The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-05-18
LATE CABBAGE AT THE SOUTH.
ByJ. F. MERRIAM, Editor Southern
RuraliSt

| recently met Il SeHlieIIidil III <h''""N'>
who had made several shipments or cap
page to this city from about NIFTY miies
below. The first lot, of 1000 pounds. sold
IN February for 1-2 cents per pound net
The second lot, sold in March. brought Z
conts ner mound. wholesale. The variety
was the Buncompe. noted Tor us nus
keeping qualities and ability to stano
cold.
This gentleman was delighted with MS
success. He only had small amour.
planted last wear. but said he INTENDED
to put fifteen acres of rich bottom iano
in cabbage this fall His idea was 10
grow a crop of early Irish potatoes ano
follow them with cabbage.
TO keep this cabbage in good conditloh
until March, he had simply pulled them
up by the roots. piled them up IN an w
long pie, upside down, under a sheo' anu
covered them with straw.
have had some experience with iate
cabbage myself; but living as 90 neal
the city, we have always sold ours oirecl
from the field. The demand tor this
vegetable is so good that thus far we
have failed to grow them In sufhcleht
quantities to have any to bank and Keep
through the winter.
am often asked by people who I'VE
too far from a city to go into general
market gardening, what to plant 10 sen
besides cotton. TO these my reply mas
almost always been. plant some stapie
vegetable like potatoes or cabbage. lheY
are alwa,.s in demand. and never go out
of sea SON.
To grow late cabbage we must begin py
the last of May or the first OF June ana
plant our seed. We sow 1t in rows one
foot apart in the open field on moist land
which Is not too rich We use little
chemical fertilizer broadcast. worked III
On the surface. 1t will furnish the plants
with the necessary plant food without the
unnecessary weed seed which we get IN
stable manure, and, besides. manure
would be likely to give excess of am
monia and cause our plants to make too
rapid a growth Of top
The size of your plant bed will depend
on the amount of land you intend to set
in cabbage. You will want 5000 good
plants to set an acre, and cannot figure
on over ten plants to the foot of row in
the bed The plants should not be thicker
than this If the weather is very drY
when you plant your seed. 1t VIII oe
necessary to water the bed and cover the
rows with boards until they begin 10
come up After the plants are up, all the
cultivation needed will be to keep down
the weeds ana grass with the wheel noe
If too much cultivation is given the plants
Will grow too rapidly and become tall and
spndlIng
You will have to keep 2 lookout FOR In
scots or many of your plants will be
DESTROYED before you are aware OF what
is happening At the first appearance of
the flea and beetle Ca little black bug
which looks like an ordinary flea, and
sucks the life out of small plants, give
the bed . good busting with air-slakeG
lime The next likely to attack your
plants will be the harlequin bug. II is q
good idea to plant a row of mustard on
each side Of your CO bbage bed, as these
bugs prefer it and will leave the cabbage
to suck the mustard, where they can be
killed with kerosene Oil. You will have
to hand-pick them from your cabba ge
plants
Soil for ca bhage must be made rich
select the best piece OF land you have.
bottom land preferred. Break it deeply
and pulverize thoroughly Lay off your
rows feet apart and apply not less than
900 pounds Of high-grade fertilizer to the
acre. in the drill The fertilizer should
analyze about 4 per cent ammonia, per
cent phoephoric acid and pe- cent pot
ash Put IL on by hand In a broad band
and mix we'll with the soil by running
through the row with shovel plow.
Then put two burrows on 1t and let 1t
stand about two weeks before setting the
plants This work should be done in July.
so that the land will be ready to set the
plants whenever the wea Their Is favorable.
about the FIRST of August There is often
considerable difficulty at this season OF
the year in making the plants live, and
every precauton must be taken to have
The conditions right.
When you are ready to plant, which
should be If possible. after light show
er. and while the weather is damp and
cloudy OPEN the rows with a scooter and
set the plants about two feet apart in the
furrow. The reason we set in the furrow
is because plants so set are less likely 10
be killed by cut worms, the tendency Of
these worms being to crawl upward out
of the furrow. Then, too, the plants will
live better AMI stand drought better wheE
set deeply
Cultivate with horse cultlvator or hand
hoe every week, until cabbage are so
large they would be injured by further
work You can hardly put too much work
on crop of this kind. There is quite a
good deal invested in each acre, and extra
cultivation paws handsomely.
f.. j. MERRIAM