Q: I saw a photo of a boy named Justin Bridges who was squatting behind a 22.6-pound cabbage. Where is he from and what kind of fertilizer did he use to grow a cabbage that big? Did he grow more that size?
—Gerald Wade, Stockbridge
A: Bridges, now a fourth-grader at Kings Chapel Elementary School in Perry, grew the cabbage as part of a third-grade project. Every student received a seedling, and his was the only one in his class to survive. Bridges used cow manure from his neighbor as the only fertilizer and watered the cabbage with a milk jug he filled every two or three days, the Macon Telegraph reported. The head of the cabbage weighed 12 pounds, half of which was given away. Bridges received $1,000 saving bond toward his education as Georgia's winner of the National Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program.
Q: For whom is Ferguson, Mo., named?
—Lance DeLoach, Thomaston
A: William B. Ferguson, in the 1850s, deeded part of his farm to the North Missouri Railroad under the terms that the company would build a depot on his land, according to the city's website. Ferguson quickly established a town around Ferguson Station by selling lots to both people and businesses. About six trains a day came through Ferguson Station by the late 19th century and the town grew from 185 in 1880 to 1,200 as a suburb of St. Louis in 1894.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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