The Charlotte Democrat., 1895-01-11
GRIC TUR Al.
Cabbage and Onions.

Mr.. Ed. Wright, of Manchester, Red
River County, Texas, writes l wish
information in regard to cabbage raising,
manuling the land, etc. Ny effort at
Rising cabbage last season was fail
ure. The timber was cut off the ground
in January and my cabbage plants were
set out in March. | used we'll rotted
manure freely in each hill, cultivated
frequently with hoe and yet my cabs
bage crop was failure. Can you tell
me what the matter was? The only kind
of land [ have is porous and sandy. How
deep and how often should the ground
be stirred around the growing cabbage
Should the ground be stirred after the
heads begin to form | am now putting
layers Of fresh cow manure four inches
thick, eight or ten inches wide, where
expect to plant cabbage next season.
cover the manure three or four inches
deep.
am treating my onion ground in
the Same manner, except / am using
fresh hen manure instead of COW dung
Can you suggest a better treatment for
either cabbage CIR onions? Do you think
the manure will be sufficiently rotted by
planting time? Please advise me for the
best in the matter"
Answers.-There may be other factors
which our correspondent has not noticed.
On the face, according to description, he
deserves success. The fact that his ma
nure is put on in layers and not thor
oughly Incorporated with the soil strikes
us as a mistake. Put on your fertilizers
and then work the ground we'll with cul>
tivator or shovel, plow and harrow fre-
flu In fTun 10 oft hot hor
row again and plant in the middle of
January. Both cabbage and onions like
cool weather.
Why, in March and April we have cab
bage in our markets, raised South in
plenty, hence planting March l is too
late. If you do not 60 too near the plant
you may cultivate With benefit while the
heads are forming. The old saying,
ing"-though not to be taken literally
has in it hint how frequently cabbage
will bear cultivation. Plant the sure
none too early.
damage to cabbage. They can be seen in
moist places, sometimes more than dozens
sporting together. There are two kinds
Cuo HdGlNo anu Cuo HuTOpodu Guo IAGGOA
has darker markings on the wings and
does the most damage, the larva (worm)
boring right into the center of the mead.
Hand picking of the worm is the only
effectual mode to get rid of them and the
damage they do.
In your section, onions, raised from
sets, can be planted now. Have the land
free from weeds, work the manure in
quite as thoroughly as for cabbage; roll it
with light roller, because your soil is
light. Get your black seed Gf that is
what you use) from reliable seed houses
in the East or St. Louis or Cincinnati. l
would prefer the Weathersield and the
Danvers varieties. Your hen manure
should be mixed with wood ashes and
thoroughly fined, because, unless we'll
mixed, it is too caustic, and should not
come in immediate contact with the seed.
Be sure and not SOW too thick Ga common
tault) and if necessary thin out. When
your bulbs are we'll formed roll an empty
barrel over the bed and break down the
tops. Do not let any tops form seed it
will not be fit for use and will spoil the
bulb it grows on. Cultivate frequently
and very shallow. A hand cultivator
about IA inches wide which will only run
two inches or so deep will be the imple-
ment to make onion culture easy. OF
course, the rows should be little wider
than that. G. W. MURTFELDT.
The Republic.