1,,(7 Cultivation of Arable Land. --Turnips- Application of Crops of. 



the land.* This method of rendering arable grounds proper for the growth of 

 turnip crops feems to have been too much neglected, confidering the great ad 

 vantage* that may be derived from it in the feeding and rearing of live ftock, 

 ;as well as in the amelioration of the land.t 



The nature of the animals by which turnip crops are confumed muft obvioufly 

 introduce differences in the manner of their application. When they are em 

 ployed in the rearing or fattening of neat cattle, they are generally pulled up 

 .and eaten either after being conveyed to fome convenient dry piece of ground 

 in the ftate of grafs or ftubble, or fome place of fecurity contiguous to the 

 llraw-yards or feeding-houfes ; in the latter methods, the turnips being given 

 to the animals in bins or cribs, or placed before them in flails conftructed for 

 the purpofe, in which the cattle are tied up. The laft is probably the better 

 .practice, though not fo frequently employed ; as there is the leaft poflible wafte, 

 ,at the fame time that the dung and urine of the animals are the moft effectually 

 preferved. In the firft method the fat ftock are firft admitted, the lean follow 

 ing to eat up what may remain; they are often conftantly confined upon the 

 turnips, except when prevented by the feverityof the feafon, in which cafe the 

 ftraw-yard is generally made the place of their confumption. The lands to which 

 alfo turnips are removed in this way of feeding, are, in fome diftricts, thofe in 

 tended to be ploughed up the enfuing year for wheat or other forts of grain, con- 

 fequently each field, in its turn, has the advantage of having fuch crops confumed 

 upon it, which is found more beneficial than feeding them on the land where 

 they grow.j The turnips in thefe cafes mould not be fcattered over the ground 

 in too thick a manner : as, where that is the practice, much lofs muft be fuf- 

 tained by their being crufhed and bruifed by the feet of the animals. All thefe 

 different practices are met with in the county of Norfolk, where great numbers 

 of different breeds of cattle are annually fattened upon turnips. 



, V 



* Kent s Hints, p. Il6. 



f Ibid. It is obferved by the fame writer, that \vhere the crops are good &quot; twenty acres will at 

 leaft fatten fifteen bullocks and fupport ten followers, or ftore cattle, for twenty-five weeks; or flieep 

 in the proportion of eight to one bullock ;&quot; befides the advantages in preparing the land for other fuc- 

 ceeding crops, which he confiders as far greater than the other &quot; in point of real profit.&quot; For he thinks 

 it is evident, that moft of the eftates in the county of Norfolk have been improved in the proportion of 

 at leaft forty per cent, folely by marling and adopting this mode of raifing turnips; as many thoufaud 

 acres now produce fine crops of gain and turnips, and fupport a prodigious number of ftieep and 

 other forts of ftock, which were formerly covered with various kinds of coarfe plants and unpro 

 ductive. 



J Corre&ed Agricultural Report of Northumberland. 



