160 . Cultivation of Arable Land. Turnips Application of Crops of. 



thinks the drill or ridge methods far preferable ; it being eaiy to have fheep- 

 pens or turnip-trays made and fixed in fuch a way as tp coriflitute a fort of move- 

 able trough, the bars or trays being fet near the tide of the rows of turnips, and 

 boards from ten to twelve inches in breadth, having flakes of fuitable lengths, ac 

 cording to the depths of tht foils, nailed to them, fattened on the fides from which 

 the fheep feed : the narro \vcr-.-t he fpaces the turnips are included in, the better. 

 As it may be apprehended that the animals may get in among the turnips thus 

 fenced off, it is remarked, that fuppofing they occupy a regular fpace of about 

 twelve inches, the troughs may be made little more than a foot in width at the 

 bottom, having- a Hoping direction upwards. The trays or bars may likewife have 

 an inclination towards the fheep, and hang over the troughs or parts in which the 

 turnips are inclofed, and thus prevent them from getting in. 



In this way it is fuppofed the fheep will have their food quite clean, and by 

 fetting off at a time only the quantity necefTary for a day, they may eat it with 

 more avidity and without the danger of fpoiling fo much by their excrement. 



If it mould be objected that this method is only fuited to fmall concerns, he 

 maintains that, on examination, it will be found even on a large fcaleto be better 

 in many refpects, as well as confiderably cheaper, as &quot; on the loweft calculation 

 three fheep may be kept in this way to two by the old method perhaps even 

 double the number, and they will fatten much fooner.&quot;* It is added, on the prin 

 ciple that animals do not feed fo well when a redundance of food is placed before 

 them, that if the fheep in fuch cafes were driven into the ftraw-yards during the 

 night, and even to eat ftraw in the morning, they would retain the turnips longer, 

 and fatten quicker j and in the mean time the perfons employed in looking after 

 them might move the hurdles a row further, and thus little time be loft. If 



* The advantages of tins method are calculated by the author this way : Suppofe, fays he, two 

 hundred flu-op to employ one man and boy every day, and admitting the boy to be unneceflfary in the 

 common method, but allowing one (hilling per day for him ; and efti mating the fame quantity of tur 

 nips to keep three fheep that was employed for keeping only two ; then three hundred fheep may be 

 kept where only two hundred were kept: and eftimating the profit on one hundred fheep at only two 

 pence a-head per week, the amount will be l6s. Sd. for that length of time ; and deduding from it the 

 extra expenceof 7*. for the boy, there will remain a clear profit of Qs. 8d. per week. But where the 

 flock is larger, tue profit will, it is obferved, increafe in proportion ; as a man and boy are capable 

 of managing four hundred fheep. Two hundred are, however, fufficient to be fed together; but by 

 dividing four hundred equally, they can be managed by the above number of perfons. 



The writer is, however, clearly of opinion that two fheep may be kept in this way for one in the 

 other. If fo, fays he, the amount would be ll. 13s. 4rf. per week, which in twenty weeks would 

 come to 331. 6s. 8rf, a fura that would more than clear the expences of the boy and the extra pen the 

 flrft feafon. 



