J88 Cultivation of Arabic Land. Turnip-rooted Cabbage. After-culture. 



well/they will in general require the attiltance of the hand-hoe, to clear the ridges 

 and give the plants a flight d reding. And as foon afterwards as may be conve 

 nient&quot;, the intervals may be cleared either by the common plough or any other 

 more fuitable implement, by patting them twice along each, turning the furrows, 

 where the land is clean and not too clofe or com pad:, up towards the rows, being 

 careful not to earth up the plants to too great a height ; but where the contrary is 

 the cafe, they mould be turned from them, fo as to form a ridge in the mid 

 dle of the interval, the implement being patted within a few inches of the plants 

 in performing the operation. This ridge in dry feafons mould be fplit down 

 and returned to the rows again in the courfe of a few days ; another hand- 

 hoeing being given as foon afterwards as may be found convenient. This laft 

 operation may frequently be unneccflary on the more light and clean de 

 fcriptions of land, but on the firong and more compact foils it may be had recourfe 

 to with advantage, both in refpedt to the prefent and future crop, fo as to com- 

 penfate any expence that may attend it. 



The produce in crops of this kind is frequently found, on good land, to be 

 from twenty-five to thirty tons on the acre. In a practice of twenty years, the 

 produce of an acre of this crop was on an average invariably found to be equal to 

 the fupport of feventy fheep for a month, in the molt hungry, trying, and difficult 

 part of the year : and this on land then not worth more than thirteen millings the 

 acre, but which contained between feven and eight thoufand plants, averaging 

 above four pounds each in weight.* 



As the plant is a native of a more cold and northern climate, it of courfe re- 

 rains in fome meafure the late habits of the fituation from which it was originally 

 brought, and becomes proper for the purpofes of feeding live ftock at a later pe 

 riod in the fpring than many other plants to which it has a refemblance. It is 

 i eldom before the middle of April that the juice begins to rife and the plant be 

 come proper for being fed upon. About this time, however, as is fhewn by the 

 bufhy appearance of its top, it begins to pufh forward and be in a condition to be 

 made ufe of. When employed before this period, it is faid to be comparatively 

 of little advantage, and in fome cafes even injurious to the animals that teed upon 

 it,f 



Its principal application is in the feeding of fheep, which animals are confined 

 upon portions of the crop by hurdles, in the manner practifed for the common 

 turnip. The roots are, however, to be pulled up and prepared by being cut in 

 two by means of an implement of the mattock kind, having a claw on one fide nine 



* Bath Papers, vol. IX. f Ibid. p. 271. 



