OF CROPS USUALLY CULTIVATED. 309 



Cabbages and Kale. I am informed, that cabbages, 

 when properly cultivated, yield more food for cattle than 

 any other crop whatever.* Mr Waddel at Dockenyfould, 

 near Glasgow, raised cabbages on his farm, at the rate of 

 fifty tons per acre, and putting them up to the neck in 

 earth, and covering them with straw, he thus preserves 

 them for his cows till the month of February. This plan, 

 however, cannot be adopted on a great scale. 



The late Mr Scott of Craiglockhart recommended the 

 cultivation of cabbages, as green food for cattle in autumn, 

 and green kale for the same purpose during the months of 

 March and April, which last is certainly the scarcest pe- 

 riod of the year for food to stock, more especially in high 

 situations. The kale, (greens or coleworts), however, are 

 not found to be above two-thirds the value of cabbages, 

 and often not half so valuable ; and Mr John Shirreffis of 

 opinion, that both kale and cabbage are infinitely inferior 

 to turnip. They require much more expensive manipula- 

 tion, or hand labour, and must be earlier put in, otherwise 

 they do not arrive at any size. Thus, there is not the same 

 opportunity for cleaning and preparing the land for the 

 fqllowing crops in the rotation. They are not likely, there- 

 fore, to become prominent articles in the husbandry of Scot- 

 land. 



Rye. This species of grain is not so extensively cultiva- 

 ted in Scotland, as it ought to be, (for weighty crops of it 

 might be raised on soils of the most porous and arid nature, 

 and upon almost pure sand along the sea shore) ; and the 



* It is said, that as the roots of cabbages weigh from one to two pounds 

 each, and are of no use, they must occasion a loss to that extent; On 

 the other hand, it is contended, that the roots both of kale and cabbage 

 are much liked by stock, if sliced down for them. 



