16 Farming of Bedfordshire. 



course system, and, stranfje to say, either from the less frequent 

 repetition of the crop, or from the chalky nature of the soil, the 

 turnips mostly remain jjood, while in other parts of the county 

 they have miserably failed. 



Improved turnip cultivation of late years has doubtless been at 

 the foundation of these astounding advancements, and our South 

 Beds farmers are much indebted to the indefatigable and scientific 

 exertions of John Bennet Lawes, Esq., of Rothamsted, in the 

 preparation of a description of turnip-manure, which has per- 

 formed wonders throughout the whole of these chalky districts, 

 Avhich heretofore were most ungenial for the growth of all root 

 crops. It is true, that, by tlie partial use of broken rape-cake 

 and other artificial manures, improvements had commenced a 

 few years before that gentleman commenced his experiments, 

 but the great desideratum was still absent, viz. a manure that 

 would force the turnip plants in the early stages on those 

 ungenial soils Avithout endangering the vegetative properties of 

 the seed. This result Mr. Lawes has accomplished, and instead 

 of witnessing now, as heretofore, large patches of land completely 

 naked and others covered only with a few stinted worthless 

 plants, you may witness on the farms of the more spirited 

 agriculturists, field after field, a fine uniform crop, exceeding in 

 many instances that of the more kindly soils of the kingdom 

 where no such appliances are used. 



In the cultivation of turnips in this part of the county, the 

 ridge system (except for their late turnips) is almost universally 

 adopted Ijy our best farmers. They use their farmyard manure, 

 so as to supply a portion for the whole of the turnip fallows, and 

 then, after the manure is covered in, from 3 to 5 cwt. per acre 

 of Lawes's superphosphate is drilled with the seed, and if, during 

 the operation, sufficient moisture is retained to cause the seed to 

 vegetate, the turnip crop is considered safe. Such indeed have 

 been the effects of recent management in this part of the county, 

 as to have in many cases doubled the production of human food 

 within the last thirty years, and if you go back to the time of 

 Mr. Stone's Report in 1794, it has doubtless been quadrupled, 



Meadoio and Pasture Land. — Hitherto there has been but a 

 cursory allusion to the grass-land, nor need our remarks be at all 

 voluminous, as the pastures of the county are not extensive, nor 

 generally of first-rate quality. There are, however, a few ex- 

 ceptions : — 



At Pulloxhill, near Silsoe, there are some fields of very good 

 grass, such as will fatten a bullock well, and is not thought less 

 eligible for dairy purposes. 



At Marston Moretain, the far-famed Church-close or closes is 

 very fine bullock land, while the Horse-craft field, the Holms, and 



