470 
Cultivation of Kohl-Eabi. 
acre less than that grown upon the fallows in the regular way. 
In addition to the land from which the usual crop of tares has 
been mown off, we have occasionally planted Kohl-rabi after a 
crop of Italian rye-grass, alternately, land for land, with drilled 
rape ; feeding the whole off with sheep, which will unmistakeably 
show you which they prefer. The question is not limited to 
whether you gain in the single crop more than pays the expense 
of growing it, as you make in addition a far better preparation for 
wheat — rye-grass immediately preceding wheat being the worst 
of all rotations. 
If the weather piove favourable, and the operation is com- 
pleted ere July closes, the crop will more than pay the cost, to 
say nothing of the incalculable benefit the following wheat crop 
derives. We simply plough the rye-grass land once, using the 
skim-coulter and roller, setting the plants down every alternate 
furrow. Our more experienced farmers would say " a coat of 
manure would be an improvement ;" which is doubtless true, if it 
could be had. 
The cost of planting the Kohl-rabi may be taken at from 8s. to 
10s. per acre ; much depending, however, on the rate of wages 
and supply of labour in the neighbourhood. If in a district of 
market-gardens — where the labourers are accustomed to that kind 
of work — you may do it for the lower sum, and the labourers will 
earn good wages ; but if among the woods and rooks, the master's 
eye will be wanted to get it done well even at the higher price. 
It will be fair to take the average cost at 10s. per acre. And 
when you take into the calculation that scarcely any hoeing is 
required, the excess in expense over ordinary drilled crops is not 
serious ; more especially when it is borne in mind that they are 
planted on land where turnips could scarcely be grown, or, if at 
all, at much greater cost of cultivation. 
The next point is the most approved method of consuviing the 
Kohl-rabi, &c. Our usual custom is to commence feeding off 
our drilled crop with the lamb-hogs and cull-ewes in the autumn 
when wanted. 
For the lamb-hogs we should not commence using the cutter 
before January, except that up to Christmas we want most of 
the tops for the dairy cows. Whether, however, you cut the 
bulbs or allow the lamb-hogs to feed the entire crop off the 
ground, we have not found them do better on any food the farm 
produces. Any other kind of sheep do on it equally well : our 
nearest neighbour has for the last two years sent off from his 
Kohl-rabi the best fat wethers that our Cambridge butchers ex- 
hibit, and no small number of them. 
We invariably cart off one-third of the crop to the farm- 
stead, where every description of stock — horses, bullocks, cows, 
