Wealden Clay of Sussex. 183 



the clay, it has been, unfortunately, too much taken for granted 

 that it is impossible to grow root-crops in the stiff clays of the 

 Weald. This, however, is a mistake, and I am satisfied that 

 turnips, both Swedish and common, if sown on land in good 

 condition — that is, clean, fine, and full of manure — produce a 

 good weight per acre, and are superior in quality to those grown 

 on light land, though I admit that it is not so easy to get a plant 

 of them. To secure this, early sowing is the best method ; and 

 though by drilling turnip-seed as early as May you may suffer 

 from mildew, a mildewed crop is far better than none, and even 

 this disease may be checked in a considerable degree by repeated 

 horse-hoeing. 



In growing root-crops of any kind on clay, success depends 

 greatly on the previous management of the land.* Let it be 

 ploughed as early as possible — that is, as soon as harvest is over 

 and the field cleared — if you have men and horses to do it. 

 This is good husbandry on any soil, but on clay it is absolutely 

 necessary. Sometimes the shelled corn, which should fall to the 

 share of the pigs, may be sacrificed, but this loss is insignificant 

 compared with the loss caused by not ploughing early enough. 



If the land be foul, it may be ploughed and cleaned in Sep- 

 tember, and ridged up in one-bout ridges as soon as possible — 

 at all events, by the end of November, In these ridges the 

 greatest surface will be exposed to the sun, wind, rain, and frost, 

 the repeated action of which will break down the stiffest clay to 

 a fine mould, such as no amount of harrowing and rolling can 

 produce. This exposure is useful on undrained lands, but on 

 those that are drained it is more so ; and draining is, or ought to 

 be, the first step towards growing beet and turnips. 



Suppose, then, the land intended for root-crops to liaA'e been 

 ridged up in autumn ; let those ridges be split in February or 

 early in March, and then left a few days or weeks, till the manure 

 can be put in between them by once more splitting. Pass a 

 light roller over the ridges, and drill in the seed ; in this case 

 a light roller may form a part of the drill. Whether the land 

 be manured from the cattle-yard, or with guano and superphos- 

 phate of lime, it can hardly be over-manured. There are cases 

 in which yard-manure may be advantageously applied in the 

 autumn. 



Beet, though perhaps it may not grow so large as it does on 

 some mixed soils, likes the clay, and is of excellent quality when 



* Arthur Young, in his 'Agriculture of Suffolk,' published in 1813, speaks of 

 autumn culture as excellent on stiff lands, and as being commonly practised in 

 getting the land ready for a corn crop, so as to sow it on a stale furrow, and avoid 

 spring ploughing. It is still more necessary in preparing for a crop of beet or 

 swedes. 



