APPENDIX. 323 



In the first place, turnips give the farmer food for 

 his cows in winter, when lie has little else for them. In 

 summer, there is always some grass for the cows, even 

 with the worst farmers ; and where a farmer grows 

 clover, his cows are well off during summer, but then 

 what is there for them during winter 1 You all know 

 what a wretched state cows are in at the end of winter ; 

 they can scarcely get a mouthful in the fields ; and if it 

 was not for the little dry straw, and potatoes, and 

 chopped furze, they get in the house, they would gen- 

 erally starve. Now dry straw by itself is miserable 

 food for cows, but with turnips it is excellent. Cows 

 fed badly with dry straw, and a little potatoes and 

 chopped furze, give scarcely any milk, and make scarcely 

 any manure, so that for half the year they are no profit 

 to the farmer, which is what the farmer cannot afford. 

 But give them turnips and they are profitable through 

 the whole year. 



Again, if a farmer has clover enough to keep four 

 cows through the summer and autumn, which he very 

 easily may have, I will thank you to tell me how he is 

 to keep those cows through the winter. He must either 

 give them a great many of his potatoes, which would 

 make him money in the spring, or sell at least two of 

 his cows. If he sells two, he loses the manure of those 

 two cows for near six months — half the year. He is 

 obliged to sell in November, when everybody knows 

 cows sell very cheap and badly, instead of being able to 

 keep them till May, when the same cows Avould fetch 

 at least £3 a-head more. If he has no turnips, the two 

 cows he keeps must be out in the fields at least all 

 day ; and, cows, when badly fed, do not make half 

 as much manure, nor half as rich, as when well fed ; 



