and when the j'oung plants have produced a 

 few rough leaves, they should be pricked into a 

 nurse»"y-bed, six inches a part, and in four or 

 five weeks they will be fine, strong plants to 

 plant out finally in lines, two feet apart, and 11 

 or 15 inches in the line, as they, as w^ell as al- 

 most every other sort of vegetable, are better fla- 

 vored when allowed plenty of room for^un and 

 air about them. 



Those who may wish to cultivate Kohl Rabi 

 on a large scale for cattle, mu.st make their .seed- 

 bed accordingly ; and. perhaps the last week in 

 March, or beginning of April, ^vould be the best 

 time for sowing the seed ; and as those would 

 have but liitle chance of being pricked out into 

 a nursery-bed, if the weather was favorable at 

 the time of planting, they would do very well 

 without it. Indeed, I have no doubt but they 

 would do equally as \veli to sow at once in the 

 drills, the same v.ay as turnips, about the begin- 

 ning of May. This would save a deal of labor, 

 and not be so dependent on the v/eather; and 

 as the seed is rather dear, it would be a more 

 economical plan to dibble in tlie seed, at a foot 

 apart, dropping two or three seeds into each 

 hole along the top of the drills ; and when the 

 ])lants were of proper size to thin them out to 

 one in each hole, and otherwise boo and clean 

 the ground, tlie same as for turnip crops; and 

 when the bulbs get about the size of a person's 

 hand, if a little earth is drawn totlie stem it will 

 do them good, but not to raise the earth so high 

 as to cover any part of the bulb ; and as tliey 

 will .stand very severe frosts without injury, T 

 did not find it necessary to store them up in the 

 Autumn. I think, ^Ir. Editor, that the cottagers 

 \vould be greatly benefitted by growing annu- 

 ally more or less, as they had convenience, of 

 Kohl Rabi, as it is a vei'y hardy plant, and can 

 be very readily cultivated' ; and, by having a small 

 quantity sown in a seed bed in the beginning 

 of April, it would be ready to plant out in 

 any spare corner, or after a crop of early po- 

 tatoes. It is also well adapted to plant in any 

 vacancies that may occur in late crops of field 

 potatoes, &c., and with veiy little trouble it 

 might produce a great deal of food: for, when 

 boiled and sliced with a little melted butter, it 

 makes a very palatable dish ; and to tho.se who 

 have a cow or pig it would be particularly use- 

 ful during Winter. Yours. &c. 



JAMES ALEXANDER. 



Heath Farm, Athy, .April 1 . 



KOHL RABI. 

 I obsep-cd in the d'cTrdcners' Chronicle, of 

 the 8th in.st., some account of growing Kohl 

 Rabi in Gloucestershire. I wishto add my tes- 

 timony of its hardihood and usefulness for field 

 culture. Being very little affected by the in- 

 sect tribe, of late so destructive to the turnip, 

 its early growth is very rapid ; the plants soon 

 get out of the way of iL-j only enemy, the slug. 

 My method of cultivation is to drill 1 lb. per 

 acre of the seed with the mangel-wurzel; so 

 that if the mangel-wurzel fail, which it mostlv 

 docs to some e.xtent. I have plants enough of the 

 Kohl Rabi in the Held to fill all vacancies which 

 occur on the ridge. This transplanting is done 

 by ■women and children gowing up and dow-n 

 the furrows, and inserting a plant where it is 

 wanted ; and as they take up some earth with 

 tlie root, the plant receives but little check in 

 the operation. My Kohl Rabi has been exposed 

 to the frost all the Winter without receiving in- 

 jury; and when cut, affords excellent food for 



ewes and lambs. I do not find they get sticky 

 except the stalk, which, when cut", cattle will 

 eat down to the root witli les.s waste and spoil 

 than either mangel-wurzel or turnip. 



J. S. in the Gloucester Telegraph. 

 P. S. — I have grown both the purple and 

 green varieties ; the purple always grows to the 

 largest size. 



Sulphate of Lime or Gypsum. — This sub- 

 stance, which is a compound of sulphuric acid 

 and lime, is found in abundant quantities in a 

 native st.rte, both for the purpose of agriculture 

 and the arts; and it has been recommended for 

 the same purpose as the muriate of lime, viz : 

 the fixing ammonia ; but it is infinitely inferior 

 for that purpose, in conseipicnce of its di.ffirult 

 solubility — at the temperature of CO", one part of 

 gypsum only being soluble in 4i;0 parts of wa- 

 ter, to obtain which, however, the gypsum must 

 be finely divided and macerated for a great 

 length of time. Its more obvious use in agricul- 

 ture is, however, as a direct food to certain 

 plants, either as supplying the sulphate of lime 

 or, by its decomposition, affording the sulphur 

 necessary to the due development of certain 

 plants, such as the Crucifera, &c. Tlie follow, 

 lowing table, extracted from " Spreugel's Anal- 

 y.ses," shows the quantity of lime and magnesia, 

 sulphuric and phosphoric acids, in 100,000 parts 

 in several of our ordinary crops : 



Wheat 



Barley 



Oats 



Potatoes 



Cabbage 



Swedish Turnips . 



Wheat Straw 



Barley do 



Oat do 



Red Clover 



Beet 



Turnips 



u!ph. Phos. 

 Lime Magn'a. Acid. Acid. 



9G 



106 



86 



33 



1822 



835 



240 



55'! 



152 



584 



285 



127 



180 

 67 

 32 



202 



282 

 32 

 76 

 22 

 70 



13.3 

 22 



50 

 59 

 35 

 54 



774 



890 

 37 



118 

 79 

 94 



123 

 41 



406 

 210 



70 



40 

 436 

 408 

 170 

 160 



12 

 138 

 167 



73 



The above table may not be strictly accurate, 

 bttt I believe it approximates to the truth, and 

 certainly agrees -with my own practical obser- 

 vations respecting the exhausting powers of dif- 

 ferent crops on various .soils. Cabbages are 

 known to be one of the most scourging crops 

 that is grown, and we see from the above table 

 that both it and swedes require a large amount 

 of the sulphate of lime ; the next is red clover, 

 and the application of gypsum to the clover crop, 

 on lands sparingly endowed with this substance, 

 has been so repeatedly treated of that it is an 

 act of supererogation to enlarge on its useful- 

 nes.s. — [Jour, of Highland and Ag. Soc. of Scotland. 



Rhub.^rb or Pie Plant.— This is another 

 highly esteemed esculent for early Spring u.<:e, 

 and of the easiest pos.sible cuhure. The plants 

 continue many years in full bearing, and occupy 

 very little room — a small number being sufficient 

 for a family. The seeds may be sown anytime 

 in Spring, and will make good strong plants in 

 one year; when they should be transplanted to i 

 a rich deep border, or any convenient spot— 5 

 placing them three or four feet apart. The ^ 

 stocks should not be cut until the plants are at ^ 

 least two years old. [Ohio Cultivator. ^ 



