274 THE SHEEP OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



difficulties in the way, we anticipate that some day the pulping 

 machine will be quite as valuable for sheep fatting as it is a 

 necessity in the treatment of cattle. There is no question as to 

 the saving in roots or the satisfactory progress of the sheep, 

 provided the materials are duly proportioned. The digestive 

 system of the sheep renders a larger quantity of roots necessary. 

 The difficulty is as to the additional labour. Pulping machines 

 take a much heavier draught, and the material is produced 

 more slowly. On a large scale we are of opinion that a portable 

 horse-gear with pulper on wheels might be introduced with 

 advantage, as well as a chafP-house. The subject is at least 

 worth investigation and experiment. 



The growth of cabbage as sheep food has not been alluded to, 

 yet it forms upon some soils a most important item in our 

 resources. Limestone soils, especially such as contain a fair 

 proportion of clay, are eminently suitable. And we allude to 

 the practice of such men as the late Mr. Eigden and Mr. Eobert 

 E-ussell as examples of what may be done with the cabbage 

 crop. By the former great dependence was placed upon the 

 cabbage for summer food. For this purpose a seed bed is 

 prepared in the autumn, a sheltered spot being selected. The 

 plants are set out at the end of February or early in March, and 

 furnish food during July and August. Later plantings provide 

 winter food. At the date of our visit the Jersey hundred-head 

 and the drumheads were looking most promising. Mr. Eussell's 

 practice, as carried out in Kent, was the subject of an interesting 

 paper read before the London Farmers' Club in the spring of 

 1876. The chief point was his advocacy of the thousand-headed 

 kale, which appears most valuable. The subject was treated of 

 under each month's work, starting with August ; and we learn 

 that twenty acres of this seed is sown to be fed off at the end 

 of April or first week in May. In October two acres of drum- 

 head cabbage seed is drilled for spring transplanting. " Towards 

 the end of April," to quote Mr. Eussell's own words, " we drill 

 in the celebrated * thousand-headed kale seed,' using four to five 

 pounds an acre. This is the least known, and most desirable 

 of any green crop I have ever seen. It is a plant that produces 

 more feed per acre than any other, does not disagree with any 

 stock, and does not impoverish the land ; moreover, with us, it 



