244 The Management of Sheep Stock 



eatinji^ off all the spring growth, then ploughing the land, and 

 planting a crop of rape, spring vetches, or early turnips, apply- 

 ing artificial manures liberally, and being careful to secure a 

 fine and tolerably firm seed-bed. I have known this to be 

 carried out with success, a considerable increase of sheep-keep 

 over the old four-course rotation being obtained, inasmuch as 

 the seeds afford much keep for the ewes in a mild autumn, and 

 a fair fold in spring, whilst the land is made ready for wheat 

 with very little preparation. We have generally plenty of time 

 for operations, since the rape, turnips, «S:c., do not require to 

 be sown until the middle of June. The wheat, on light land 

 in good condition, may go in any time before Christmas. The 

 wheat may be followed by the root-break, if we do not care 

 about corn, or we may now sow barley, supposing the land to 

 be in thorough condition. We will, for the sake of illustration, 

 take roots next. A considerable portion of the land, if clean, as 

 it shouhl be, may be manured as soon as the wheat is off, and 

 worked for vetches, of which a succession of crops should be 

 sown, with a little winter barley or winter oats, to help make 

 up a crop. The practice of sowing winter barley, if this crop is 

 grown, eating down bare in spring, and then leaving for a corn 

 crop, has been successfully tried in some cases; and it might 

 follow the wheat, or at any rate a portion of it. The success of 

 such a plan has not been sufhciently established for us to speak 

 with any certainty about it. 



Where the climate is not very severe, a icw acres of the 

 cleanest portion of the stubble may be sown with Trifolium 

 incarnatum, which only requires to be lightly harrowed in, 

 and affords very useful keep for ten days or a fortnight before 

 the vetches are ready. Rye may also be sown, but it is not 

 a favourite crop of mine, as it soon gets coarse, and is never 

 very nourishing.* I would not put any spring vetches on this 

 break, as they would occupy too valuable space. As soon as 

 the winter crops are consumed, the land is well cultivated ; 

 the vetch roots, &;c., collected and burnt ; and either swedes, 

 hybrids, or hardy turnips sown. On light soils I have seen 

 famous crops of swedes after A-etches. 



Our mangold land will be taken in this course ; for this crop 

 good deep winter cultivation is necessary, and no expense should 

 be spared to secure a heavy crop. The fifth crop will be either 



* lu the bleak and dry Eastern Counties, rye is almost indispensable for the 

 large flock-master. It stands drought well, can be fed twice, and yet leave ample 

 time to prepare for a turnip or rape crop, Avhich then succeeds best on a stale 

 furrow, A new cultivator, by Headley of Cambridge, breaks up this and rye- 

 grass land very well for roots. A high authority on sheep remarks, " It is the 

 dock-master's fault if the rye gets coarse." — P. H. F. 



