Cultivation of Arable Land. Turnip-rooted Cabbage. 1 85 



In good ground the bulbs or roots of thcfe plants frequently attain a confidera- 

 ble fize, the largeft fometimes weighing eight or ten pounds, and are faid to be 

 much more hardy than the common turnip, though not fo much fo as the turnip- 

 rooted cabbage. The quantity of produce on the acre is not probably in general 

 equal to that of the common turnip. 



Its application is chiefly in the feeding of neat cattle and fheep, during the au 

 tumn or fpring months, according as it may be fovvn more early or late ; but the 

 moft profitable confumption of it is probably in the latter feafon, as from the 

 middle of March till it is removed from the ground. In this way it may become 

 an ufeful affiftant to crops of the turnip kind. For this ufe it poffelTes a particu 

 lar advantage, in being formed, as it were, upon a foot. ftalk above the furfaceof 

 the earth ; as it can on that account be more conveniently got at and removed dur 

 ing the time offroft, or when fnow is upon the ground, than the common tur 

 nip. The proportion of nutritious matter contained in crops of this fort is confi- 

 derable, and of a rich quality. Cows thrive extremely well on this food, when 

 it is given them in a judicious manner. When fed off by (heep, the bed method 

 is that of hurdling, in the manner praclifed for common turnips. In this mode 

 of application they are faid to require little or no hay, even where the intention 

 is to fatten the animals, as they make a greater progrefs with them than on any 

 other fort of food, except that of oats. Both cows and fheep have been found 

 to feed upon the fprouts with avidity, after their having bloffomed and been cut 

 and left to wither. But this practice mould feldom or never be attempted, as 

 much injury muft conftantly be done to the land by the plants being fuffered to 

 run to feed. After the bulbs are fhrunk and withered from being cut and packed 

 up in houfes, they are faid to form a nutritious food for horfes. 



Inftead of cutting off the bulbs below the parts where they are formed, in or 

 der to preferve them in houfes for the above purpofe, it is the practice of fome 

 cultivator* to plough them up wholly, ufmg a common plough, without any 

 coulter, having only a round mare with a blunt edge, for the purpofe.* This 

 ispaffed along under the rows, and performs the work with mucheafe and expedi 

 tion. 



Turnip-rooted Cabbage. This is another plant of the cabbage kind that has been 



introduced into field-culture with confiderable fuccels. It differs principally 



from the former in forming its bulb or protuberance below the furface of the 



Aground, in having it of an oblong fhape, and in the leaves having a confiderable 



fimilarity to thofe of the common turnip. 



* Young s Annals of Agriculture, 



. ii. B b 



