d the compost applied to the hills be very concentrated, it will
be apt to produce stump foot; it will, therefore, be safest in such
cases to hollow out the middle with the corner of the hoe, or draw the
hoe through and fill in with earth, that the roots of the young plants
may not come in direct contact with the compost as soon as they begin to
push.

When guano or phosphates are used in the hills it will be well to mark
out the rows with a plough, and then, where each hill is to be, fill in
the soil level to the surface with a hoe, before applying them. I have,
in a previous paragraph, given full instructions how to apply these. Hen
manure, if moist, should be broken up very fine, and be mixed with some
dry earth to prevent it from again lumping together, and the mixture
applied in sufficient quantity to make an equivalent of a heaping
handful of pure hen manure to each hill. Any liquid manure is excellent
for the cabbage crop; but it should be well diluted, or it will be
likely to produce stump foot.

Cabbage seed of almost all varieties are nearly round in form, but are
not so spherical as turnip seed. I note, however, that seed of the
Savoys are nearly oval. In color they are light brown when first
gathered, but gradually turn dark brown if not gathered too early. An
ounce contains nearly ten thousand seed, but should not be relied upon
for many over two thousand good plants, and these are available for
about as many hills only when raised in beds and transplanted; when
dropped directly in the hills it will take not far from eight ounces of
the larger sorts to plant an acre, and of the smaller cabbage rather
more than this. Cabbage seed when well cured and kept in close bags will
retain their vitality four or five years; old gardeners prefer seed of
all the cabbage family two or three years old.

When the plan is to raise the young plants in beds to be transplanted,
the ground selected for the beds should be of rich soil; this should be
very thoroughly dug, and the surface worked and raked very fine, every
stone and lump of earth being removed. Now sprinkle the seed evenly over
the bed and gently rake in just under the surface, compacting the soil
by pressure with a board. As soon as the young plants appear, sprinkle
them with air-slaked lime. Transplant when three or four inches high,
being very careful not to let the plants get tall and weak.

For late cabbage, in the latitude of Boston, to have cabbages ready