Chinese cabbage may prove to be lucrative crop By JOANNE SPAHR LANCASTER, Pa. - Moses Chu, 2833 Lincoln Highway East, is always seeking new avenues in which to market goods and to utilize the resources around him. At the present time he sees a small, but lucrative market in growing Chinese cabbage and soiling it to Chinese restaurants in the major cities along the eastern coast with New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. the main distribution points for Lancaster County produce. Chu maintains that at least 800 large or small Chinese restaurants in the New York district (which includes Long Island and New Jersey areas) desire this variety of cabbage as a staple. And, while there are already six Chinese vegetable gardens in New Jersey who supply the needs of New York’s Chinatown, their capacity is far below the demand. The rest of the supply is pur chased from California. However, growers in Lan caster County should be able unnonr Check John Deere’s Roundup of Haymaking Bargains for special discounts plus year-end investment credit Act fast and you can save two big fistfulls of cash Look at this list of cash discounts we re offering right now on hay and forage equipment On top of those savings you could save some more on investment credit Time is limited See us before January sneaks up on you and cash-in on John Deere s Round-Up of Bargains MACHINES 336 and 346 Balers 15A and 1 6A Choppers 100 Stack Mover 25 and 34 Forage Harvesters 1207 1209 and 1214 Mower/Conditioners 800 and 830 Wmdrowers 466 Baler Round Balers 35 and 3800 Forage Harvesters 100 Stack Wagon 200 and 300 Stack Movers Hydrostatic Windrowers 200 and 300 Stack Wagons Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters 230 Stack Shredder/ Feeder No finance charges imposed until the next use season Ask us for details If dealer inventory of any product listed above is exhausted, can be ordered Agway, Inc. Chapman Equipment Center Chapman, PA 215-398-2553 Evergreen Tractor Co. Lebanon, PA 717-273-2616 to produce better quality cabbage for one reason, says Chu. That is, Chinese cab bage develops a sweeter taste with cooler weather. So, while California vegetable growers are picking their produce, Lancaster growers could be allowing their cabbages to develop to a more desirable quality. Other characteristics of the cabbage are that it is an elongated variety which grows upright and packs its leaves tightly around the center core. As the weather grows colder, the outer layers and inside layers come together, causing the cabbage to become very hard. Because of this, Chu says the moisture stays in the cabbage and it is easier to transport if it weren’t so hard. As far as the nutrients contained in Chinese cab bage, it is richer than common cabbage in phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, and Vitamin A, and it contains almost the same quantities of calcium, Neuhaus’es Inc. Glen Rock, PA 717-235-1306 Johnson Bros. Kregsville, PA 215-681 4766 Vitamin 81, and Vitamin 82, but is lower in Vitamin C. According to Chu, one of the distinct advantages to this variety is that it is one of the few leafy vegetables which can be kept for several months in the garage under normal conditions and temperatures in the winter. It contains 95 per cent water in comparison to 92 per cent for common cabbage, a factor supposedly suitable for longer storage. Chu, who has been growing the cabbage in his garden for two consecutive years, plants them in 20-mch rows during early or mid-July, thinning them constantly. They must reach maturity by August 15. Chu grows his crop organically, stuffing bones into the soil around each plant to replenish the nutrients required. He also does not use insecticides. Instead, he daily checks for caterpillars and garden slugs which are both destructive. Advising gardener, DISCOUNT UNTIL 28 FEB 1977 $195 $390 $520 $650 $1 040 $1 950 $2 600 Landis Bros. Lancaster 717-393 3906 Adamstown Equipment Inc. Mohnton, RO2, PA 19540 [near Adamstown) 215-484 4391 Miller’s Sales & Service Stewartstown, PA 717-993-2470 the Chu novice says, DISCOUNT 1 MAR 1977- 30 APR 1977 $9O $195 $260 $325 $520 $975 $2 600 Inc. “Especially during wet weather, evening checking would be tfie best. Bring a torch and a long sharp needle with you, and you will be able to wipe out all the garden slugs within a very short tune. “The first or second frost will not do much harm to the plants,” he says, but cautions that harvesting should be done immediately if snow or a strong, cold wind which could freeze the ground is forecasted. At picking, each cabbage should weigh three to seven pounds. Since Chinese cabbage is in high demand during the Chinese New Year celebrated anywhere from January 21 to February 16 due to the Lunar calendar which the Chinese follow, Chu advises that the cabbage be stored until then in order to get the best prices for the produce. To do this, he suggests a storage method used in his home of Man churia, China. That method is to dig a vault into the ground and to place the cabbage inside. Then, the vault is covered - first with planks, then thick straw, and finally, soil. The cabbage will stay fresh and hold its moisture for quite some tune. “At home we kept it for three months,” says Chu. “While the temperature may be freezing outside, the temperature inside may well be above 40 degrees with relative humidity remaining at 95 to 100 degrees,” he adds. After three months, New York City will be right at the heart of its biggest demand for cabbage, and that is when Chu believes the market will be its best. “During New Year and sold and serviced by 5 PENN BANGOR INCORPORATED R.P/2 BANGOR, Pfl. 18013 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dec. 4,1976 — Chinese cabbage varies from common cabbage, it is more elongated and grows vertically. Usually, it weighs anywhere from three-and-a-half to seven pounds. Moses Chu, who advocates the growing of this vegetable, says that the weight could go as high as 10 pounds. Christmas,” says Chu, “farmers should be able to get 18 to 20 cents per pound for the cabbage.” , At other times of the year, Chu thinks it possible to get 17 to 18 cents per pound sold direct. Currently, a 45 pound crate of the cabbage is of fered for $7.50 to $9 for delivery to the buyer’s store n lamp a tying.l f\ NEW PROVEN TECHNOLOGY • Saves Energy ... Costs as little as 3-4 C per bushel. • Increases corn weights ... Get up to 10% more grain by weight from your bin. • Preserves corn quality ~. controlled natural curing with GRAINLAMPS doesn’t vaporize kernel ingredients, doesn’t deteriorate starch quality. See GRAINLAMP dried corn and see the dif ference Better than cribbed corn! Better feeding results. • Non-stop harvest. The GRAINLAMP system eliminates batch-drying bottlenecks at harvest time Non-stop filling .. like a corn-crib. For the big producer and the small grower. TP T 3 31 in New York City. In com parison, common cabbage is sold at five cents per pound, wholesale. There is a catch to this, however. The grower must obtain the correct type of Chinese cabbage for winter. The seeds can be gotten from [Continued on Page 99] ® 215—588—5155 95
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