The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-22
The Thousand Headed KnIe.

Kale belongs to the cabbage family
! and is grown very extensively at the
| South, for green feed for sheep and
| cattle, writes Joel Spomaker in Times
| Dispatch. 1t will stand some frost and
remain in good condition for feeding.
| For poultry food IT is without an
! equal, and for increasing the flow of
milk in the dairy COW, 1t is said to be
excellent. The variety known as Thou
sand Headed Kale comes TO us from
Northern Europe where il is used
largely for sheep pasture. The great
est sheep feeder in England says he
plants 100 acres of the kale every year.
He reckons at least 100000 pounds of
green feed annually from an acre of
the plant. Fifty head of sheep will
keep Fat on an acre, and remain feed
ing until after frost.
The Thousand Headed Kale is of re-
cent Introduction in the United States.
But, what has been grown demon
strates that ii IS a great green food
for cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry. 1t
spreads out in a mass of cut and curl
ed leaves, somewhat resembling rape.
1t is very prolific and produces more
food than the Dwarf Essex rape. In
England the two plants are sown to-
gether for green pastures. We must
RANT pastures to succeed in stock
feeding. This is one of the new plants
that promises to come to the rescue
of the farmer. 1t may be sown in the
South in the spring or autumn, or
monthly like rape, and will make good
crops.
A good soil is necessary for the
successful production of kale. 1t re-
quires practically the same land as
cabbage, caulifiower and similar
plants. A fair crop of cabbage, esti-
mated at thirty-one tons, removes from
the soil $50 pounds of nitrogen, $50
pounds of potash. and $50 pounds of
phosphorc acid. These foods must be
supplied by liberal applications of fer
tilizers rich in plant foods. If the kale
follows a well hoed and rich fertilized
crop, the soil will be in fair condition.
The nitrogen taken up by the leaves
is great, and the potash required to
make good stalks is more than in most
crops. An application of a good fertil-
izer containing per cent. nitrogen. 8
per cent. potash and per cent. ,phos-
phoric acid at the rate of 1000 to 1000
pounds per acre, is about the proper
requirement of foods for the soil.
Kale may be sown broadcast or in
drills. The English plan is to plant in
drills, using the regular garden seed
ers for this purpose The plants are
left to stand about inches apart in
rows 10 inches apart. For this plant
ing one pound is required to seed an
acre. If sown broadcast, and put in
with the harrow or corrugated roller,
three times as much should be used
in planting an acre. 1t requires no par
ticular cultivation If the land is in
good condition and well fortified be-
fore planting. If sown in the spring
kale will supply excellent green pas
turage during August. September and
October and even until the snow falls.
1t may be cut then and cured the same
as hay, and fed through the winter as
a poultry food.
The seed may be purchased of gen
eral dealers for about 30 cents pound
At present probably all the seed is
imported the same as rape, and is,
therefore, freshly grown every year.
If the Dwarf Essex rape and the
Thousand Headed Kale are sown to-
J gether in the autumn, in most South
ern states, the plants will keep green
throughout the winter, and be fine
green fertilizers for blowing under in
the spring. BY combining these sheep
and stock pastures may be increased
and the early spring market reached
with beef and mutton. This is the age
of improvement. and the farmer must
keep pace with the times If there
is anything new that will be Of ben
eft to him. he should know it. The
best way to learn about valuable
crops after reading the agricultural
press, is to get some seed and test
1t. Try kale now. and see If it is not
good