THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



393 



grown grass to prevent over-heating. Early in the morn- 

 ings, and at other intervals, when not occupied with hay- 

 making, the men hoe and clean turnips, &c. Though this 

 district is high and the climate rather wet, yet from 1 847 

 up to the present time I have succeeded in carrying the 

 whole of each crop in good condition. 



In stating the produce per acre I give the ascertained 

 weight of a great portion of the first crop, and the whole 

 of the second crop, as weighed out of the pikes. The price 

 ot 6d. per stone, or £4 per ton, is lower than the average 

 value for a series of years in this district : — 



Average weight of first crop, gathered in 



June, 185G 2| tons 



Second, or aftermath, gathered first 



week in September, 1856 1^ „ 



4 tons = £16 

 Pasturage from March to April, and in October 



and November 



1 5 



Gross produce of one acre of grass land ..£17 5 



Estimating 1 ton of hay as equal to 6 tons of Swedish 

 turnips, this produce of natural grass does not compare un- 

 favourably with a root crop. One ton of well-gotten hay 

 is, however, superior to 6 tons of swedes, on account of its 

 greater quantity of oil, which is without doubt one of the 

 most valuable elements of food. 



The meadows on which this produce is grown are on 

 strong clay, which before draining yielded but a scanty 

 herbage, interspersed with rushes, and but a light crop of 

 hay late in July. 



The following is my treatment of my permanent pastm-es, 

 which are heavily stocked during the summer season. The 

 home pasture, of barely 15 acres, carries my 20 milk cows 

 during the day. They are housed during the night. This 

 clearing the pastures by night has in some degree the effect 

 of a change of pasture, and prevents their lying so much on 

 the grass they eat. In addition to the 20 milk cows, 20 

 ewes with their lambs graze and fatten on this home 

 pasture of 15 acres. These ewes are supplied witli ^Ib. of 

 rape-cake each per day. It will be observed that the dung 

 from the cows is likewise enriched by the extra food given 

 to the cows in stall. Several times during the season a 

 labourer is sent round the pastures to spread about the 

 dung : for this operation I prefer wet weather. My other 

 pastures are also lich feeding pastures, and carry a beast 

 and an ewe with her lambs per acre. During July and 

 August the coarse tufts of grass in the pastures are mown 

 and carried home for fodder for my horaes. I prefer this 

 pasture grass for horses to that from aftermath, which is 

 too relaxing. These pasture mowings more than suffice fo 

 the bulky food for four or five horses during July and 

 August. The surplus is partly eaten by the cattle, the re- 

 mainder being converted into hay, and mixed with cut 

 straw for steaming. After this m.owing of the tufts, the 

 pastures assume the appearance of aftermath, and the 

 animals graze with appetite over the whole. Late in 

 autumn and early in spring the ewes are continued on these 

 pastures, which they graze quite close. They are housed 

 during severe weather, and at night on boarded floors, and 

 turned on the pastures during the day through winter in 

 fine weather. 



To these frequent cuttings of my meadows, and close 

 grazing of my pastures, I am in some degree indebted for 

 the excellent quality of their produce. 



My successful use of rape-cake as food ha's caused my 

 attention to be given to the cultivation of the'^green rape I 



plant for fodder, of which I produce two crops during the 

 year. The sowing for one is made towards the close of 

 June or early in July, after early potatoes, or on other 

 vacant ground, enriched with the fresh excrement from my 

 cattle. The produce from this sowing is cut towards the 

 close of September, in October, and early in November. 

 To ascertain the quantity, I measured out 400 square yards, 

 which was cut in dry weather; the produce was upwards 

 of 1^ tons, being more than 16" tons per acre. This cutting 

 was made before the crop had attained its full growth. The 

 average over the whole would be more. 



Towards the close of July or early in August I sow rape 

 in a seed-bed, for which I use the headlands of crops which 

 are horse-hoed. These plants are taken from the seed-bed 

 and planted after lifting the potatoes in September or 

 October, and produce a crop during the early part of May. 

 Though the operation of planting out is somewhat tedious, 

 yet the produce being available at a time when green food 

 is scarce, I find its cultivation remunerative. My produce 

 this season is equal to about 7 to 8 tons per acre. This 

 spring crop is cut in time to be followed by cabbage and 

 kohl-rabi. 



The properties of green rape as food for sheep are well 

 known. In Morton's Cyclopedia I find a complete analysis, 

 showing it to be rich in flesh and fat-forming constituents. 

 Dr. Voelcker characterises it as richer in fatty matter than 

 any other green crop used for food. During the month of 

 October and early in November I give it both to my milk 

 and fattening cows : they devour it with relish. I have 

 as yet found no green crop equal to green rape at that 

 season of the year. 



In cultivating the cabbage and kohl-rabi, I find it ad- 

 vantageous to plant them in rows of 4 ft. to 4 ft. 6 in. apart, 

 with potatoes between each row. As the potato forms its 

 tubers and expands its foliage, whilst that of cabbage and 

 kohl-rabi are comparatively small, I obtain an abundant 

 crop of each. On the potatoes being lifted, the cabbages 

 nearly cover the whole ground. 



The produce of the cabbages exceeds that of any other vege- 

 table I cultivate ; yet on account of its flavour I limit its use 

 to a less quantity than that of any other green food. The 

 kohl-rabi, though not equally productive with the cabbage, is 

 in flavour somewhat more agreeable. 



Rotation of crops. — The extent of land in tillage in my 

 occupation being limited, my rotation is short, and consists 

 of— 



1st. Mangel or turnips, which are amply manured with 

 fresh excrement from my cattle. I prefer ploughing this into 

 the ground in all its freshness •, but as this is not always 

 practicable in the autumn, when used in spring I mix with it 

 guano, at the rate of 2 to 3 cwt. per acre, for the purpose of 

 accelerating its decomposition. With the view of satisfying 

 myself of the effect of this, I mixed a small quantity of guano 

 in a garden-pot filled with fresh excrement; the effect was 

 soon perceivable from a strong effluvium and an appearance of 

 gaseous bubbles, and a change to yellowness of colour, whilst 

 a pot of excrement without guano in juxtaposition remained 

 comparatively unchanged. This experiment was repeated in 

 my vinery, at a temperature of 56 degrees, with a like result. 

 Before I resorted to this I observed a comparative slowness of 

 growth of the root crop after the application of the fresh ex- 

 crement, which I do not now perceive. 



My mangel and turnip crops average, from actual weigh- 

 ings, about 25 tons to the acrej that of mangel being some- 

 what the heavier. 

 The estimate of the value of either of these crops is usually 



E E 2 



