1803. 'itrlSiures on Farm- Management near London, \^. 



ing any experience of cabbiipjos as a farm crop, I have merely in- 

 troduced them, by way of hint, without pretending to fay any 

 thing refpecling their cultivation. As, however, they are raifed 

 in a feed bed, and afterwards planted out, tlie land can be con- 

 fulerably cleaned before planting;, and, if free from couch, tliey 

 miglit often Hand in place of fallow, as they fully admit of de- 

 flroying feed weeds, by hand-hoeing and ploughing the intervals. 

 They might even admit of crofs-ploughing the intervals, if fet in 

 regular rows, not in the quincunx order. 



Turnips are a very material article of cultivation on light, dry- 

 bottomed land J but as yours is not of that defcription, I have 

 not taken this crop into confideration. I cannot, however, refrain 

 from objecting very ftrongly againll the mode of cultivating tur- 

 nips, which I faw pracSlifed through a very great extent of my 

 late journey. Sowing turnips broadcaft, not only cannot give fci 

 good a crop, as when fown in regular drills with large intervals^ 

 but does not admit of their being cleaned fo efFeciually. The 

 plough can never be admitted on the land, after turnips are fown 

 in the broadcaft way \ neither is it pofhble to fet them out at fuch 

 regular diftances. On land fit for the purpofe, turnips are a molt 

 Valuable crop. They come in place of fallow, for which, when 

 properly cultivated, they anfwer mofl: effe61:ually ; and they both 

 produce a profitable return, and fit the foil either for a fubfequent 

 crop of wheat or barley moft excellently. Five and fix guineas 

 an acre are common prices for good turnips in this country ; and 

 this year, when they have very generally failed, eight and teri 

 guineas are already bargained for. 



There are two ways of expending the turnip crop praclifed m 

 this country ; — either drawn from the field they grow upon, and 



tiven to cattle or fheep in the houfe, the fold-yard, or another 

 eld ; or folded on with fheep, as they grow on the ground. In 

 the neighbourhood of large- towns, tliey are fomctimes fold off 

 the ground altogether to cow-keepers. This mode deprives the 

 farm of the manure tliey produce, and can only be jiiilified by 

 high prices, and in fituations where manure can be purchafed. 

 I have known fixteen guineas an acre given in the neighbourhood 

 of Edinburgh. And this feafon, I fhould confider good turnip* 

 as being worth twenty guineas in tliat fituation. 



I have knov/n turnips raifed to advantage, in land as ftrono- as 

 yours, by the following procedure. After giving the land as com- 

 plete a fallow as pofTible, by making tlie various operations fol- 

 low each other quickly, it is ridged up, by twice gathering, in-i 

 to fifteen or eighteen feet lands or ridges. Drills are then run 

 acrofs thefe ridges, at twenty-feven to tliirty inch intervals : the 

 manure is fpread in the drills, tlic drills fplit open to cover 



it. 



