The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-02-03
EARLY G CABBAGE.
Some Thoughtful Suggestions As to
How to Grow Them =

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How to Grow Them. =
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Written by a Man Whoj HIS Spent
Many Years In Kissing
Then forlMdrAet.,
The writer OF this article Is the orig.
inator Of the Cabbage growing indus
try On the Carolina Coast grew my
first cabbage for market. In the year
1868; from beginning of one. half
acre, the business has increased until
at the present time there are over A.
600 acres of.cabbage grown each. sea.
son In this territory. TO grow e. sue
cessful crop the first and;host impor.
tant thing Is to secure plants that are
grown from high grade seed, az no
amount Of care, Fertilizer or cultiva
tion can make good crop, IL the
plants used are grown from inferior
SEED. You cannot judge from the ap
pearance Of the plant, as all young
cabbage plants look the same. Your
safest plan Ia to purchase your plants
from resp jnsible dealer who has been
IN tho business long time, and who
has an established reputation. The
better class OF seed growers select
their stock very carefully, removing
from the field all heads of cabbage
iat are not perfect. Some seasons
they have to cut out two thirds OF
their plants and do not save their
seed from more than one third. Seed
selected In this way will cost from s2,-
so to $500 per pound other seed
growers allow their entire crop Of cab
bage to make seed, do not use any
care In the selection OF seed grown
These seed Will cost you from 40 to 80
cents per pound. The cost of the seed
Is two thirds OF the cost of growing
cabbage plants, so you can readily
understand why plant grower who
pays 81 so to 50. 90 for his seed cannot
sell you plants as cheap as the grower
who buys inferior seed at 40 to 60
cents Fer pound. My thirty six years
experience has proved to me that 1t
would pay me better to use high grade
seed at a cost Of $40 90 per pound
than to use inferior seed If 1 could get
them free. Those who do not make
a regular business of growing cabbage
have been In the habit Of settins:out
pants in the month OF Fe' rIpry
and March, think nR> that the pants
do not live>if set elrlier In the winter.
This is mistake as a plant set in
December or Jaruar under the prop
or conditions will iEe-just as we'll and
head much earlier The following in.
structtons will glvs the proper method
OF setting. The South Carolina sea
coast. on account IF locality, and eli
matte conditions is admirably aIa ot.
ed to the growing OF hardy open air
plants. The plant growers SOW their
seed In the open fields In the late, fall
from October 20th to November 18th
i1eSe seed germlnate quickly and
make very rapid growth for cou Die
tf weeks, by this time the nights start
get I'D. The growth Of the plants
! checked, and usually about Decem-
er 1st to 10th our freezlng weather
egins, when the plants stop growing
entirely. The cold weather has caused
ii to become tough ano hard, is now
In dormant condition and will se.
main in this condition until tie latter
part Of February or until the spring
weather opens up. In this condition
plants will stand cell cs.ld ygs.,..aQut VI injury,
L have seen my plants covered with
ice and sleet for several days, with
the thermometer down to IS and not
be injure at all, while the same plants
II they had been in thrifty growing
condition and full of sap would have
been killed by heavy freeze or q
slight frost, to avoid the danger Of
tossing your plants you want to buy
them while they are dormant, the
sooner you do this after Decen bsr
18th the better. {
If you have 1t, select a piece Of
dark, mediumly lJw, we'll drained
land, break it up as thoroughly as you
can, then pulverize we'll with good
olod breaker or harrows east and
west, 80 inches apart, with a bull
tongae plow. Make up your bed. by
throwing two fuIrows together witha
single horse turn plow.
Take your plants and set them 20
inches apart on the south side OF the
bed, far enough down, that the top OF
the bed will be- above the plant, this
Is done to keep the north and nor tn
west winds from twisting and break
ing the small plants. Be sure to set
the plants we'll down in the soil, and
see that the entire stem up 10 the
first leaves is in the ground. The
earth should be we'll packed arluntl
the plant, it should be packed so firm,
that II you take your plant by tue;
leaf and pull the leaves would break
of before the plant would pull out.
1t Is understood that you have used
plants that are IN dormant conli-'
tion. These plants should not be
fertiliz,d at all, until about two weeks
before the regular spring weather
opens up. The top OF the plants will
not grow during the winter, but the
roots will lie growing all Of the time.
About the middle or last OF February
or say two weeks before your regu.
lar spring weather starts, take turn
plow, or half shovel, and throw fur
row away from the plants in each al
ternate row, run the furroR close to
the plant, SOW In this furrow fertili
zer at the rate OF 200 pounds to the
acre, this fertilizer should annalyzs s
per cent. phosphoiic acid, per cent.
Ammonia, and per cent. potash.
After you have put down the fertili
ger, throw the furrow back, with the
same plow, being sure to work the
dirt we'll up arount the plant. About
two wanks aftor 1hia farfiljyipo .,o