T3-t Cultivation of Arable Land. Turnips. Methods of f owing of. 



the winter months, fo late as January, it may alfo be preferable, as the turnips can 

 he more readily obtained for the cattle when there is a conftderable depth of fnow 

 upon the^ground.* There are alfo other circumftances in this mode of cultivating tur- 

 njpciops.that appear of importance : the hoeing and cleaning of the rows can be more 

 eafily performed, and in a more perfect manner, women or children being capable 

 ol being employed in the bufinefs ; while the weeds in the intervals are capable of 

 being eradicated, and the mould laid up to the plants by the plough. And it has 

 been even fuggeiled by fome, that the danger of fheep, from being call in the fur 

 rows, is confiderably leifened if not wholly obviated ; as on one-bout ridges they 

 cannct lie down on their iides, or roll on their backs, as is frequently the tafe in 

 the .other methods :f though others think the contrary the cafe, and recommend 

 ronilant attention while the fheep are feeding upon them.J From the narrownefs 

 01 the furrows in fuch cafes, the firft conclufion would feem to be well founded. 



The only objections to the raifed drill method that appear to have much 

 weight are, that from the root being more elevated and expofed, it is not fo capable 

 of {landing thefeverity of the winter ; and that larger fpaees are allowed than are 

 neceffary for the roots to attain a fufficient fize, confequently that the quantity of 

 produce will not be fo great. It would feem probable, however, that from the 

 pafture of the plants being greatly enlarged, and the crops thereby rendered more 

 healthy and vigorous, the amount of produce muft be rather increafed than lefTen- 

 d.&amp;lt;$ It has alfo been contended, that in the raifed method there is a difficulty of 

 reducing the land to a level ftate again ; and that the ground in the intervals be 

 comes unproductive from not having the advantage of manure : it is obvious, how 

 ever, that by making the ridges in a proper manner, according to the nature of the 

 land, thefe inconveniences may eafily be avoided. 



* Jolfon, in Communications to the Board of Agriculture, vol. II. 



f Midclleton s Correfted Agricultural Report of Middlefex. 



% Tuke s Corrected Agricultural Report of the North Riding of Yorkihire. 



It is obferved by a cultivator in vol. III. of the Farmer s Magazine, who has long paid great at 

 tention to the difference in turnips raifed in drills with broad intervals and thofe produced in other 

 inodes, that they arrive at a much greater fize in the former than in any other methods which he has 

 feen. In judging of the weight of fuch crops by the acre, it is the opinion of many, that the largenefs 

 of the turnips is not to be fo much attended to as the greatnefs of their number. This he fufpecls 

 may have led to erroneous conclufions. But taking the intervals in the narrow method at about thir 

 teen inches, and the diftance of the plants in the row, at about twelve, an acre will contain about 

 40,200 turnips; and in the raifed drill method, at the width of twenty- feven inches in the intervals, 

 and the diftance of about eleven in the rows, the fame fpace of land will contain about 21,100. 

 And that in refped to the real fixe of the turnips, he has no doubt of being fupported by the generality 

 of the moft experienced cultivators in maintaining, that when the various circumftances of soil, climate, 



