Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-09-08
Cabbages.

Perhaps in no garden vegetable has there
been more improvement during the last
thisiy years than in the cabbage. In old
times the greatest difficulty was found in
getting cabbages to head and it would often
happen that less than quarter Of all that
were set out would make good heads. Now
IL is almost a rare exception to find any
plants, grown from good seed, on good soil,
that fail te give satisfactory results in this
respect.
The reason for this advance is to be found
in greater knowledge and better care on the
part Of seed-growers The chief improve
ments have lieen a careful selection OF plants
set for seed, looking to uniformity Of type
and season, and solidity Of head together
with the abolition Of the old custom of
raising seed from the stumps instead Of from
the whole plant No honest ssed-grower
now thinks Of setting out stumps for seed,
or Of allowing anything but the central stalk,
which grows from the middle Of the head,
60 produce seed.
The heads selected for seed are carefully
preserved, roots and ALL either in cellars, or,
farther south, by setting out in the field
furrowing up and covering with litter or
massing together in cold frames, also pro-
tacted. In the spring the housed heads are
set ont or those in the field uncovered, the
heads scored with Knife and carefully
opened, to allow the central shoot TO come
forth, and the whole well titled and cared
for, and the seed, when ripe, carefully har-
vested, cleaned and dried
There is large assortment of varieties
some popular in one section and some in an
other some adapted to one kind Of soil and
some to another. Among early cabbages, the
Early jersey Wakefield, Early Flat Dutch
aud Winningstadt are the hardest headed
and most desirable The Early York, both
small and large sorts, are very fine flaw
ored, but usually soft-headed. The Win
nngstadt is what is called second early"
and if planted the last week in June makes
very good winter cabbage especially ON
light soils. Two new second early sorts, the
Early Scheyiufeort aud Fotter's Brunswick,
have recently been introduced, and are
largely planted by the market gardeners in
the neighborhood Of Boston, but have not
yet become very widely known. Among the
late cabbages the Stone Mason, Large Late
Drumhead aud Premium Flat Dutch are the
most esteemed varieties. The Marblehead
Mammoth is the largest, often weighing
thirty pounds and upwards.
The successful culture of the cabbage is
test of good gardening. 1t is a plant that
requires much manure aud high cultivation
to ensure success but with these two requi-
sites nothing is more easy. One thing is
certain, weeds and cabbages cannot be sue
cessfully grown together.
The pleasure and success of cabbage
growing has been much nterfered with, for
the last eight years, by the green cabbage
worm, pest imported from Europe 10y the
way of Canada, aud spreading thence all
over the country. We have given the best
remedies for the insect in recent issues.
Club foot is disease that affects both
cabbage and turnip on some soils and a
small worm, like the onion maggot, some
times renders success with the early kinds
difficult. There is no certain remedy for
either of these troubles.