REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 55 



Scots acre, and 2 cwt. peruvian guano sown broadcast on top of 

 same. Drills reversed enclosing the manures, and then rolled 

 fiat to break the clods and let the roots of the young plants well 

 into the sappy dun^. Plants with " drumheads" at 6 feet dis- 

 tances, zigzag in alternate rows, so as to have about three feet 

 of clear space around each plant ; and the blanks arising from 

 deaths are afterwards filled up with the "early Enfield-market" 

 sort. After being grubbed and cleaned, and before finally earth- 

 ing-up, fully 1 cwt. per acre more of guano is sown between the 

 drills. All the best growers of cabbage consider a dressing of 

 artificials, or " addling" by some, during summer, most requi- 

 site. Mr. Woodburn dibbles the plants, but we notice them 

 sometimes slitted-in with the spade, as they are presumed to 

 catch root sooner so in dry weather. The dairy cows at Annan- 

 dale are very highly fed with beanmeal, brewer's grains, rape- 

 cake, hashed-oats, &c, and the farm-yard manure is therefore 

 richer than common ; and although the above manuring may be 

 thought excessive, yet Mr. Woodburn, by giving the cabbage 

 plenty of room to grow in, never misses a good crop, generally up- 

 wards of40 tons per acre, and of course it tells also upon the suc- 

 ceeding wheat. Annandale's whole farm-management, and the 

 skilful and careful superintendence of Mrs. Woodburn in the dairy 

 department, are both most excellent of their kind. Mr. Guthrie, 

 of Crossburn, is also a very successful grower of cabbage, having 

 usually about 5 acres for the milch cows he sets " abowing." 

 Grange, who marches with Annaudale, manures for cabbage at 

 the rate of nearly 30 cubic yards dung, and 8 cwt. Peruvian 

 guano, per imp. acre. 



The time of planting, &c, varies on different farms, accord- 

 ing to season and system. The cabbage-seedlings for transplant- 

 ing are grown broadcast on the warm sands, chiefly around 

 Prestwick and Monkton. The seeds are sown on the fresh 

 turned-up land as soon as the early potatoes are lifted, standing 

 through the winter, and followed generally by a cereal crop. 

 Prices of plants alter as the crop may be good or bad, from 

 2s. 6d. to 6s. or 8s. per 1000 ; and, of course, when prices rule 

 high, a large saving in plants is effected, by heavy manuring and 

 wide planting. 



Kohl-rabi has been very little grown in Ayrshire. The only 

 places the writer ever saw any noticeable acreage of it, was on 

 Graigie Home-farm, by the late James Gampbell, Esq., and by 

 Mr. A. B. Teller, whilst in Gunning Park, both near Ayr. This 

 plant is highly thought of by dairy farmers in various parts of 

 the continent, and its cultivation being every way similar to that 

 of the Drumhead cabbage, only that it may be much closer 

 planted in the drills, it might be usefully introduced on the 

 stiffer soils of this county. It probably would not yield so great 



