The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-11-09


The cabbage docs not rank bioh i'm
nutritive food value, consisting as il
does almost wholly of woody fiber and
water Yet 1T has an important place
among the vegetables handled by thd
grocers and in the home vegetable gar
den, for the housewife would hardly
know how to arrange her winter menus
without including it. Moreover, it is
to the interest of the farmer to give n
space i'll the garden or cornfield is
cabbage, for any surplus not made II "a
OF III the house is very acceptable to
the stock, and greedily eaten by it. 1t
does not really pay to raise cabbage
Tor feeding purposes, but little extra
| supply needn't be wasted.
The most inexpensive way of rnis
ing cabbage for the home demand. and
one that Is at the same time the least
troublesome, is to take it out of the
garden and plant among the potatoes
in the cornfeld. Simply SOW the seed
where the cabbage is to grow. and
avoid all the trouble of transplanting,
watering, etc, which are important
factors i'll farm work and apt to pre-
vent the cabbage patch from attaining
adequate dimensions The average
man dislikes to break his back over n
few cabbage plants, and the task is
apt to devolve on the women. who. of
course, haven't backs TO break. The
crop will not he as early, but there
will likely be plenty of it, which is n
compensation.
The seed may he sown when the corn
is planted, or earlier if desirable; later
also II more convenient Sow in hills.
same rs corn or potatoes.
Eighteen inches or two feet is the
proper distance in the garden. where
space Is to be economical. The cab
baEe will of course receive the Same
cultivation as the other crop. and very
little hand work will be necessary as
the cutivator will keep the weeds
down.
FOR the ordinary grower, or the man
who merely grows n home supply, it is
not necessary TO bother about earlv
| and late varieties. A quick growina
variety may he sown the last of Juno
or even, with little coaxing. the frs
Ct July, and make good heads. Or
seed of IN early sort sown late answers
every purpose of late variety
The cabbage worm and the flea
beetle are the chief insect pests of tho
cabbage, though aphides or plant lice
sometimes attack the heads and prove
| troublesome. For the flea beetle.
| which works ON the young plants. n
| busting of fine road dust. or Scotch
snuff, is effective The worm is n more
\ troublesome foe, and years when it
/ a5ounds one might as well surrender
the cabbage patch. The best remedy
IS sPrinkling spraying with paris
| green in solution before heading be
| gins. Afterwards, Of course. it should
not be employed. Sometimes the
butterflies can be trapped early in the
season, thus diminishing the supply.
The cabbage prefers rich soil.
| generously supplied with manure. Bv
! gratifying it's preference we get mann
moth heads, but invoke n danger. 1t
Is awfully aggravating TO have the
/ heads I'LL mp and keep on growing till
| they burst and turn themselves inside
! out, being then Of no earthly use.
! The usual remedy advised for this is
/ twisting or loosening the roots. the
/ idea being that the plant devotes itself
to repairing the damage done to it's
root system, and the head stops en-
largnR But in actual practice this
often fails, md / have come TO the
conclusion that when the bursting has
once begun there is no use trying TO
stop IT, and the only way TO save the
head is to pull it mp aud feed it TO tho
hens, cows or sheep. The safest and
surest way is 10 take the heads in
charge before the bursting begins. and
rs soon as they are solid and full tip
them TO one side, or loosen the roots
/ by twisting the roots little This
will stop growth and hasten maturity.
and the heads will remain firm aud
| solid all winter.