868 PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. Part III. 



tivated for milch cows in French Flanders, the Netherlands, and in Jersey and Guernsey; and it has 

 been introduced, at different periods, into this country, without having ever come into general culti- 

 vation. The Chou caulet de Flandre differs from the French variety in having red leaves ; and the Chou 

 vert branchu, the Chou milletttes du FoHenu, differs from the first in not growing quite so high, and in 

 forming a somewhat tufted head. No variety among these, and the many that might be named, appeari so 

 suitable for field culture in the climate of Britain as the Scotch or drumhead cabbage. 



55()1. In Jcrsei/ the cow cabbage is sown from aboui the 20th of August to the 1st of September, in a 

 good soil, and planted out from November to January and February in succession, at from twenty to 

 thirty inches' distance, in a good, substantial, well manured soil ; as no plant is more exhausting, or 

 requires a better soil ; but perhaps no one plant produces so large a quantity of nutriment during its period 

 of vegetation. About the month of April they begin (from the first crop) to strip the under leaves ; cut 

 them in small pieces ; mix them with sour milk and bran, or other farinaceous sul)8tances ; and give them 

 as food to ducks, geese, hogs, &c. During the whole summer they continue stripping the plant as above 

 stated, until it attains the height of from six to twelve feet ; and if a scarcity of herbage prevails, thegreen 

 leaves form excellent food for cows and oxen, with alternate feeds of hay and straw. The tops and side 

 shoots are excellent at table during winter and spring. The longest of the stalks are frequently used to 

 support scarlet runners and other French beans, and as cross rafters for farm build&igs, under thatch, and 

 have been known to last more than half a century, when kept dry, for the latter purpoee. (Gard. Mag. 

 vol. V.) 



5502. ^711/ soil that is rich will suit the cabbage, but a strong loam is preferred. The 

 best mode of preparation for field cabbage is that for potatoes or turnips, the plants being 

 dibbled along the centre of each ridgelet. For early cabbage no ridgelets are required, 

 as the plants are inserted in rows, by a line, at much narrower distances. 



5503. The season for planting, for a full crop of field cabbages, is usually March ; 

 but cabbages may be planted as late as June, and produce a tolerable crop by 

 November; and in this way they may sometimes be made to succeed an unsuc- 

 cessful sowing of turnips. The plants used in March should be the produce of seed 

 sown, in an open loamy part of the garden, in the preceding August; but those planted 

 in May or June may be the produce of seed sown in the February or March of the 

 same year. 



5504. The preparation given to the plants consists in pinching off the extremity of their tap-root, and 

 any tubercles which appear on the root or stem, and in immersing the root and stem in a puddle, or mix- 

 ture of earth and water, to protect the fibres and pores of the root and stem from the drought. The plants 

 may then be inserted by the dibber, taking care not to plant them too deep, and to press the earth firmly 

 to the lower extremity of the root. If this last point is not attended to in planting by the dibber, the 

 plants will either die, or, if kept alive by the moisture of the soil or rain, their progress will be very slow. 

 When the distance between the ridgelets is twenty-seven inches, the plants are set about two feet asunder 

 in the rows; and the quantity required for an acre is about 6000 plants. Some recommend sowing as for 

 turnips; but, by this mode, one of the advantages of a green crop is infringed on, viz. the time given 

 to clean the land. Where cabbages are sown, that operation must be performed at least a month sooner 

 than if they were planted ; consequently, the best month of the cleaning season is lost. To plant or sow 

 a green crop on land in good heart, that does not require cleaning, will seldom be found good husbandry. 

 It may succeed near large towns, where roots and other green produce sell high, but it can never enter into 

 any general system of farming. 



5505. The after-culture consists in horse and hand-hoeing and weeding ; and the crop 

 is taken by chopping off the heads with a spade, leaving an inch or two of stalk to each. 

 They may be preserved by housing, but only for a short time. The produce is said to 

 be from thirty-five to forty tons per acre. Sir H. Davy found that 1000 parts of cab- 

 bage gave seventy-three of nutritive matter, of which forty-one are mucilage, twenty-four 

 saccharine matter, and eight gluten. 



5506. The application of the f eld cabbage is generally to the feeding of milch cows, and 

 sometimes to the fattening of oxen and sheep. For the former purpose, great care must 

 be taken to remove the outside decaying leaves ; otherwise they are apt to ^ive an un- 

 pleasant flavour to the milk and butter. Cabbages are also eaten by swine and horses, 

 and are reckoned excellent food for sheep that have newly dropped their lambs, and for 

 calves. A cow will eat from 100 to 150lbs. of cabbage per day, and a sheep ten or 

 twelve pounds, besides a moderate allowance of hay. Some farmers consider that ewes 

 fatten faster on cabbages than on turnips, and that ewes having lambs are much more 

 prolific in milk when so fed. (^Country Times, Feb. 8. p. 47.) Early or garden cabbages 

 are sold to green-grocers, or to the consumers, or to ships' victuallers for the purpose of 

 being pickled or made into sour crout. 



5507. Salted cabbage, or sauerkrazit, is thus prepared in Germany : Any sort of cabbage or kail, or 

 even turnips and kidneybeans, may be prepared in this way ; but white, compact-headed, large cabbages 

 are preferred, and next compact-headed red cabbages. The first process of preparing them is to scoop 

 out the interior part of the stalk, with an iron instrument or scoop ; they are then cut into small shreds 

 by a wooden machine, composed of a flat board or tray, which has a ledge on two sides, to steady a box or 

 frame into which the cabbages are put. In the middle of the board are four flat pieces of steel, similar to 

 the steel part of a spokeshave, placed in an oblique direction ; and the near edge of each being a little 

 raised up, with small spaces between each, to let the shreds fall down into a tub placed underneath to 

 receive them. The cabbages are then put into the box before described, which is pushed backwards and 

 forwards, when the cabbages, being cut by the steel, fall in small shreds into a tub placed below. A barrel 

 stands by ready to receive them when cut, the sides of which are first washed with vinegar. A man stands 

 on a chair by the barrel, with clean wooden shoes on, whose business it is to salt and prepare them, which 

 is done in the following manner : the man first takes as much of the cut cabbage as covers about four 

 inches above the bottom ; he next strews upon it two handfuls of salt, one handful of unground pepper, 

 and a small quantity of salad oil; he then gets into the barrel, and treads it down with his wooden shoes 

 till it is well mixed and compact. He next takes another layer of cabbage, and puts salt and pepper on it 

 as before, and treads it again, and so goes on till the barrel is filled. A board is then placed on it, and 

 upon the board some very heavy weights are put ; and it remains so ten or fifteen days, when it partially 

 ferments, and a great deal of water swims on the surface : it is then put into the cellar for -use. Thp men 



