How and What to Grow in a Kitchen Garden of One Acre (10th Ed)/Cabbages
CABBAGES.
Of this vegetable two distinct crops, are raised in every garden, while many gardeners, by successive sowings and the use of several varieties, have them fit for use constantly from early spring until fall, and throughout the entire winter by storage. In the ordinary garden the same result may be obtained by planting larger quantities of the early and summer varieties, and cutting them as wanted for use, as most of them will stand the whole summer without bursting or going to seed, and by early fall some of the winter cabbage will be large enough for use.
Early or Summer Cabbages.—The seed for these should be sown in a hotbed from the 1st to the 15th of February. As soon as the plants are large enough to set out they should be given plenty of air, and should be gradually hardened off until they are able to stand the cool nights without protection; but they should not be allowed to freeze. Treated in this way they will be ready for planting out as soon as the ground can be worked. In making this sowing I would have it of two kinds—some of a small, hardheading, early variety, and about twice as many of a larger-heading summer kind. These latter are described as second early in the seed catalogues.
These early cabbages need very little care except to have frequent and thorough cultivation, as they are comparatively free from insect pests as long as they make a healthy growth. If attacked by the black fly or green worm, they should be dusted with land plaster or slug shot early in the morning, while the dew is still on them. The soil around these and all other crops that depend on quick growth for their superior qualities, must not only be cultivated, to kill the weeds, but must be kept loose and well stirred, to admit the air to the roots of the plants; it must not be allowed to lic heavy and packed after dashing rains, but should be stirred up as soon as dry enough. The rows may be as close as can be worked with the cultivator, say about three feet, and the plants about one and a half feet apart in the row, or even closer, if the variety grown makes but small heads.
Late or Winter Cabbage.—As soon as the ground becomes warm in the spring, or early in May, a seed bed should be made and sown with the late varieties of cabbage and celery, or the seed may be sown in drills in the garden; the seed being sown in very thinly, so as to produce plants standing about half an inch apart in the row. Where it can be done, it is best to sow the seed in a special bed or cold frame, where they can be watered and nursed to a good size by the time they are wanted for planting. The Flat Dutch and Drumhead types are the best for this planting, though many prefer the Savoys, claiming a superior delicacy of flavor, on account of their having more leaf surface to the number of ribs or veins; they are not, however, nearly such sure headers, nor are they as good keepers when buried.
It is important to get the seed sown early, that the plants may be had of good size by the middle of June, though they will make a partial crop if planted as late as the middle of August. As these varieties make larger heads than the summer cabbages, they cannot be planted so closely; the rows should be 3 to 3½ feet apart, and the plants 2 to 2½ feet apart in the rows. These can be planted and grown between the rows of early peas, corn or potatoes; but I would prefer to wait until the first crop of corn be cleared off the ground, as it can then be brought into much better condition. It adds greatly to the labor of harvesting the first crop when the ground is so closely planted, and the soil is apt to become hard and packed before it can be cultivated again.
When possible, the young cabbage plants should be set out directly before or after a good rain, but if there is no prospect of rain, they should be planted in the evening and a tincupful of water should be poured in each hole before the plant is set in; then draw the dry earth up around the stem and pack firmly around the plant; this will enable them to withstand at least a week of dry weather. If the drought should continue longer, or they do not come up fresh in the morning after a flagging day, they must be watered in the cool of the evening, when the plant will have the benefit of the water all night. It is waste of time to water them while the hot sun is shining, unless they can be shaded with papers, old pans, etc.
As soon as they become well established, the soil around them must be carefully loosened and cultivation begun. To obtain the best results they must be cultivated frequently and deeply. It is a common sight in some gardens to see the cabbage with stems two feet high and a small bunch of wormy leaves at the top; a closer examination will show that the soil is hard and trampled, and that the plants have been left to grow as best they may, while in the well-cultivated garden the stems are short and the heads are large and solid.
