on Heavy and Light Land. 255 



because tte Dutch clover, which is a comparatively slow-grow- 

 ing- plant, is more abundant and more matured. A small area of 

 Trifolium incarnatum is worth planting where soil and climate is 

 suitable, as it affords good keep for a few days, but, being of a 

 stalky nature, should be eaten young. Winter barley makes 

 a useful change, as described before. Vetches sown in suc- 

 cession are most valuable — two sowings in autumn, one early in 

 September, the second in October ; and two in spring, beginning 

 in February, if possible ; they will thus last from the middle of 

 May to the middle of July. A few acres of cabbages will 

 now be found most useful, and should be secured at any cost. 

 Rape and vetches sown together Avill introduce the lamb to a 

 new food, and avoid a sudden change, which is bad. Then rape, 

 afterwards rape and turnips mixed, and so on to turnips and 

 swedes, which latter should form the main winter crop. It will 

 be found very desirable to introduce the lamb gradually to new 

 food ; hence the advantage of mixing rape with the last breadth 

 of vetches, turnips with rape, and swedes with the turnips. 

 Kohl-rabi has been much approved in some quarters, but its 

 thick rind and woody stein are not in its favour ; and where we 

 can grow good turnips and swedes I should prefer them, as being 

 more useful and less costly. 



Perhaps my ideas will be better explained by supposing a 

 farm of 400 acres of arable land growing 100 acres of roots, and 

 carrying 300 ewes and as many lambs, all to be fed out. Twenty 

 acres of vetches, sown at four different periods, with the folding 

 of about 40 to 50 acres of good seeds, will supply food from May 

 till the miiddle of July for the lambs after weaning, the ewes 

 cleaning up behind : 4 to 5 acres of cabbage, part to be consumed 

 by cattle, will make a good change ; 8 to 10 acres of rape and 

 vetches — 1 bushel of vetches, and 2 to 3 lbs. of rape — will form a 

 good mixture. These should be sown at twice, with an interval 

 of, about a fortnight, and will supply food for a month or more. 

 A few acres of rape and turnips mixed, in addition, would carry 

 the lambs through September, provided we give a fold of seeds 

 in the morning and the rape, &c., at night. At this time we 

 may introduce more chaff; chopped hay and straw will do well if 

 cut fine and perfectly sweet : 10 to 12 acres of good turnips will 

 carry the lambs to December, when swedes may be commenced. 



It is difficult to estimate the quantity of swedes required 

 for tegs: a crop of 16 tons per acre will last 300 tegs a week, 

 according to the ordinary plan of cutting ; but probably ten to 

 twelve days if they were pulped. If the use of the pulper is to 

 be recommended for store sheep, much more do we believe in it 

 for the young fatting animal. It may be necessary to use a larger 

 proportion of roots ; but there will still be a great saving over the 



VOL. I. — S. S. S 



