages 
of their progress being of the first con¬ 
sequence. About the time they are 
sown, the ground intended to carry the 
future crop should be prepared. This 
should be what gardeners call in good 
heart; let it have an abundant dressing 
of manure, and dig it over, to bury the 
summer weeds and loosen the soil 
for the roots to have a free range. It 
is usual to put cabbages upon the ground 
that has previously borne the first crop 
of peas, which is a good rule, as in the 
management of the kitchen garden every 
endeavour should be made to place a 
close-growing crop upon ground that 
has had a wide one on it immediately 
before, and never on any occasion should 
the second crop follow one of similar 
nature. 
In September the plants will be fit 
for removal, and should be transplanted 
to their final position ; the rows should 
be made about two feet apart, and, to 
economise the space, the plants may be 
placed at nine inches one from another, 
the intention being to draw out every 
alternate one for the winter and early 
spring supply of coleworts or greens. 
This will leave the remainder at a proper 
distance to form cabbage for use in the 
following May and June. 
As the young coleworts are always an 
esteemed article at table, a plentiful 
supply of them should be kept up as an 
assistance to the other crops : thus a 
sowing in March and April will furnish 
nice little cabbage through the autumn, 
and another in June will be found highly 
useful in November and December, just 
before the surplus of the main crop is 
fit to be drawn. Eor these extra crops 
the quick heading sorts, such as the 
York or West Hani varieties, should be 
chosen, as the object is rather a free- 
grown, tender, little head than a large 
cabbage; which, indeed, could not be 
attained at the seasons mentioned. As 
a further assistance to the winter supply, 
when often every leaf becomes valuable, 
it is advisable to leave the stems of the 
summer cabbage to form sprouts, which 
they will do, and afford very tender deli¬ 
cious little greens up to January, or even 
later, in mild seasons. As the autumn 
approaches, every bit of spare ground 
should receive its share of cabbage 
plants from the spring sowings or the 
smaller plants of the main crop; they 
may be planted rather thickly, and will 
then furnish the means of mending anv 
