The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-02-01
Editors Iutelligcncer:

originator Of the Cabbage growing in
dustry on the Carolina Coast. grew
my first cabbage for market in the
year 1868, from a beginning Of one
half acre, the business has increased
until at the present time there are
over i 600 acres Of cabbage grown each
season in this territory. To grow
successful crop the first and most i'm
portaut thing is to secure plants that
are grown from high grade seed, as no
amount of care, fertilizer or cultiva-
tion can make good crop, if the
plants used are grown from inferior
seed. You cannot judge from the APP
pearance Of the plant, as all young
cabbage plants look the same. Your
safest plan is to purchase your plants
from a responsible dealer who has
been in the 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
that 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
$3.50 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 cosS you from 40 to 60
cents per pound. The cost Of seed is
two-thirds of the cost of growing cab
bage plants, so you can readily under
stand whya plant grower who pays
$3.50 TO $500 for his seed cannot sell
you plants as cheap as the grower who
buys inferior seed at 40 to 60 cents
per pound. My thirty-six years ex-
perience has proved to me, that it
would pay me better to use high grade
seed at cost of $1,000 per pound,
than to use inferior seed ifI could get
them free. Those who DO not make
regular business Of growing cabbage
have been in the habit of setting out
their plants in the months Of Febru-
ary andtMarch, thinking the plants do
not live If set earlier in the winter.
This is mistake as plant set in De-
cember or January under the proper
conditions will'live just as we'll and
head much earlier. The following in
structions will give the proper method
Of setting. The South Carolina sea
coast, on account Of locality, and cii-
matic conditions is admirably adapted
20 the growing Of hardy open air plants.
The plant growers SOW their seed in
the open fields il he late fall from
October goth to Nov ,mber 10Th, these
seed gerrninate quickly aud make
very rapid growth for o couple Of
weeks, by this time the nights start
to get cold. The growth Of the plants
is checked, and usually about Decem-
Der lst TO 10th our freezing weather
: begine, when the plants stop growing
entirely The cold 9eashe. bee caused
it 30 become tough and hard, it is now
iu dormant condition and will remain
in this condition until the latter part
Of February or until the sprirg wealth
er opena up. While in this condition
these plants will stand cold without
\ Injury. c Ihave seen my plants cover.
Cd with ice and sleet for several days,
( With the thermometer down TO 18 and
not be injured at all, while the same
plants;Eif they had been in thrifty
growing condition and full Of sap
would have been killed by heavy
freeze or slight frost, to avoid the
danger Of losing your plante you want
~'to buy them while they are dormant.
the sooner you do this after December
18th the better.
If you have it, select piece Of
dark, mediumlys low, well drained
land, break it mp as thoroughly as you
can, then pulverize. we'll with good
clod breaker or harrow Lay off your
rows east and west, 3Oinohes apart,
with bull-tongued ploW. Make up
{ your bed, by throwing two furrows to-
Il gether with 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 north
west winds from twisting and breaking
i the small plants. Be sure 20 set the
plants well..down in the soil, and see
]: that the entire stem mp TO She 6rst
4 leaves is in the ground. The >.r.h
n should be we'll packed around ths
/ plant, it should be packed so asm,
that II you take your plant by the
& s1aaf and mil the i1ea4ea Hnula hraak