diinnor the last Four Years. 199 



o 



line where the seed is to be sown, and form a bad seed-bed. 

 Again, if dry weather follow, moderate showers do not penetrate 

 the hardened surface of the ridges upon cohesive land. Upon a 

 light sandy soil^ on the other hand, Mr. Brooks finds ridging 

 answer, and perseveres in it with success. There is indeed an 

 advantage in ridging, where it is practicable, which I have not 

 seen adverted to, but which I believe to be real. It is common 

 to see on a field of green corn that the blade grows stronger in a 

 line along the crown of each land, in consequence of the double 

 portion of surface-mould collected by the plough, where the two 

 slices of earth are lapped over each other in ploughing ; now a 

 turnip set on a ridge has this very advantage of a double founda- 

 tion of the best mould. Still in the south of England on some 

 soils we must give up the hope of establishing the ridge-system ; 

 but it does not follow that we are to renounce all endeavour at 

 improving our turnip-crop. Even flat- drilling, I am told, has 

 great advantages over broadcast sowing of turnips, for although 

 dung cannot be placed immediately under the rows, bones and 

 other artificial manures can. On one farm in Oxfordshire 1600 

 bushels of bones are drilled every year in this way. There is, be- 

 sides, a much greater certainty of a crop, because the drill de- 

 posits all the seed at the proper depth, and thus the unseemly 

 blanks in our turnip -fields may be prevented. Another great 

 disadvantage in the broadcast system is the expense of hoeing 

 them twice, or even three times, by the hand, which costs 10.?. or 

 even 14.y. per acre, I do not know any good horse-hoe for flat- 

 drilled turnips ; but at Holkham, where mangold-wurzel is sown 

 in this manner, an implement is used which hoes three rows at 

 once, being drawn by two horses abreast. A good horse-hoe for 

 flat- drilled turnips is, I believe, one of the most useful machines 

 that could be invented, or if there be a good one already in use, 

 though confined to its own district, that could be made known. 



But when we have done all, applying to our turnips or swedes 

 as much manure as the northern farmers, 1 doubt if it be pos- 

 sible for us to obtain in the south crops generally equal to 

 theirs, for a reason to which I must now advert. In the north the 

 swede and white turnip are each sown nearly a month earlier than 

 in the south. Hence they have a longer time for their growth. 

 For many years I have seen repeated attempts made here to fol- 

 low this Scotch practice, and they have all signally failed ; for as 

 soon as warm weather comes, white filmy spots appear on the 

 leaves of the turnip, which soon creep over its whole surface. 

 This is mildew, and at once arrests the growth of the plant, ren- 

 dering the root hard and stringy. In a bad case of mildew I 

 have seen a large field of these early swedes struck in July, and 

 filling the air with a most offensive odour. Last year, if ever. 



