On  the  Kohl-Rahi. 
49  7 
main  plantation  for  earliest  bulbs;  a second  of  large  extent  after 
early  Shaw  potatoes;  a third,  after  the  first  corn  crop;  and  as 
there  are  thousands  of  seedlings  yet  in  the  seed-beds,  I think  it 
likely  that  another  plot  of  several  acres  will  be  occupied  by  plants 
intended  for  spring  food,  if  not  for  the  production  of  seed.  I 
close  this  communication  by  an  extract  from  a note  received  on 
the  3rd  September,  from  a first-rate  grower,  on  the  subject  of 
the  acreable  yield  : — 
“ As  the  weight  of  bulbs  from  an  acre  was  never  taken,  it  cannot  be 
exactly  given ; but  having  grown  bulbs  weighing  16  lbs.  and  17  lbs.  each, 
although  they  are  set  out  thinner  than  swedes,  they  are  more  certain.  They 
retain  their  leaves  all  winter;  and  I consider  I can  grow  as  much  weight 
per  acre,  weighed  in  January,  as  of  swedes;  and  certainly  I give  the  pre- 
ference to  kohl-rabi,  as  to  comparative  nourishment.  Unfortunately  it 
has  seldom  justice  done  to  it : the  seed  is  sown  too  late,  and  the  planting 
made  so  likewise.  It  is  a most  valuable  root.” 
As  to  mildew  or  disease,  I never  saw  or  heard  of  either;  and 
I can  distinctly  add  that  I observed  the  plants  to  thrive  better 
in  the  dry  summers  of  1847  and  1849  than  during  the  inter- 
mediate wet  one  of  1848. 
Yours  faithfully, 
Croydon , 2nd  September , 1850.  J.  Towers. 
XXVI. — Fourth  Report  on  the  Analysis  of  the  Ashes  of  Plants. 
By  J.  Thomas  Way  and  G.  H.  Ogston. 
Tiie  analyses  which  are  given  in  the  following  pages  have  been 
accumulating  during  the  eighteen  months  which  have  elapsed 
since  the  appearance  of  the  last  Report.*  Amongst  them  will  be 
found  some  which  at  first  sight  would  seem  to  be  repetitions  of 
those  which  have  been  before  published.  Thus,  for  instance,  in 
the  first  paper,  which  was  mainly  devoted  to  the  mineral  history  of 
wheat,  the  analyses  of  a few  isolated  specimens  of  barley  and  oats 
were  given.  As,  however,  both  of  these  crops  appeared  to  merit 
a closer  examination  than  they  at  that  time  received,  we  have  since 
analyzed  other  specimens  in  order  to  obtain  the  data  for  drawing 
a fair  comparison  between  the  different  cereal  crops. 
The  analyses  are  about  ninety  in  number,  and  embrace  the 
examination  of  the  following  crops,  which  we  enumerate  for  the 
convenience  of  reference. 
Oats  and  Oat  Straw ; Barley  and  Barley-straw ; Maize,  Grain,  and 
Straw ; Kohl  Rabi,  bulb  and  leaves ; Cow  Cabbage  and  stalk ; Red 
• Their  publication  has  been  delayed  by  no  fault  of  Mr.  Way’s,  but  for  want  of 
space  in  the  Journal. — Ph.  P. 
