192 Cultivation of Arabic Land. Rape or Cole After-culture of Crops of. 



the plants being placed by women in a leaning portion in every fecond furrow 

 about a loot apart, and the roots covered by the next furrow ; after which another 

 is added, and more plants placed in as before, proceeding in the fame manner 

 rill the whole is finifhed. The plants of courfe Hand at about the diftance of 

 eighteen or twenty inches by twelve. Where land that has been pared or 

 ourned is managed in this way, the firft or feed -ploughing mould be in a crofs 

 dired:ion, and that for tranfplanting lengthways, in order to render the land dry in 

 winter. 



Thefc methods appear better adapted for fuch crops as are dcfigned for feed 

 than for thofe intended as green food for live flock ; as by the perfect culture that 

 may be thus given them, and the ufe of manure, the inconveniences attending the 

 feeding of rape crops may perhaps in a great meafure be obviated. 



When cultivated for ufe as green food, the feed mould, as has beenfeen, be fown 

 more early than where the crop is to ftand for feed, or be employed in both ways ; 

 but fufficiently early to get a ftrong leaf without running to Hem the firft au 

 tumn.* The middle of June and the laft week in July, as mentioned above, may 

 be the moft proper periods. 



After-Culture* In the general broadcaft method of cultivating this crop, proper 

 attention in hoeing and keeping it clean from weeds is feldorn beftowed, though 

 it is equally necefiary as in almoft any other, and in order to enfure a full and abun 

 dant produce ought never to be omitted. Where this bufinefs is attended to, 

 it is the practice, after the plants have attained two or three inches in height, 

 put out fix leaves, and begun to fpread and (hew themfelves perfectly above the 

 ground, to hoe them over by means of a hand-hoe fomewhat fmaller than that 

 employed for turnip crops, fetting the plants out to the diftances of from fix to 

 eight or nine inches from each other, according to their vigour or ftrength and 

 the fertility of the foil. This is the only hoeing that is in general given ; but in 

 many cafes, as where the land is poor and difpofed to throw up weeds, much ad 

 vantage may be derived from a repetition of the operation, not only in cleaning 

 the ground, but promoting the growth of the plants, by ftirring the mould round 

 them. This fhould be done about a month or five weeks after the firft hoeing. 

 The expence of performing the work once, is moftly about fix or feven millings 

 the acre. 



But in the row methods, whether by drilling the feed or tranfplanting the 

 young plants, the bufinefs of hoeing may be performed in a more perfect and 



* Miller s Dictionary. 