The young plants of late cabbages are generally infested, while in the seed bed, with a small black fly, which greatly checks their growth, and sometimes entirely destroys them. These can be gotten rid of, or better, entirely avoided, by the application of dry road dust, soot, slug shot, or land plaster, dusted on the young leaves early in the morning, while the dew is still on them; this should be repeated every two or three mornings until the fly is exterminated and the plants have grown to good size. When the plants have been set out and are nearly ready to head, the green cabbage worm makes its appearance, and if fine marketable heads are desired this post must be destroyed. Many remedies for this are givon, most of which are ineffectual. It is best to sprinkle well with tar water or alum water, taking care to get it well down into the centre of the loose leaves, using an ordinary watering pot for the purpose; if a garden syringe is at hand, it can be thrown into the plant much better than by sprinkling. To make the tar water, the tar is put in a barrel of water and well stirred; then, when it has been allowed to settle, the water from the top is dipped off and used. It should be strong enough to have quite a decided taste. The alum may be dissolved in the watering pot, about one tablespoonful to the gallon, and stirred till dissolved. See that the solution gets well into the centre of the loose leaves just below the head, as this is the favorite place of attack by the worms.
The cabbage is quite hardy and will stand considerable frost in the fall without damage, being rather improved in quality by it. By the third week in November they should be put in pits or the vegetable cellar; or, where these conveniences are not at hand, they should be pulled up, root and all, the outside leaves wrapped closely around the head and stood side by side, on their heads, on a well-drained piece of ground; they should be placed in a long row two or three heads wide, and where a good many are to be buried or gotten out at once, two additional rows may be placed on top of these, as shown in the illustration.
Dry soil is then thrown on these heads to the thickness of five or six inches and the roots left sticking out of the top; this covering should be firmly packed, to prevent the entrance of water, and a small gutter should be dug round the heap to carry it off. If, after the cold weather has set in and the ground is slightly frozen, the heap is covered with three to four inches of corn fodder or litter, it will prevent the covering from freezing so hard, and will greatly lessen the work of getting out the heads when wanted for use. When heads are wanted, one end of the bank is opened and as many taken out as are desired; the open end is then carefully covered over with soil. Too many should not be taken out at once, as they retain their flavor better when buried in this manner
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Illustrations showing the manner of storing cabbage for winter use. Figure 1 showing three rows of heads and Figure 2, five rows. C. Heads of cabbage. S. Soil banked over the heads. D. Drainage ditches to carry off the water.
EXTRA EARLY EXPRESS CABBAGE.
EARLY JERSEY WAKEFIELD CABBAGE.
Early Varieties—Extra Early Etampes.—This cabbage is the earliest heading variety that I have ever grown. The heads are small but round and very solid, and it is ready for use nearly two weeks ahead of the other early varieties.[1]
Early Jersey Wakefield.—This has long been the chief favorite for the general crop of early cabbage, and is deservedly popular, as it is sure to head when the seed is good; the heads are of good size and shape, and the quality is fine.
Early Summer.—This succeeds the Wakefield, and has heads about twice the size of the latter; they are round, very solid and slightly flattened on top; it has few outside leaves and can be planted closely; this variety matures about two weeks later than the Wakefield, and a month after the Etampes.[2]
VARIETIES OF LATE CABBAGES.
EARLY SUMMER CABBAGE.
BURPEE’S SUREHEAD CABBAGE.
BURPEE’S SHORT-STEM DRUMHEAD CABBAGE.
Short-Stem Drumhead.—This variety produces on extra short stems, only a few inches in height, very large solid heads, often twenty-five pounds in weight It is from this kind that the very large heads seen at the county fairs in the fall are grown, and where the ground is heavily manured and well cultivated enormous crops of this variety can be grown; it is of fine quality, very solid and an excellent keeper.
Danish Ball Head.—This variety has only been 
- ↑ The Extra Early Express, a new variety, just introduced from France, and seed of which we distributed for trial this year, has proved eight to ten days earlier than the Etampes. The heads do not average quite as large as the Etampes, but are of equally as good quality and of the shape shown in the illustration on page 60.—Ed.
- ↑ For years, Mr. Vandergaw, a large cabbage grower of Long Island, has had a second-early cabbage fully as early as Early Summer and with much larger heads. This is known as the Vandergaw Cabbage, and is only now being generally introduced. The heads are very large and solid, of the shape shown in the illustration on page 64; it is a good keeper, and altogether a good variety, also, for winter use.—Ed.