The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-02-28
The Farm.
HOW TO GROW EARLY CABBACE

N'S ~, SClcCI IL piece OF me-
dlumly low, well drained land. Do not
put on any fertilizer in the fall or early
winter. Plow this land as thoroughly
and as deep as you can, SO long as YOU
do not turn up the sub-soil L usually
pillow eight or ten inches deep, pulverize
thoroughly with good clod breaker, or
marrow. BE sure that all humps are
broken and the soil is fine and soft. Law
OH your rows, east and west, if YOU can.
thlrty inches apart, using a bull-tongue
pillow for the purpose. Just before YOU
order your plants make up your beds, by
throwing two burrows together, with a
single-horse turn pillow. Then firm the
beds by rolling them with light roller,
such as you would use in rolling hay
land. "In small gardens use plank
for firming them" Remember that no
fertilizer is to be applied until after the
plants are set. When your plants ar
rive take the baskets to the field, and as
you take the plants from the basket dip
the roots in water to moisten them Then
set your plants on the south side of the
bed, far enough down the side so that
the top of the bed is above the top of the
plant. This is done to keep the cold
north and northwest winds from twisting
and breaking the plants while small
Your plants should be set twenty inches
apart in the row, and the entire stem of
the plant up to the first leaves should be
in the soil. Pack the soil good and tight
about the roots. The soil should be so
firm that the leaf of the plant would
pull off before plant would pull out. In
climate where the thermometer does
not go below eighteen or twenty you can
get best results by setting your plants in
December and January. Where the Their
mometer goes below eighteen it is best
to set them in February and March. The
object of setting in cold weather is this:
The top of the plant is dormant and will
stand severe cold without injury. The
roots are in land, where there is no fer
tilizer, and they continue to grow and
spread all winter. About two weeks be-
fore your regular spring weather opens
up take a turn pillow or half shovel and
throw furrow away from the plants
in each alternate row. Run the fur
row as close to the plants as you can.
Then put in this furrow fertilizer analiz-
ing eight per cent. ammonia, seven per
cent. phosphoric acid, five per cent. pot
ash, at the rate of 1000 pounds to the
acre, and then throw the furrow back,
working dirt well up around the plants.
This working will have worked and
fortified one side of each row. About
ten days after the first working, work
and fertilize the other alley in exactly
the same way. You will then have work
ed both alleys and have put on two thous-
and pounds of fertilizer to the acre. From
this time on keep both alleys well cult
waited and the soil as open as possible,
using a diamond tooth harrow and cult
vator. The roots that have been growing
all winter will now take up the fertili-
ger very rapidly and make you crop of
cabbage two or three weeks earlier than
you can make them by growing your own
plants.
In purchasing your plants be sure that
you get your plants from reliable grow
er, who uses nothing but high grade seed,
as the success or failure of your crop will
depend upon the seed from which the
plants were grown