1^ Af/riculture of Shropshire. 



a poor crop is sure to allow rubbish to grow, and thereby the 

 land suffers more than is gained by the crop. A bare fallow is 

 always to be preferred to a bad crop of vetches. Witli a proper 

 preparatory tillage we thus secure many of the advantages of the 

 bare fallow, but we also add a considerable quantity of vege- 

 table and animal manure to the land which it would not other- 

 wise have had, and the land will still be in excellent condition 

 for wheat, as there is ample time for cleaning the land, after the 

 vetches have been consumed, before the time comes for sowing 

 the wheat. There is another decided advantage gained by the 

 growth of vetches, as more stock can be kept throiif/hoiit the 

 year, and they yield valuable food for fattening sheep. 



Rape occupies a very similar position, and offers the advan- 

 tage of being cultivated with more certainty, and giving a good 

 change of food. Here, as in the case of the vetch, it will be 

 found more advantageous to cultivate 1 acre well than 3 acres 

 badly. The extent sown must depend upon the strength which is 

 at the farmer's disposal ; l;ut the chief point must be to cultivate 

 only as much as can be done irell. For this purpose it should 

 be ploughed up before winter and freely exposed to the air, and 

 in tlie spring, work it as if for turnips, and then drill it 20 inches 

 v/ide with artificial manure — say 2 cwt, of guano and 2 cwt. of 

 superphosphate of lime per acre. This should be done at inter- 

 vals, commencing early in INIay and ending with the first week 

 in June. : When the crop is well out in rough leaf it should be 

 singled out 8 inches apart, and well horse-hoed. The horse- 

 hoeing should be continued at frequent intervals, and the result 

 will be a luxuriant crop of rape, which may be commenced feed- 

 ing by the middle of August or early in September, 



The land may thus be cleaned, and heavy crops matured readv 

 for being fed by sheep on the land, at a time of the year when 

 the greatest advantage is to be realized, and when especially 

 wanted for finishing off the fattening wethers and culled ewes. 

 The advantage of being able to feed a crop on the land, not only 

 without injury, but with positive advantage, must be duly con- 

 sidered ; the labour of drawing away the crop and bringing back 

 the manure being thus saved, the horses can l)e put to more 

 profitable employment. To attempt, as a general rule, to fatten 

 sheep (upon land of this nature) during the winter and spring 

 months, can only result in disappointment and loss. There are 

 drier spots which form an exception to this rule, but I refer 

 especially to the heavy and tenacious soils which abound here. 

 On these soils the summer and autumn are the only seasons in 

 which sheej) can be advantageously fattened ; any artificial food 

 now given will make a good return, whilst its consumption in the 

 wet seasons cannot fail to be unprofitable. The climate in the 



