26 ON THE AGKICULTUllE OF THE 



farming, providing, as it does, such a large amount of winter food 

 for stock, and its consumption being so valuable a manurial 

 agency for corn. Where autumn cultivation is observed, the 

 land is ploughed with a deep furrow of eight to ten inches as 

 soon as possible in the fall. It is then allowed to lie till the fol- 

 lowing spring, when it is well grubbed, spring ploughing being 

 rarely practised. A few years ago, as many as two furrows were 

 given in spring, but this mode of culture has been almost aban- 

 doned, inasmuch as it not only entails more labour, but is posi- 

 tively mischievous in its eifects, for the rainfall being moderate, 

 the soil becomes dry and hard, so that a fine tilth is difficult to 

 obtain, and there is a lack of moisture to promote the germina- 

 tion of the seed. Two or three good grubbings generally suffice, 

 the last being generally made in the direction of the drills. 

 Mr Davidson, Walton, approves of autumn cultivation, and he 

 rarely ploughs in the spring. Mr Anderson, Norton Mains, 

 also thinks that autumn ploughing and spring grubbing answer 

 best. Mr Melvin, Bennington, ploughs in autumn, taking a deep 

 furrow, and grubs in spring, obtaining a fine tilth. Mr Inch, 

 Liberton West Mains, has grubbed regularly in spring for thirty 

 years, going over the land once, twice, or thrice, as may be found 

 necessary. The practice never fails with him, as he gets his land 

 into good order and retains all the moisture in the soil. Another 

 successful agriculturist, Mr Dickson, Saughton Mains, also pre- 

 fers spring grubbing, as he gets a finer mould and a better braird 

 of plants. We have brought forward these examples in order 

 to show the general esteem in which spring grubbing is held 

 by many of the successful farmers in the Lothians. Mr Mylne, 

 Niddrie Mains, on the other hand, advocates spring ploughing 

 for turnips, but he works well up to the plough with the harrow 

 and crusher, so as to retain the moisture. Drills are generally 

 made 27 inches in width with a double-mould plough. Where 

 farm-yard manure is used, it is forked into the stitches, if not 

 previously applied to the stubble in autumn, and the drills split 

 to cover it in. From 2 to 3 cwt. of portable manures is also 

 allowed to give the plants a start at the outset. Where artificial 

 manures are used alone, about 8 cwts. of mixed guano and phos- 

 phates are generally given in the proportion of 6 of the former 

 to 2 of the latter. Of late years, farmers have seen the neces- 

 sity of sowing a larger proportion of swedes than formerly, as 

 they keep so much better than the softer varieties during a 

 severe winter. The sowincj of swedes commences in the second 

 week of May, weather permitting, and is finished before the end 

 of the month, the white and hybrid descriptions being sown im- 

 mediately after, and the whole crop being got in, if possible, 

 before midsummer. Occasionally, the turnip beetle — Haltica 

 nemorum — proves very destructive when the plants are in the 



