The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-19

plowed under. AS the cabbage needs
large quantities of potash good. wood
ashes may be used literally This is of
great value on all heavy clay soils 1t
is not good plan to use commercial
FERTILIZERS where the soil contains but
little humus.
Provide Humus First.
First provide the humus in the soil,
then use the commercial fertilizers Where
We cannot obtain sufficient barnyard ma
nure for supplying the humus needed, we
should plow under heavy crops of green
manure put on the lime to keep the soil
sweet, after which we can use commercial
fertilizers. Use per acre from 1000 to 9OOC
pounds of a fertilizer containing:
Nitrogen. per cent; available phos-
phorc acid, per cent; potash, 8 per cent
This can be obtained from the following
mixtures:
No. 1-25o to 500 pounds of nitrate OF
soda; 800 to 1000 pounds of bone meal; 1870
to 800 pounds muriate of potash
No. 900 to 1900 pounds of cotton seed
meal; 450 to 900 pounds available phos-
phoric acid; $50 to 800 pounds sulphate Of
potash.
No. 800 to 800 pounds dried blood; zoo
to 400 pounds bone meal; $50 to $50 pounds
sulphate of potash.
! used: 500 pounds nitrate of soda; 100
pounds available acid phosphate; 200
pounds muriate of potash.
1t is perhaps the best plan TO have
which ever of these we thoroughly
incorporated into the soil before planting.
Frequently cabbage, cauliflower and
lettuce plants may be greatly benefited by
a top dressing Of nitrate of soda after
they are planted out. A good plan in
this is to clear the field of all weeds fol-
low the cultivator right up and sow on
the freshly cultivated soil. Then with a
light harrow, something after the order
of the Planet, Jr., twelve-tooth harrow,
turn back and harrow in the nitrate. Now,
regarding fertilizer. there is not much
danger of our ever applying too much
of it to our soils. The main secret for
soils for cabbage growing is to have a
deep, rich. well drained soil, made very
fine before the plants are set.
Working the Rows.
When everything is ready, mark out
the rows, thirty inches apart This will
allow ample room for horse cultivation
Set the plants about eighteen inches
apart This will require 5000 to 10000
plants per acre The plants should be
set well down to the first leaves and the
dirt pressed firmly around them. After
the row is set it / often good idea
to turn back and with the foot press the
the roots should be set straight and never
doubled up. Within a few days after
the plants are set, the cultivation should
begin and kept up regularly once week
at least until the crop is matured and
ready for the market. | ind the Planet,
Jr., horse hoes or one horse cutivators
the best implements for all classes OF
cultivation in truck farming. However,
there are many other good tools for this
class of work.
Now, few words as to varieties. We
find none better for early use to grow
for Shipment than the Early Jersey
Wakefield and Henderson's Early SUM
mer. The Charleston Wakefield is an inn
provement in size only over the old va
riety, but it comes in a few days later.
There are a great many varieties listed
or we may be safer in saying that these
three varieties are listed under many
names.
Insects.
We can very readily head off the raw
ages of insects that prey upon the early
cabbage. All that is needed is little
attention at the right time. Frequently
lice and the little black jumping flea get
into the beds of plants. These can be
driven out by using a mixture of equal
parts of slung shot, air Stacked lime and
tobacco dust. Dust the plants and the
beds all over with this preparation ana
there will be no more trouble from these
pests The most destructive insect that
destroys early cabbage plants is the little
black worm known as or commonly
called the cut worm. This fellow feeds
by crawling out at night and cutting the
plants off above the ground. They often
prove very destructive and have been
known to destroy whole crops of early
cabbage plants soon after the plants are
set In the field. These may be destroyed
by sowing from two to four hundred
pounds of kainit per acre, broadcasted
and narrowed in shallow or hoed IN
around the plants. The kainit not only
tends to destroy the worms, but also pre-
vents rust, and as 1t usually contains II
per cent potash, and as before stated
cabbage needs potash, 1t also becomes a
valuable fertilizer, thus serving a three
fold purpose. Another remedy, though
rather a slow one, is to mix air Stacked
lime and slug shot, equal parts, and put
table spoonful around each plant. Re-
peat this right after each hoeing until
the plants become too large to be at:
tackled. Constant cultivation and hoeing
will destroy many of these worms. In
fact, all remedies used against insects
are best used as preventives. By having
our soils in a fine physical condition,
highly fertilized, with regular clean cul-
tivation, this will to great extent pre-
vent the ravages OF insects as well as
diseases that otherwise would greatly
injure the crops There is another III
sect the green worm or cabbage cater
pillar. the eggs of which are laid on, the
cabbage by the white butterflies we see
f1uttering around over the plants, This
worm does but little damage to the
early crop of cabbage, but often destroya
the later crops.