most all of
these can be made to head during the winter. A few years ago I selected
my seed heads from a large piece and then sold the first "pick" of what
remained at ten cents a head, the second at eight cents, and so down
until all were taken for which purchasers were willing to give one cent
each. Of course, after such a thorough selling out as this, there was
not much in the shape of a head left. I now had what remained pulled up
and carted away, doubtful whether to feed them to the cows or to set
them out to head up during winter. As they were very healthy plants in
the full vigor of growth, having rudimentary heads just gathering in, I
determined to set them out. I had a pit dug deep enough to bring the
tops of the heads, when the plants were stood upright as they grew, just
above the surface of the ground; I then stood the cabbages in without
breaking off any of the leaves, keeping the roots well covered with
earth, having the plants far enough apart not to crowd each other very
much, though so near as to press somewhat together the two outer
circles of leaves. They were allowed to remain in this condition until
it was cold enough to freeze the ground an inch in thickness, when a
covering of coarse hay was thrown over them a couple of inches thick,
and, as the cold increased in intensity, this covering was increased to
ten or twelve inches in thickness, the additions being made at two or
three intervals. In the spring I uncovered the lot, and found that
nearly every plant had headed up. I sold the heads for four cents a
pound; and these refuse cabbages averaged me about ten cents a head,
which was the price my best heads brought me in the fall. I have seen
thousands of cabbages in one lot, the refuse of several acres that had
been planted on sod land broken up the same season a crop of hay had
been taken from it, made to head by this course, and sold in the spring
for $1.30 per barrel. When there is a large lot of such cabbages the
most economical way to plant them will be in furrows made by the plough.
Most of the bedding used in covering them, if it be as coarse as it
ought to be to admit as much air as possible while it should not mat
down on the cabbages, will, with care in drying, be again available for
covering another season, or remain suitable for bedding purposes. These
"winter-headed" cabbages, as they are called in the market, are not so
solid and have more shrinkage to them than those headed in the ope