HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [41 



any other plant or vegetable in common culture and use, from the 

 same breadth of land ; this, perhaps, is owing to the starch and muci- 

 lage which they contain. An acre of potatoes produces, on an ave- 

 rage, as much human or animal nutriment as from three to four acres 

 of wheat ; and it has been found by experiment that an hundred 

 weight, properly used in feeding hogs, will produce 41bs. of pork, 

 or 10 tons from an acre would produce SOOlbs. of pork, and so in 

 proportion. Potatoes are thus worth a farthing a pound as hog's 

 meat, when pork is worth 7d. The hog-manure remains to pay for 

 the trouble of feeding, and the labour and expence of taking the 

 potatoes to market will be saved. 



Cabbages. Their cultivation in the field has been common for 

 many years, but has been less attended to since Swedish turnips 

 have become a favourite. They are generally grown on three-feet 

 ridges, manured under the rows, with one plough-hoeing, afterwards 

 hoeing by hand. It may be observed, that they succeed best on 

 deep strong loams, too moist for Swedish turnips ; and that they 

 can be come at in frost and snow, when turnips are buried or locked 

 in the ground. To stand the winter, they should be raised from 

 spring-sown plants ; but the greatest crop will be raised from 

 plants sown in July or August, planted out the following spring, 

 and having the whole summer for their growth. The excellence 

 of cabbage for milch cows, and ewes and lambs, is well known. 



Rape. This plant has never been known to be cultivated in this 

 county for its seed, and many leases contain restrictions to pre- 

 vent it. It is properly sown on early stubbles ploughed up as 

 spring-feed for sheep, and followed by turnips. The smooth chad - 

 lock is the same plant in its natural state. 



Mangel Wurzel, a variety of the beet species, very productive of 

 leaves, with large conical fleshy roots, which appear beautifully 

 variegated when cut across in slices. The author was one of the 

 first cultivators of this plant, having received his seeds from Dr. 

 Letsom, when he first introduced it under the name of the Root 

 of Scarcity. The roots are very sweet, and must contain much 

 sugar, but they have a nauseous flavour. He thought the plant 

 inferior to potatoes, turnips, carrots, or parsnips, and therefore 

 dropped its cultivation. 



It has since been considerably cultivated ; but has lately sunk 

 into disrepute, upon a charge of paralyzing cattle that eat it. This 

 arose, perhaps, from its having been eaten too freely, it probably 

 requiring to be given only in a limited quantity. Unpleasant effects 



