44 ON THE AGPJCULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 



from nine to ten, and sometimes twelve inches. When the land 

 is steep it is ploughed downhill only, and turned over to the 

 depth of about a foot. Scarifying has been tried on a few 

 farms, but was not approved of, and lias never been very largely 

 pursued. The turnip land is sometimes grubbed or cross ploughed 

 during winter, but this is done only when it is very rank with 

 weeds. The Fifeshire soil is not very apt to become overrun 

 by weeds, yet a few have to be extirpated every rotation. The 

 majority of the farmers gather the w^eeds and drive them off the 

 land, while others " shake" them well and turn them into the 

 bottom of the drills. The turnip land being exposed to the 

 frost of the Avinter is usually well pulverised, and is very easily 

 cultivated. It is very important for turnips, as w^ell as for grain, 

 that a fine tilth be obtained, and the farmers of Fife bestow an 

 immense deal of labour in securing this. Coming as the turnip 

 crop does after wheat and potatoes, it necessarily finds the land in 

 a very exhausted condition, and hence a liberal supply of manure 

 must be applied. The Fifeshire farmers, however, manure with 

 no niggard hand. They deal it out most liberally, and are 

 invariably most amply repaid for their outlay. For swedes 

 about 20 tons of farm-yard manure, with from o'to 8 cwt. of 

 guano or bones — dissolved or in dust — are usually given to tlie 

 acre ; while for yellows, the dose consists of from 15 to 18 tons 

 of farm-yard manure, and from 2 to 4 cwt. of guano or bones 

 per acre. When sea-weed can 1)0 obtained it is applied instead 

 of farm-yard manure, and it is found to suit admirably. On a 

 few farms more of both artificial and farm-yard manure is allowed 

 to the acre, and the extra outlay is generally fully repaid by an 

 extra heavy yield. Swedes are mostly all sown before the end 

 of May, but a large portion of the yellows are sown in June. 

 The greater part of the land is often ready for the seed early in 

 May, but it is found to be very unprofitable to sow too soon. Tlie 

 yield of turnips in the county is very high, often as much as 35 

 tons of yellows and 30 tons of swedes being grown on each acre. 

 The average per acre is very much below these figures — seldom 

 much above 18 tons ; but still, the county usually stands about 

 thirteenth in Scotland with regard to the yield of turnips per 

 acre. The quality of the Fifeshire turnips is also excellent, and 

 they are regarded as being very well adapted for feeding. The 

 turnips are stored on the land or driven home [to the farm- 

 steadings during winter, and are thus saved from the frosts of 

 winter. Storing operations, however, are seldom commenced till 

 about the middle of November, as the roots generally continue to 

 grow till that time. Turnips do not make much progress in Fife 

 early in the season, and were a stranger to visit the county in 

 the months of July or August, he would be most unfavourably 

 impressed with the appearance of the turnip crop. An immense 



