338 ON THE ECONOMICAL USE OF TUENIPS 



On many farms where mixed husbandry is followed, the rota- 

 tion might be lengthened, and thereby a smaller area would be 

 devoted to the growth of roots, every acre of these roots being 

 made to keep a more numerous head of stock than has hitherto 

 been the general practice. Several obvious advantages would 

 result from this. The labour and manure bills, the two greatest 

 dead weights on modern arable farming, would both be consider- 

 ably lessened. Besides, on not a few holdings as great a gross 

 weight of turnips would be produced by the six-course rotation 

 as is now done according to the five-course shift. Indeed, in 

 some instances the yield per acre would be so much heavier, 

 besides, the crop being sounder and surer under the seven years' 

 rotation than under the five years' course, that the total turnip 

 crop on the farm would be very little if at all reduced by such a 

 lengthening of the rotation. Moreover, the extent under pasture 

 would thereby be considerably increased, and therefore, from 

 being able to summer a larger proportion of the live stock the 

 farmer requires for winter feeding, he would be made less depen- 

 dent on the state of the store markets in the autumn. Such an 

 extension of the area under grass as we are suggesting might 

 advantageously be employed in breeding an additional number 

 of animals, and especially of cattle. Keally prime beef and 

 mutton have realised such a high price in this country for many 

 years, that those farmers who have sold in the fat market 

 cattle and sheep bred as well as fed by themselves have received 

 fairly remunerative returns. Those have fared worst, and they 

 have often fared badly, who have had to buy the animals they 

 have fed. Too frequently, after paying for the cake and grain 

 bills, little has been left to represent the produce of the farm 

 consumed by the animals. Wherever practicable, therefore, the 

 surest method for a farmer to receive for his crops, and espe- 

 cially for his roots, a return steady and reliable — because in as 

 small a degree as possible dependent on the fluctuations of the 

 market, — is to breed as large a proportion as he can of the 

 animals which he feeds. In this way the speculative part of 

 farming is reduced to a minimum, and the money receipts made 

 tolerably regular and certain. We submit that these considera- 

 tions, the truth and force of which are very generally acknow- 

 ledged, afford strong arguments for such means as we have 

 sketched being used to employ the root crops of the farm to the 

 best advantage. 



One of the greatest advantages of the system of feeding with a 

 mixture of roots and dry bulky fodder is that it enables stock owners 

 to bring through the winter their usual number of animals in 

 such a season as that of 1879-80, when the turnip crop was an 

 unusually small one. Those who act upon it can adjust the 

 allowance of turnips given to stock according to the supply in 



