Account of a Field Thoroufjh-drainecl. 



19 



but he thought it too expensive for his means, and preferred 

 giving up the field and letting me take it into my own hands. 



Inclosed are the details with respect to the mode of treatment, 

 conveyed in answers to queries put by me. The produce you 

 have, I believe, from Dr. Buckland. The weight given is of the 

 turnips, with the tops, but without the fibrous roots. I was ad- 

 vised by very good practical farmers not to sow turnips, but to 

 have a fallow for wheat : they thought the land not very well 

 suited for turnips, and that the best period for sowing them was 

 gone by. But I was desirous to exhibit the result of my experi- 

 ment ; which I had mainly undertaken for the purpose of encou- 

 raging others in my neighbourhood to follow my example. For 

 that very reason, perhaps, I ought to have been less impatient. 



However, the turnip crop on one half the field far exceeded 

 my expectations ; and the comparative failure on the other was 

 clearly attributable to special causes. 



Believe me, my dear Sir, 



Very faithfully yours, 



Robert Peel. 

 Whitehall, Jan. 13, 1842. 



Is'i. — Wlial was the nature of the subsoil 

 in different parts of the field ? 



2nd. — Was not the upper soil of a peaty 

 nature ? 



3rd. — What was tlie general depth of it 

 above the sulisoil '? 



4th. — Was that the best part naturally of 

 the field where the best crop of turnips 

 was? 



Or was the difference of produce in 

 different parts of the field entirely 

 arising from other causes? 



5th. — Was the field very dry during the 

 continued heavy rains of the season of 

 18il? 



Gth. — Did the drains act effectually? 



7lh. — What was the depth of the several 

 drains and main drain ? 



8th. — When v/as the draining finished? 



9lh. — What was the time when the tur- 

 nips were sown ? 



10th. — Was It the last sown that failed ? 



About one-third of tlie field was stiff clay ; 

 the other part was a mixture of hard 

 sand and gravel. 



Yes. 



From 4 to 6 inches. 



No : the greatest portion of it being stiff 

 clay. 



The difference of produce arose from two 

 causes ; viz., very heavy rains at the 

 time of sowing, and the wire-grub. 



Yes ; very dry. 



Yes. 



Main drain, from 5 to 6 feet. 

 Sub-main . . 3 to 4 ,, 

 Other drains. . 2 feet 6 in. deep. 



30th of April, 1841. 



Hertfordshire Whites, 21st of June. 



Red Giant. . . . 23rd „ 



Red Top .... 24th „ 



Globe 25th „ 



Yes ; the 24th and 25th of June. 



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