Cultivation of Arable Land. Rape or Cole Heaping Crops of. 103 



cheap manner, on account of the greater diftances of the plants admitting the 

 earth in the intervals to be ftirred by the plough or horfe-hoe, while hand-labour 

 becomes only neceffary between them in the rows. In this way a garden clean- 

 nefs may be preferred in fuch field crops at no great expence. 



When the produce is intended to be confumed as green food, the crop will in 

 general be fufficiently advanced for the purpofe, if there fhould be a neceffity for 

 it, towards the latter end of November ; but except where the feed is to be after 

 wards taken, it is probably a much better .practice to refer ve it as feed in the 

 fpring months. When cut or fed down in the autumn, the plants moftly advance 

 fo in the fpring as to form a fecond crop in April. But in this method of feed 

 ing off the crop care mould be taken that the plants are not pulled up and de- 

 ftroyed by the animals being confined too long upon them. 



If the intention be to let crops of this fort ft and for feed, without feeding them 

 down in the autumn, which is a practice often adopted ; after they have been well 

 cleaned by hoeing, nothing further is neceffary till the latter end of June or be 

 ginning of July, when the feed becomes ripe. This is fhewn by the pods putting 

 on a brownim appearance, and the feeds in the forwardeft of them turning a little 

 black. This mould be nicely attended to, as, if fuffered to remain too long un 

 cut, much feed may be loft. They are ufually reaped with the fickle, and laid in 

 thin grips or reaps upon the place where they grow, until they be in a proper con 

 dition for threftiing. This is known by the ftraw becoming of a whitifh colour, 

 and the feed appearing perfectly black. If however they remain upon the ground 

 too long, much of the beft feed may be loft, and if threflied in too green a ftate, 

 much may be left in the pods, as well as what is threflied out be difficult to cure or 

 prefer ve.* 



In thefe cafes, the feed is threfhed out in the field upon cloths about twenty- 

 yards fquare laid upon the ground, or what is better, upon wattled hurdles, fo 

 placed as to have an inclining direction, cloths being placed underneath to fecure 

 the feed. The rape is conveyed to the place by means of fledges, the bottoms and 

 jfides of which are lined with cloth in order to preferve the feed that rmy efcape in 

 the operation. It is fometimes likewife cleaned in the field, and put into facks for 

 the market. | When large quantities of feed are brought quickly together, as 

 they are liable to heat and become mouldy, it may be a better method to fpread 

 them out thinly over a barn, granary, or other floor, and turn them as often as may 

 be neceflary. 



* Marshall s Rural Economy of Yorkftiire. + Kent s Hints. 



VOL. II. G C 



