The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-16

L suppose there is more cabbage grown
and marketed every year than of any
other one vegetable, and it is generally
supposed that any one can make sue
cess of growing a crop of it if they only
are failures and successes attending its
production, says a trucker in Farmer
and Fruit Grower.
Cabbage, to be of good quality, sound
and crisp, must be grown rapidly from
the day the plant appears above ground
until it is ready for market; il must be
kept steadily growing, and not allowed
to get any backset in any way. There
Is all the difference in the world be-
tween a cabbage that has been grow
ing for four months or more and one
that has been produced IN from two to
three months. The former is tough and
leathery, the latter crisp and sweet.
If there is any vegetable that don't
want to be fertilzed with stable ma
nure it is the cabbage. and if there is any
vegetable that wants potash, and plen-
ty of it. it is the cabbage.
The seed bed must be well prepared
and made very rich, the seed sowed in
drills eight or ten inches apart, SO as
to allow of cultivation and wedding. if
necessary, After the plants set a good
stand a little nitrate of soda helps to
push them forward. Tne plants should
not be transDlanted into the open
ground until they are of a good size and
able to stand the shock of transplanting.
There is really nothing gained by being
in too great a hurry in doing this too
soon.
Cabbage does best to follow a crop of
corn or oats; il should never be planted
in succession, in the same ground, as in
that case it would be fun of club root and
If.1 no,
land should be always deeply and well
plowed and prepared, and about eight
hundred pounds per acre of kainit broad
casted and narrowed in a few weeks be-
fore planting. This helps to kill any slugs
or cutworms that may be in the soil. I'M
mediately, before planting apply about
half ton per acre of a fertilizer strong in
potash and phosphOric acid; eight per
cent. phosphoric acid, ten per cent. pot
ash, and three to four per cent. nitrogen
is about right. This with the kainit gen
erously added would give nearly ton to
the acre. / find nitrate of soda the best
form of nitrogen for cabbage, as it is very
quick acting and stimulating in its eff
feet The soil however, must be in the
very best physical condition for it, other
wise l would use cotton seed meal. The
nitrate of soda is best applied alone mot
composted with potash and phOsphoric
acid and in small doses during the
growth of the plant. Cotton seed meal to
be most effective should be used at least
a month before planting, as it takes that
time for nitrification to be active. Some
advocate the use of potash either as mu-
riate or sulphate long time ahead Of
planting, but as it is Immediately availa-
BILE l always found it best shortly before.
unless the land was of a very stiff clayey
nature, in which case ii would suit applied
a few weeks i'm advance.
After the plants begin to grow we'll
they should get strict attention. The
cultivator should be among them at least
once a week. and they should be thor
oughly clear of weeds. The cabbage worm
must be looked after and the most eff
fectve remedy for him is to spray with
a weak solution of potash water, Ga tea
spoonful of kainit in five gallons of wa
teri. A little nitrate of soda may also
be added, say half the quantity of the
kainit. This applied in the evening when
the sun is not shining strong, a few times
before the plants begin heading, settles
the matter; in fact, the best insecticides
we have are potash and nitrate of soda,
as they are both insecticides and fertilizers
in one.
There is more money in cabbage if prop
erfy managed than in any other crop
that l know of, and if as sometimes hap
pens, the results don't come up to ex-
pcctations, it is through some neglect or
oversight during the growing period, but
in a good many cases of the kind it is
for want of sufficient potash in the ferti-
lizer used.