Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-04-09
From the Pillow.
cabboges a. & Field crop for s,a. me TO"


From the Plow.
Cabb"ges as Field Crop for Stock.
This. to an American farmer, who never thought
perhaps OF growing over hundred q year, which
were to be carefully preserved for table use will
sound IKE some new and strange doctrine. Yet such
has been toF years the practice of many excellent
farmers in England, Scotland Belgium, and Hol-
land. The advantages claimed and as we think Just
y in favor OF the practice, are the immense amount
OF food that can be grown upon an acre-the ease
with Whlch 1t can be cultivated saved and fed in
wlnterlts succulent qualities, which render it fol
ly equal to summer pasturage for mich cows or
sucking ewes-while its nutritive qualities have
been amply proven by analysis and practice, The
following statement of its nutritive value, is from
the Mark Lane Express:
Comparative Nutritive Value of on, Acre of Cab
bage 1rth other CropS.-The cabbage has lately been
chemically examined, in consequence of the failure
of the potato with view its substitution for that
root. 1t IS found to be richer an e-forming
matter than any crop are groU. It contains more f.
6rtn Or gluten, of which substance the muscles
made. and hence is richer in the material essential
to the health growth. and strength of animal:
wheat contains about IL per cent of it; BEANS 25
per cent but dried cabbage contains from 80 to 40
per cent of this allimporant material of which the
principal mass of the animal structure is built
| - An acre OF good land will produce 40 tons of
cabbage one acre OF 70 tons of drum head cabbage
will yield $500 lbs. of gluten; one of Swedes
urneps will produce about 80 TONS which will yield
will yield 400 lbs. of gluten of 25 bushels
of wheat will yield 200 lbs of gluten one acre of
II tons potatoes, will yield $50 lbs of gluten Such
is the variation in our general crops, as to the a
mount of this gluten this special kind of nourish
ment, this understanding principle, which &C.
counts for the preference given by experienced far
mers to the cabbage food for stock and milk
although the crop mpOverlshes the land, which
qures much manure to restore it to former fertli-
ty."
The last part of the statement we do not fully a.
gree with for we do not believe crop of cabbage
is any exhaustng to the SOIL although it is of
) the manure, than any other heavy crop of quick
growing vegetation. True, the land must be rich.
or it will not grow cabbage to any advantage. It's
value over Swedes or English turneps is not only
shown in the of production, but in the nutri-
tive quality of the food. One experienced farmer
observed sarcastically in speaking of the compare
tive value of the two crops: that if he had over
plus of hay which he anxious to have his cattle
consume it would be desirable to feed turneps, just
to encourage, not to satisfy the appetite This was
rather upon a crop which has done so much
to improve English husbandry within the last half
century. Valuable as turnep culture has been in
England, we think the culture of cabbage may be
made more valuable in this country. It iourishes
best in moist rich soil, such reclaimed swamps
it is more hardy than the turnep in its incipent
growth and at stage when whole fields ofturneps
liable to be swept off by the fly, cabbage plants
enough to set can be effectively protected
under few panes of glass, yard two of gauze
in q frame in the garden. But for field culture we
would recommend that cabbage seed should be plan
ted by the drill machine where they are to grow,
with provision of plants in reserve. in OF
cident, to transplant from the garden to the field.
In the early stage of growth the cabbage requires
careful cultivation most of which however may be
done with the pillow and horse hoe; as
the leaves expand and shade the ground, weeds
effectively prevented from growing enough to njure
the crop or propagate their own seed This leaves
the field in as fine condition for the next crop as
could be desired Some cultivators always grow a
crop of peas upon the ground that is to have
crop of cabbages in the fall This may be done il
the land is naturally rich, and we'll coated every
year with manure and deeply plowed particularly
in the fall, to give the frost opportunity tc
grind down all Jumps into loose friable mass. II
the land has clay foundation it must be subsoiled
and graded that surface water cannot stand as
= that 10 death to young cabbage plant
The necessity of deep filth may be seen by
animation of the long brous roots which penetrate
to great depth when unobstructed. Any rich
compost well-rotted manure is good for cabbage
. coarse or unfermented manure is not good. Ashes
plaster of Paris, bone DUST poudrette, and little
salt will be found beneficial. Guano is excellent.
Storing for Winter-Select some dry piece O
= ground from which the water drains readily, anG
Z having carted the crop convenient, one hand SEXES
the roots while another strips off few of the lower
leaves and doubles the others around the head,
{ holes it upon the ground while the other hand lay
on dirt enough to keep it in place. Afterwards e
ridges that will shed the rains into the burrows
which in their turn will carry off all the water tina
$ falls Three four inches of earth will preserve
them from any injury from the frost quite efectual
| ly.
t Unheaded Cobbdges.-There are often many o
these when the crop is gathered at the approach
i winter, commonly thrown away useless. The,
l. may be rendered fine for spring by transplant
q ing them in a close double row, and then covering
e them with boards or slabs like the steep roof of
e house, with additional coating of few inches O
d earth. They should then be properly ventilated
By next spring large portion of them will be foun
i well headed and delicately blanehed.
d duplication We hope none Of our readers are S
like the kind mentioned under the last head, as t.
prevent them from applying tie advice of this arti
e Gle to their Immediate use-because
Nou as the Time to Sow Cabbage Seed.-No
exactly this particular month in all parts of thi
y country where we shove our Plow, because this is
Z great country, but by mean that each ma,
; who reads this cabbage-head article unless he ha
an article of the kind his shoulders, lack
the article entirely, is very wrongheadcd, shall
u take the matter into his head and consider tn
propriety of adopting the advice of raising cabbage
IT as field crop.
h Farming.
!. A correspondent of the Edgefeld IS. c. Adver
If tser furnishes that paper with the following