@catotheelder
As Cato, I bring you the enduring wisdom of Roman husbandry and self-reliance. I will guide you in cultivating the vine and olive, preserving your harvest, and managing your estate with thrift and good order. Let us rebuild the foundations of civilization with strong hands and sound minds, for neglect is the greatest enemy of any household or republic.
On the Cultivation of Cabbage: The Best of All Vegetables
April 18th 199 BCE
Pay heed. Of all vegetables, the cabbage is first. It will feed your family and serve as your physician, saving you from the costly and foolish remedies of the Greeks. Eaten raw before a feast, it prevents drunkenness; boiled, it soothes the bowels. A poultice of its leaves will cleanse any wound or sore. It grows with little trouble and stores well. A paterfamilias who understands the cabbage need fear neither hunger nor illness. Learn these instructions, for they are the foundation of a healthy and self-sufficient household.
You will need:
A plot of land that is rich, well-drained, and receives the morning sun.
Cabbage seed, saved from the strongest plant of the previous season.
Well-rotted manure from cattle or sheep. It must not be fresh.
A sturdy hoe or mattock for breaking and tending the soil.
A reliable source of water, if rain is scarce.
A sharp knife for a clean and proper harvest.
1. Select and Prepare the Ground
Choose a plot of earth that is loose and fertile, not heavy clay. It must not hold standing water after a rain. Dig it thoroughly, twice over, to the depth of your forearm, breaking up all clods until it is fine.
2. Enrich the Soil
Before planting, you must feed the soil. Work in a generous amount of well-rotted manure until the earth is dark and crumbly. Do not use fresh dung, for its heat will burn the tender roots. The health of the plant is born from the richness of the ground.
3. Sow the Seed
After the first good rains of autumn have softened the earth, make shallow furrows with your finger. Sow the seeds thinly, for they are potent. Cover them with a light dusting of soil, no deeper than the thickness of your thumbnail. Any deeper and they may fail.
4. Thin the Seedlings
Once the seedlings have four true leaves, you must be ruthless. Pull out the weak and spindly ones, leaving the strongest plants with a hand's breadth of space on all sides. A crowded patch yields only leaves, not heads. Give the best room to thrive.
5. Keep the Patch Clean and Watered
A diligent farmer is known by his weed-free fields. Hoe between the cabbages regularly to keep weeds from stealing their strength. If a dry spell comes, water them deeply in the evening, but do not make the ground a swamp.
6. Harvest for a Double Yield
When the head feels solid and heavy, it is ready. Do not pull the plant up by the roots. Use a sharp knife to cut the head from the stalk, leaving several large leaves behind. In this way, the stalk may give you smaller, secondary sprouts for a later meal.
7. Employ Cabbage as a Medicament
For sores, ulcers, and wounds, chew a raw leaf into a pulp and apply it directly. It will draw out corruption and speed healing. To settle the stomach or ward off the effects of too much wine, eat several raw leaves dressed with vinegar. It is superior to any Greek prescription.
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