CABBAGE. 



t 



plication they have been (hewn to be more beneficial than 

 nay, given in any pioportion, when only combined with 

 ftWiw, and that the butttr is not in any way injured by 

 them while they arc given in a found ftate. When em- 

 ployed in this uay, withont any combination of other forts 

 of food, as hay or llraw, an acre has been found fufficient 

 for four or live cows ; and. with draw and a little hay, for 

 •feven or eight. In Mr. Young's experiments, detailed in 

 , the l6th volume of the " Annals of Agriculture," in 

 fteding the fmaller forts of cows, fuch as would fatten to 

 abontiforty-five Hones, of fourteen pounds each ; in Oi£lo- 

 bcr three milch ones ate 96 pounds each of cabbages, and 

 ibilbs. of hay in the day ; and in another experiment 39 

 pounds of cabbages, with lo^lbs. of hay each, in the day ; or 

 in the proportion of two tons iS cwt. of cabbages and 15 

 cwt. of hay in fix months. 



It has been well remarked that, " in this way of con- 

 fuming cabbage crops, the cows (hould always be confined 

 to the farm yard, and not fullered to eat them, after being 

 fcattcred on \he ground ; as in the latter way the farmer 

 mull fuftain injury both in the treading of his land, and in 

 the lofs of a large portion of valuable manure. Befides, it 

 is fufptfted that fuch fort of food will go farther, when care- 

 fully applied in \he yard, than when confumed «n the land, 

 as much wafte muft be unavoidable in the latter method." 



And it is farther added that, " in the fattening of neat 

 cattle, an acre of good cabbages may be fufficient for three 

 beads of from forty to fifty ftones each) which have been 

 grazed in the pallures in the fummer. A middle fized bul- 

 lock confumes, in general, of this fort of food in the propor- 

 tion of abou\ one hundred pounds in twelve hours ; but much 

 in this bulincfs muft copftantly depend on the ftate of the 

 Itomach, and the methods of feeding the animals. It would, 

 however, feem probable, that cabbages pofFtfs the property 

 of fattening cattle ; not only more expeditioufly, but in Icfs 

 proportion than turnips ; an acre of the former having been 

 found to fatten one in four more than the fame extent of the 

 latter crop." 



It is likewife ftated in the fame work, that " in feeding 

 this crop off with flieep, it has been remarked, that fuch as 

 weigh about twenty pounds the quarter confume in the 

 proportion of from eight to ten pounds in twelve hours, half 

 an acre being nearly fufBcient for one hundred fheep, when 

 the crop is gou|J. The cabbages, when run to feed in 

 the fpring months, are alfo confumed .with avidity by 

 thefe animals ; but this praftice (hould never be at- 

 tempted, as much injury muft always be fuftained by the 

 land. The refufe of cabbage crops may, however, fome- 

 times be ufefully a^Hed in the more early fpring months, 

 before they begin to run, to the feeding of lambing ewes, 

 as by fuch means the quantity of milk is much increafed, 

 and the lambs, of courfe, better fupported. " Store hogs 

 are likewife faid to be kept upon this vegetable with advan- 

 tage, and to prefer it to turnips ; but on trial with the 

 finer breeds of this fort of animals, it has not been found a 

 beneficial mode of applying fuch crops, as they conRantly 

 rejefted both the cabbage and turnips for moft other forts 

 of food, and unlefs prepared by heat feldom ate them ud 

 clean." ^ 



It has been remarked, that, " though few experiments 

 have been made in the feeding of hoifes with this fort of 

 food, it is probable, that, after being chopped, cut, or 

 (haved down by means of a ftock or other knife, and blend- 

 ed with fome other fort of dry, cut fodder, it might be em- 

 ployed with great advantage both in the favi, .r of other 

 more valuable kinds of food, and in promoting the condition 

 of the animals ; as from its containing much faccharine 



7 



matter, there can be little doubt of its polTefling a highly 

 nutritious quality. In this ufe the more fweet and delicate 

 forts of cabbage ought probably to be preferred. 



That the application of this fort of cabbage in this way 

 has been fcarcely attended to, is fully (hewn by the obferva- 

 tions of Mr. Marlhall, in his account of the midland dif- 

 tiiift, who regifters it as extraordinary, that neither in that, 

 nor any other diftrift, an inftance had been met with of cab- 

 bages being made ufe of in the way of food for horfes." 



It is fuggefted that, " where cabbages are employed for 

 winter and fpring confumption, it has been the praflice 

 with fome cultivators to have them cut or drawn while in 

 full perfeftion, and piled up in houfes for the purpofc, or 

 (lacked in the open air, being clofely covered over by means 

 of ftraw, broom, or rulhes, or any other cheap material ; as 

 in this way they are always ready and at hand, when they 

 cannot be procured from the field on account of the wetnefs 

 of the land, or the effefts of froft or fnow. The praftice is 

 faid to be made ufe of in Germany, with fuch fuccefs, as to 

 keep them in a good ftate of prefervation during the whole 

 of the winter feafon. From the fweet juicy nature of the 

 vegetable, it is fuppofed, in this method, hable to be injured, 

 not only by taking on too much heat, but by becoming 

 mouldy. Befides, by keeping in fuch ftacks they, hke the 

 turnip, (brink confiderably, and are probably much impaired 

 in their quahty." 



CABBAGt-^firui, ylnjou or Colcworf, in Botany, See 

 Brassica. 



Cabbage, Dog's. See Theligomum Cynocrambe. 



Cabbage, Turnip. See Brassica. 



Cabbage, turnip, in Agriculture, is a plant of the cab- 

 bage kind, in which the bulb or apple is of a roundi(h flat 

 Sprni, appearing principally above the furface of the ground, 

 and as it were an enlargement of the ftem of the plant, the 

 leaves that furround it having m\ich refemblance to thofe of 

 broccoli. It has been occafionally cultivated under the title 

 of cape cabbage, and often confounded, with the turnip-rooted 

 cabbage, by thofe who have not fufficiently attended to the 

 circumftances by which they are diftinguilhed. It would 

 feem to be the plant cultivated in dilferent parts of Ger- 

 many under the title of tahlrabi. The refult of the trials 

 made with it in field culture would feem to (hew it an ufeful 

 hardy plant. 



The foils moft adapted to the growth of this plant are 

 thofe of the more light and dry kinds, that have fome degree 

 of elevation, with refpeft to fituation, and which are in a 

 good ftate of fertility from previous tillage. The land 

 (hould be prepared, by ploughing three or four times, in 

 nearly the fame manner as for the common turnip ; being 

 laid up in the autumn, in order to be rendered (ine and mel- 

 low. When thus prepared, at the time of planting, it 

 (hould be ploughed into fmall two-bout ridges, and a fuit- 

 able proportion of manure turned in. On the ridges, when 

 flattened by a light roller, the plants are to be put in. 



The fame method (hould be purfued in providing the 

 feed as has been advifed for cabbages. In this culture it is 

 fometimes fown in beds in the fields, whence the plants are 

 afterwards to be drawn and fet out ; and in others, in drills or 

 broad-caft, where the plants are to remain, being only 

 thinned out to proper diftances by the hoe. Dr. Dickfon 

 remarks, in his " Pi-adical Agriculture," that " the firft: 

 method is probably, in general, to be preferred, though 

 fome cultivators contend that the plants fucceed better, 

 when not removed from the places in which they were de- 

 pofited when fown, and which later experience in cultivating 

 the common cabbage feems to (how to be the cafe. Where 

 the tranfplanting method is praftifed, the feed (hould be 



fown 



